Sport is a major part of life at university for many people but it isn’t contained to university term times. University of Gloucestershire sports teams train throughout the year, the days of rocking up for a Saturday afternoon kick-off on the back of a night of drinking and dancing are long gone.
Professional sports teams have strict restrictions on their diet and lifestyle’s, so they are in prime condition for training throughout the year. University sports team are no different.
Daf Matheson, a radio student, is captain of the Gladiators American football team. He said: “I don’t drink much (alcohol) because if I did I would get really out of shape. We have strict diet guidelines as well, and with plenty of games coming up we need to be ready and in good condition and the diet is a key part of that.”
It’s clear that the diet is one of the key aspects of how an aspiring sports star keep themselves at the top of their game, but it isn’t just the men who have to change their diet for sport.
Saffron Mirza, also a radio student, is part of the Equestrian society, she said she also often has to be careful what she eats, “I guess it is (Equestrian) not a sport that you would think would need much diet change. I just have to keep the usual balanced diet, because with horse riding there’s a lot of focus on energy and endurance. It can be quite hard with long days and uni in between, but it is totally worth it.”
