Super League netballers in England are preparing for another exciting year in 2023, with pre seasons getting underway this month.
Players in the top tier get access to strength and conditioning and nutritional aid from their clubs to best prepare for the 20-round competition. It also gives injured athletes the chance to recover effectively.
One player is England Future Roses and Loughborough Lightning’s new signing Rhea Dixon. Having spent two seasons with Super League’s newest side Leeds Rhinos Netball, she missed most of the 2022 season with a foot injury but spoke highly of having support from nutritionists and sports scientists throughout her rehab so far.
She said: “Especially as a female athlete, it can be common that when you’re injured and your training load reduces.
“Therefore you think that your food intake should reduce a lot more. It’s actually about trying to heal a body part and your body is working really hard to do so.”
Understanding behind nutrition and supplements
In 2016, Mintel found that as many as one in four Brits have consumed a sports nutrition product. Solely in professional sports, supplements and additives are becoming more common.
In her experiences with netball, Dixon said: “All netballers that I know are recommended to use vitamin D supplements because women that train indoors and experience high impact are prone to deficiencies.
“Protein supplements are commonly used, but nutritionists always say food first.”
Leeds Beckett University and England institute of sport nutritionist Dr Meghan Bentley added: “As human’s there is so many factors that influence our behaviour.
“One size doesn’t fit all and as people we change over time. I feel when working with people, we must take time to understand a person and their needs and barriers. Only then will we be effective in changing their nutritional behaviour.”
