PARTNERS USN HELD LIFESTYLE SESSION WITH MATSATSANTSA PLAYERS

Partners USN (Ultimate Sports Nutrition) held a session with the SuperSport United players after the training session on Tuesday, the day before the team leaves for the Confederations Cup fixture in Morocco on Sunday.

After the session, the United website talked to the USN’s national training manager Gareth Powell regarding the session.

SuperSport United Football Club: What was the Tuesday player briefing at Groenkloof all about?

Gareth Powell: The session was purely educational, and it was aimed at the up-skilling the players on the lifestyle led by professional athletes. We focused on the four pillars of achievement in sport; the diet, training, recovery and supplementation.

SUFC: How was the player participation on the briefing?

GP: The session was well received by the players. Going forward, USN wants to be more involved so that the players can grasp the concept of nutritional value and performance and how they interact. Hopefully, the players can embrace this and apply it to their lifestyle.

SUFC: Do you guys have individual players that use your products in the team?

GP: The USN product range is made available to every team player before, during and after training sessions and games. Furthermore, players who require additional support to achieve specific goals get a ‘take-home’ supplement pack to incorporate into their nutritional plan away from the field.

SUFC: How do your products enhance a player’s performance?

GP: The USN range of supplements, and more specifically, the products used by the team have been designed to enhance mental and physical performance in a number of ways. Primarily, the aim is to adequately load a player with vital carbohydrates for energy, prevent fatigue, ward off cramping and improve muscle function and remove lactic acid build-up, as well as to ensure that adequate oxygen delivery systems are in place. This will guarantee that the player has a higher work rate and performance potential on the field whether it be in training or match-play.

Furthermore, we provide the players with the correct post-match nutrition for recovery. If a player cannot recover properly, they will never perform properly. Many athletes ignore this aspect of nutrition, and we ensure that our sponsored athletes focus on it. Total energy and muscle recovery is achieved through proper supplementation. The players will return to the training ground feeling refreshed and recovered.

Correct supplementation and recovery will also reduce the player’s chances of illness and/or injury, increasing their value to the club.

SUFC: What was the overall feedback from the players on your products?

GP: The players enjoy the vast range of scientifically tested and proven supplementation that USN offers. The medical staff and team are aware of the benefits of these products to their performance, recovery and development. The medical staff regulates the volumes, timing and types of products used by each individual so that goals are achieved in a shorter period of time.

SUFC: Regarding players’ physical appearances, how do they help?

GP: Each player is an individual with their own set of strengths and weaknesses. As an endurance athlete, a soccer player’s end goal is to increase muscle mass enough to be competitive on and off the ball, without slowing the player down and decreasing performance in the sense of strength, speed and power. Supplementation affords the players the right nutritional intake needed to achieve their individual goals far quicker. This will increase team cohesion as well as improving the team’s performance by minimizing weaknesses in performance at all levels.

It is important to stress that sports supplementation is not purely meant to build muscle. It is to ensure that athletes are receiving the correct nutrition to increase their energy levels, speed-up muscle recovery and repair so that injury or illness is prevented. SUFC: How is your partnership with SuperSport so far? GP: USN is a proud sponsor of SuperSport United Football Club. The association of two superior brands is always an opportunity to experience greater success. As two separate entities, both USN and SuperSport United have achieved immense successes, and as a team, we have achieved more. With the right vision and guidance, further value can be added to this already successful relationship.

SUFC: Thank you for your time Gareth!

GP: It’s a pleasure!