As far as bedtime snacks go, this one is not exactly classic.Heres the concoction that U.S. swimmer Ryan Murphy came up with when he was desperate to get a lot of extra nutrients in a hurry before calling it a day: Handfuls of kale and spinach, followed by some beets, oatmeal, splashes of tart cherry juice and a little bit of mango, all tossed into a blender for a few moments.He chugged it down, too.He knows he needs to get all the nutrients he can, said Alicia Kendig, the sports nutritionist for the U.S. swimming and track and field athletes that are competing in the Rio Games. Some athletes want it to taste good. Ryan knows that he needs to just put all the good stuff in it and get it down. That was his way of getting a salad down right before bed.When chasing gold medals, its whatever it takes. Murphy will likely be thought of as a favorite in the 100- and 200-meter backstroke events in Rio. If he wins, people will hear the story of all the sacrifices hes made in his career.What they probably wont hear about, or see, are the dietary demands on some of the athletes as they prep for an Olympics. The caloric intakes for athletes in certain sports -- swimming among them -- as they train for major competitions like what awaits in Rio are massive, several times more than what the typical adult needs to get through a regular day. The tale of Michael Phelps taking in 12,000 calories a day as he trained for the London Games was exaggerated, though probably only slightly.Oh, they eat a lot, Kendig said.Making sure U.S. athletes get what they need, when they need it, wherever they are in the world is a massive undertaking. No event comes with more pressure on that front than an Olympics. The planning for each games lasts about two years, meaning that when this Olympiad ends there will be people already working on the system that will be used at the next Winter Games in South Korea in 2018.Theres a lot of moving parts, said Terri Moreman, the U.S. Olympic Committee associate director of food and nutrition services -- who was overseeing the unloading of seven tractor-trailer loads of things that were sent from Colorado Springs arriving in Rio on one recent day. It is quite a challenge. You pay attention to the detail, try to stay ahead of it at all times, always anticipate what can go wrong and always have a Plan B.No detail is left to chance. Moreman has been overseeing what was sent to Rio from the United States, along with what the USOC needed to rent or buy in Brazil. Some things were packed up months ago; others will be gotten as needed during the Olympics and Paralympics. A team of nearly a dozen chefs will prepare the food for U.S. athletes and staff will eat.Theres five sport dietitians like Kendig on staff as well, making sure athletes are building their plates the right way.When they get to a certain age, they really start realizing how much nutrition affects how they feel as well as what their bodies look like and the number on the scale, Kendig said. Some of the younger athletes, theyre still kind of exploring, a little more adventurous. The veterans really take it seriously.Kendig has seen some interesting stuff lately.She caught an athlete with his head in the refrigerator; he was busted eating fistfuls of kale, some of which went flying when he broke into laughter. An Olympic track athlete, on a recent training day that was relatively light, decided that he wanted a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich -- but because it wasnt a big calorie-burning day, he enjoyed the sandwich with no bread.All he did was stir peanut butter and jelly together, Kendig said.Sacrifice is part of being an elite athlete, though flavor doesnt always have to give. At a swimming training camp near San Antonio, the after-workout immediate reward was an icy cold smoothie with fresh berries and either plant or whey protein. And in the all-you-can-eat training table buffets, there are plenty of pastas, lean meats and fish.And when the Olympics are over, yes, even super-fit athletes are looking for some comfort food.Its McDonalds, Kendig said. Some of them have gone for so long being so dialed in whats healthy and nutrition-packed that its a psychological release. So yes, they all do it. At least french fries. Nike Free Outlet Nederland . 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Women in League Round.I remember my childhood with mum driving me to training and taking me to games and encouraging me to follow chase my dream of playing football.Now you realise how many things that mothers, sisters and aunties etc do in the game which is such a great benefit to rugby league.We obviously have a few women that are now CEOs in rugby league so its evolving the game and I think the Women In League Round is great recognition of how much they contribute.Ive read a lot of great stories this week about some volunteers or women involved with clubs, players that are part of the Jillaroos and I think there might be three or more NRL ambassadors that are female as well.We will see a lot of jerseys with pink in them this weekend and I think its a great promotion to recognise the support and the service that women give in the game.The game is evolving and changing and I think one day we could see a woman in the position of NRL chief executive.2. Round 22 stacked with 50/50 contests.Sharks vs Raiders; the Sharks have come back a cog or two and the Raiders are absolutely flying and Ricky Stuart up against a former club.I think its going to be a cracking game.Titans vs Warriors; The Warriors are in the top eight now so their destiny is in their own hands, Tuimoala Lolohea is a shining light and he comes up against the Titans in-form halves.The Warriors wouldve got a lot of confidence after their golden point win over Penrith last week.There was 15,000 fans at Cbus Super Stadium last week for the Sharks game and Id like to think theres going to be 20,000 this week which will be amazing considering the Titans couldnt pull 5,000 fans 12 months ago. It shows what winning does and what playing a great brand of football does.Roosters vs Panthers; The Roosters in form now and have a great side on paper while the Panthers probably blew it last week.ddddddddddddThe Roosters are a great chance of causing an upset - Penrith will probably want a dry track but it looks like being a little wet over the weekend and if you look at the Roosters roster, they are a genuine top four, top six side but have missed key players this year. They put a score on Brisbane last week and made a pretty fair statement about how good they are.3. The return of the Hayne Plane.He hasnt played for two years and I think hell be a little bit rusty. The match fitness wont be quite there yet and I have no doubt hell cop a barrage of criticism if he makes and error but I think its enormous for the NRL to have him back.If Gold Coast dont get 20,000 fans this weekend for his return theyll never it ever!?Its a huge battle for the game in that area of the country - challenging Gold Coast Suns with how much money theyve spent on promoting AFL and how much they spent on Gary Ablett. Jarryd Hayne is the NRLs version of Gary Ablett.I think Hayne could be amazing and Im excited about him being back in the NRL. I dont expect a lot from him yet but in a months time when hes got his groove back we will see the best of him again.I think its enormous for him to come in and if the Titans make the semi-finals hell be a fair X-factor. He just about won the competition for Parramatta on his own in 2009 and I think the Gold Coast are a side having a go. He wont be a one-man Army up there like he was at Parramatta.The Titans are a realistic chance of competing this year and theyre on the way up. ' ' '