PANAMA CITY, Panama — The medical officer assigned to Jamaica’s Under-20 Reggae Girlz, Dr Ephraim Ingram, said he’s satisfied with the general physical conditioning of the players.

With the Girlz set to play three preliminary round matches in the CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship — which started last night with a double-header at the Romel Fernandez Stadium — Dr Ingram said a regiment undertaken to ensure proper nutritional standards should put the Jamaicans up to par with their counterparts.

“Overall, the players are fit and capable of competing at the highest level,” he said.

Still, he warned that he will be keeping a sharp eye on a number of the overseas-based players who he thought may be prone to cramps.

“In terms of developing cramps during games, some of the players who travelled to Jamaica didn’t have much time in terms of their preparation as they flew in and started training and playing matches right away, but they have had some time to rest now and everything should be okay,” Dr Ingram noted.

They are 10 overseas-based players in the squad of 19, nine of whom were expected to start in last night’s opening match-up against Mexico.

Dr Ingram, however, is satisfied that the Girlz’s dietary and hydration needs are being met.

“There are various factors that come into play as it relates to players’ nutrition. Firstly, you have to make sure that they have sufficient energy on the field, so they have to stock up on the carbohydrates.

“The other very important thing is, their hydration and various factors will determine how much fluid they need and we basically do checks to make sure that they are well hydrated, not only on match days, but the off days and during training,” he told the Observer just before joining the group for lunch yesterday at the Continental Hotel and Casino, the team’s base.

Dr Ingram, who has been enjoying a productive run working with the women’s team for just under a year, said he and the rest of the team have impressed upon the players that they, too, have a responsibility to take care of their health and nutritional needs.

“Educating the players is the main thing we do to ensure that they comply and we continue to do this. But from experience they also know the importance of being properly hydrated,” he noted.

The doctor, who specialises in the orthopaedic branch of medicine, said thorough examination of players is a standard practice before a major tournament.

“We basically check the skin, check the mucous membranes, in the mouth and under the tongue to check that they have good saliva pool,” said Ingram in giving a peek into the procedures.

He said that he’s generally satisfied with the range and health potential in the meals being served to the players on a daily basis here.

“There are choices so we can determine what they have… but I’m happy that they have the sources to provide them with the fuel they need,” he said.

Meanwhile, head coach Vin Blaine had expressed satisfaction with the health programme of his World Cup glory-seeking Girlz, but went on record regarding one concern.

“We don’t have any serious injury concern as only Sasalee Cooper, who came in with a slight concern, and that’s why we rested her in the last practice game. But she will be on the bench and could come in and make a difference,” Blaine said ahead of last night’s match.

Football is deemed an energy-intensive sport for which players need to be in excellent physical condition. It goes without saying that proper conditioning techniques are an integral part of coaches’ and players’ football training. So, too, must be the knowledge of proper nutrition and hydration.

During the course of training and match play, it is common for players to run several miles, burning through calories and body fluids at prodigious rates. Good nutrition for football players involves good eating habits before, during and following training. In particular, players need to have adequate stores of carbohydrates and replenish lost fluids, claims an Internet source.