What Do I Eat Before a Game?
Monday, 03 September 2007
Ask a dozen successful soccer players what they eat before a competition and chances are you’ll get a dozen different answers. The “secret” of what to eat and what not to eat before a game is no secret at all. You must simply find a way of eating that works for you and stick to it.
What we know now is that the foods you eat every day to support your training do far more to enhance your performance than the foods you eat right before you compete. From a nutritional standpoint, there is little you can do in the few hours before an event that will drastically improve your performance. The best a pre-game meal can do for you is help you stay hydrated, top off your carbohydrate stores, provide blood glucose, and leave you feeling physically and psychologically comfortable.
While carbohydrate foods like pastas are often considered the cornerstone of the pre-game meal, it is important to note that other foods can be included in the pre-game meal. In fact, a high carbohydrate meal, like a dish of pasta, leaves some athletes satisfied, but leaves others uncomfortably hungry before the game. The goal is to avoid any stomach aches such as cramps, gas, and diarrhea.
Two simple rules will help you avoid disastrous side effects of pre-game eating:
1. Eat foods you like.
2. Eat the same kinds of foods you eat all the time.
The pre-game meal is not an experiment. It should be something you are familiar and comfortable with. The day of the game is not a time to try a new food or beverage. What, where, and when you eat should be fairly consistent. Many players often make eating a ritual part of mental and physical preparation that occurs before every game.
If you have not yet determined your game plan for eating, start by writing down what you eat before and how you feel after several games. Make changes until you have figured out what works for you.
What we know now is that the foods you eat every day to support your training do far more to enhance your performance than the foods you eat right before you compete. From a nutritional standpoint, there is little you can do in the few hours before an event that will drastically improve your performance. The best a pre-game meal can do for you is help you stay hydrated, top off your carbohydrate stores, provide blood glucose, and leave you feeling physically and psychologically comfortable.
While carbohydrate foods like pastas are often considered the cornerstone of the pre-game meal, it is important to note that other foods can be included in the pre-game meal. In fact, a high carbohydrate meal, like a dish of pasta, leaves some athletes satisfied, but leaves others uncomfortably hungry before the game. The goal is to avoid any stomach aches such as cramps, gas, and diarrhea.
Two simple rules will help you avoid disastrous side effects of pre-game eating:
1. Eat foods you like.
2. Eat the same kinds of foods you eat all the time.
The pre-game meal is not an experiment. It should be something you are familiar and comfortable with. The day of the game is not a time to try a new food or beverage. What, where, and when you eat should be fairly consistent. Many players often make eating a ritual part of mental and physical preparation that occurs before every game.
If you have not yet determined your game plan for eating, start by writing down what you eat before and how you feel after several games. Make changes until you have figured out what works for you.
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