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 Pre-Competition Nutrition
More specifically, what and how to eat before competition. Here are a few basics to get you started:
Carbohydrates
In order for your body to perform at
it's best, you need to fuel your body properly. And regardless of your sport, carbohydrates are the bodies preferred choice of fuel. High carbohydrate foods enhance stamina, and prevent fatigue.
Fats
Fat intake is extremely important. A low to moderate intake of fat
helps your body obtain peak performance. But, the right kind of fat intake is critical. Avoid saturated fat. Use monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat such as olive oil, canola oil, sunflower and
safflower oil. Foods that include good fats are avocado, fish and macadamia nuts, peanut butter, and other assorted nuts. See some of our past articles in our archives for more info on good and bad fats.
Protein
Many athletes do not get enough protein. If you are under heavy
training, you may need more protein. You should have 2 to 3 three servings a day. Lean meat, fish, poultry, and eggs are good sources. Beans and nuts are great non-animal sources.
Pre-competition guidelines
How you eat, or don't eat, plays a huge role in how you perform. Be
sure to experiment with these guidelines before your training, find the meal plan that works best for you, and incorporate that into your pre-competition meal.
- Eat 2-4 hours before the event. Allow 4 hours for a larger meal. Experiment to find the best time pre-competition meal time. 1-2
hours may work well for you too. There is no hard rule, only what works best for you.
- Eat carbohydrate rich foods for sustained energy.
- Don't overeat.
- Decrease fat intake for this meal as fat slows digestion.
- Eat a moderate amount of protein, mostly carbs.
Suggested carbohydrates
- Moderate amount of spaghetti
- Whole grain bread
- Oatmeal
- Baked beans, pinto, black, kidney
- Yogurt
- Apples
- Oranges
- Dried apricots (unsulfured)
During competition
During competition, carbohydrates need to be readily available to the
muscle as a fuel source. High glycemic index (high sugar) carbohydrates are needed in this case to supply the muscles with an immediate fuel source. Some possibilities are:
- Gatorade, or other similar sports drink
- Banana
- Honey graham crackers
- Oatmeal/chocolate chip cookie (no hydrogenated oil)
- Powerbar
- Fruit flavored breakfast bar
- Rice cakes with honey
Recovery (post-competition)
After exercise, your muscles are hungry for carbohydrate. The above foods are also good for recovery from competition or training. These carbs are digested and absorbed quickly and cause a rapid release in
insulin -- the hormone responsible for getting glucose into the muscles and storing it as glycogen.
Remember, it is important to find what works best for you. Fine tune your pre-competition meal on your training days, so that you will
outperform your competition on match days!
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