Part of doing your best on game day is making sure you body has adequate fuel to maximize your performance. The question is what should you eat and when should you be eating it?
This is not as simple an answer as you might think. While there is definitely better food choices, (sorry Baconator fans) most of the energy for your workout does not come food you’ve just recently eaten. It comes from the carbohydrates and fat that are stored in your muscles, liver and fat cells. That enough fuel to keep you going for 1-2 hours of intense activity.
Eating a whole food diet that consists of lean protein, fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and lots of water will ensure your glycogen storage stays topped up so that when its time to compete your body is ready.
Before a game, food choice can vary based on how much time you have before competition. If you don’t have a set pre workout nutrition routine try some of the foods below and let me know how they work for you!
2-3 hours pre game
This is an optimal pre workout feeding window because your food will have an opportunity to fully digest and convert to energy. Here are some good choices:
Scrambled eggs with spinach
Whole grain toast with peanut butter
Banana
Grilled Salmon
Quinoa with chopped green onion
Broccoli
1-2 hours pre game
Since you have less time stick to foods that digest more quickly. Good choices would be
Banana
Trail mix with dried fruit
Greek yogurt or cottage cheese
Power shake
Whey protein powder
Banana
Peanut butter
Under 1 hour pre game
When you’re working with under an hour, you want to stick to liquid calories that will get into the blood stream quickly and get you fired up! When your really stuck and need a quick boost try
Fruit juice smoothie
Whey protein powder
Apple juice
Just remember that having juice before a workout will have a negative affect on fat loss so if you are also looking to change your body composition make sure you plan ahead and eat quality whole foods with enough time to digest.
The bottom line is that if you are eating a balanced diet and getting enough calories to support your activity levels then you can rely on your own experience, appetite and energy levels to tell you what you should be eating. Team practices are a great time to experiment with nutrition so find out what works for you well before game day and then stick with that!
If you have any otheamr questions about pre workout nutrition feel free to hit me up on the group!
Happy Training!
Derick