Every athlete has his or her own pre-game meals whether it's chicken, pasta, steak, or in Chad Ocho Cinco's perspective McDonalds. Most believe that you should eat three to four hours before a game and only eat between 500-1,000 calories. From my perspective I didn't really see a difference of eating an two hours before a game compared to eating four hours before a game. Obviously it wouldn't be smart to eat twenty minutes before the game. You should definately eat something that has tons of starch in the form of complex carb's so that they can be digested quickly and turned into energy.
Some Smart Things To Eat Pre-Game
- Lean Meat
- Bread
- Pasta
- Fruit/Vegetables
- Baked Potato
Like I said before every athlete has their own pre-game meal, however these are just some examples of things to look into. You want to stay away from high sugared foods, because they take longer to digest and they will have a decrease in energy. You can always eat the foods you enjoy before a game however just be smart about the consequences such as fatigue and dehydration. Stay away from the fats and sugars and stay hydrated with plenty of water.
I agree, foods that are rich in good starchy carbs are the way to go before athletics. You should always train with what you eat prior to games so you know what to expect when you're in competition. You definitely don't want to over stuff yourself but you want your body to have an ample amount of energy to perform at it's peak. For instance, foods with a low glycemic index and high glycemic load are the best when carb loading. Fibers and starches are the slowest metabolized and can give you a great boost especially for aerobic athletes such as long distance runners which run on carbs when competing. Good post overall, a lot of good information.
ReplyDeleteI can tell you from experience that you definetly should not eat twenty minuites before a game! I think that the two to four hour range is good because it gives the body time to harvest nutrients from food, yet its not too long that you will have already used up those nutrients by the time of the game. It is definetly important not to play on an empty stomach, but the stomach should not necessarily be empty either.
ReplyDeleteYea the 20 minutes thing is never a good idea. I used to nto worry to much about how long i ate before a game but I wouls long enough before so your food is digested so you don't have that heavy full feeling. A good thing to remember for your choice off food too, is to not eat anything different than what you normally eat, or decide to go out for something thats gunna send your stomach for a flip.
ReplyDeleteI agree that whole wheat carbs and lean protein are the way to go before an event. I find that if I am competing in the morning than I will eat a good meal the night before and then have something small the morning of. I think all athletes have learned the hard way that eating 20 minutes before a game is a bad idea. I think you have to find that fine line between being too full and too weak from being hungary.
ReplyDeleteThank you for that, i knew that pasta was good for you before games. During high school every night before a swim meet we would have a pasta party, after awhile eating pasta gets old so thank you for the new ideas.
ReplyDeleteI know it's really important to eat before a game to keep blood sugar up, but personally I find I have to be really careful about how much I eat, and what I eat. I tend to get nauseasated if I eat too much before a game. But I feel even worse if I don't eat.
ReplyDeleteWhat I eat before competition definitely effects the way I play in some aspects. Certain foods, usually high in fat, tend to sit in my stomach and slow me down. I usually avoid peanut butter and non-lean meats before games. I tend to eat very light 2 or 3 hours before a game and nothing after that. This meal usually includes some type of nutrigrain bar and a gatorade. I found that drinking pedialyte before games this year helped me avoid dehydration and cramping.
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