Traveling for competition may make eating healthy, well-balanced pre- and post-competition meals difficult for many athletes. However, with proper nutritional knowledge and adequate preparation, one can make the adjustments necessary to eat properly and perform optimally while on the road.
The basic concept behind a pre-competition meal is to increase muscle glycogen stores, which the body will call upon during the athletic event. Therefore, the athlete must try to maintain a well-balanced diet throughout the week to maintain muscle nourishment; to ensure optimal performance and recovery; and to adequately sustain and fuel the body the day of competition. Consider though, pre-game meals are not designed to be immediately available for energy, but rather to provide the energy needed during competition. In addition to supplying the body with the necessary energy and nutrients, the pre-competition meal is also used to ward off hunger, to stabilize blood sugar levels and to provide adequate hydration.
As a rule, athletes should eat three to four hours before the event. This allows for adequate gastric emptying. (Athletes should compete on a fairly empty stomach.) While there are no perfect foods to consume, many athletes believe that certain foods help them perform better. It is important to understand each athlete's thoughts and concerns about their pre-competition meals as well as personal preferences and tolerances for certain foods. Consequently, it is essential to have a variety of foods to choose from and to adequately plan for pre- and post-competition meals when traveling.
The pre-competition meal should consist of mostly carbohydrate rich foods. Athletes should try to somewhat limit protein intake because it takes longer to digest and may promote dehydration as well as to limit caffeine, high fiber cereals, cabbage family vegetables, fatty and fried foods. Some examples of pre-competition meals and beverages, which are available at most restaurants, include:
As a reminder, it also important stay away from butter, hashbrowns, bacon, sausage, French fries, mayonnaise, and creamy salad dressings.
Some athletes may prefer to eat a light snack about one hour prior to competition or if competition lasts all day to eat small easily digestible snacks throughout the day. If small snacks are the preference, some ideas of light meals or snacks include:
As far as post-competition meals are concerned, it is important to consume another high carbohydrate meal/snack within two hours after the completion of competition to promote and assure glycogen re-synthesis. Fruits, vegetables, juices and sports drinks are great ways to replenish fluids as well as lost minerals (sodium and potassium). Most importantly though, it is necessary to stress proper hydration in pre- and post-competition meals. Water is often a neglected nutrient, but one of the most important.
Although it can be difficult to maintain a normal eating pattern when traveling, with adequate planning and preparation, athletes can continue to maintain a healthy, well-balanced diet for competition and be able to perform at their best.