The
Pre-Competition Meal
(By
Nancy Clark, MS, RD. Reprinted with permission)
When it comes to pre-competition eating, each
person has individual food preferences or aversions. Hence, no one single food or
"magic meal" will ensure top performance. Whereas some athletes (runners or
those in sports involving running and jumping) may prefer to eat nothing before
competition, others (cyclists, skiers) may perform better after having eaten a light snack
(50-200 calories) or small meal (300-500 calories). The following guidelines offer points
to consider regarding your own personal pre-exercise eating program. Because each person
is unique, you should experiment to learn which foods (if any), and how much of them, work
best for your body.
The pre-competition meal or snack helps to:
1. maintain a normal blood sugar and prevent
performance problems associated with hypoglycemia, such as light-headedness, blurred
vision, needless fatigue and indecisiveness.
2. settle the stomach, absorb some of the
gastric juices and prevebt you from feeling hungry.
3. provide energy to fuel your muscles.
Although eating too much food can have adverse
effects (nausea, stomach cramps), so can eating too little (lack of energy). if you get
very nervous, stressed or have a sensitive stomach, you may prefer to abstain completely
from food. You should make a special effort to eat extra food the day before to be
well fueled for the competition.
Choose carbohydrates before an event because
they digest quickly and are readily available for fuel. Some popular choices include
cereal, bananas, bread, bagel, crackers and pasta. Protein-rich foods (eggs, tuna, steak)
take longer to digest and may increase the need to urinate. Fats (fried foods, peanut
butter, greasy burgers) stay longest in the stomach and may feel heavy and uncomfortable.
Pay attention to meal timing. In general,
you should allow 3-5 hours for a large meal to digest; 2-3 hours for a smaller meal, 1-2
hours for a blenderized meal (liquids are absorbed more rapidly than solid foods), .5-1
hour for a small snack. Always eat extra carbohydrates the day prior and do little or no
exercise so your muscles can refuel.
Before morning events, eat a hearty,
high carbohydrate dinner and bed-time snack the prior night. That morning, eat a light
meal (such as 1-2 slices of toast and/or cereal) as tolerated to stabilize your blood
sugar, absorb some of the gastric juices and keep you from feeling hungry.
Before afternoon events, eat a hearty
breakfast and a light carbohydrate-based lunch.
Before evening events, eat a hearty
breakfast and lunch, then a light snack as tolerated 1-2 hours prior.
Some athletes break all the rules and enjoy a
big meal with no problem within an hour of the event. Others can eat nothing for four
hours prior. You simply have to experiment during training to determine what foods
(if any) settle comfortably, when you should eat them (one, two or three hours prior?) and
how much you can eat.
Always eat familiar foods prior to
competition -- donā€™t try anything new! Experiment with new foods during
training to determine if they settle well, cause "acid stomach", gas,
heartburn, cramps or intestinal discomfort.
Eat a high carbohydrate diet every day to
prevent chronic glycogen depletion and ensure adequate glycogen replacement.
One pre-event meal inadequately compensates
for a poor training diet.
When traveling, you might want to bring your
favorite sports foods such as a tried-and-true cereal, muffin, fruit or sandwich. This
way, you can worry less about fueling yourself and be free to focus on performing.
The pre-competition meal may have a greater psychologicalthan
physiological value. For example, if you firmly believe that a steak dinner helps you
perform best, then eat it even though this meal "breaks the rules" regarding
pre-game suggestions! (But you should also experiment during training with pasta or
another high carb, low fat choice to see if this more appropriate food settles better and
offers an energy advantage.)
Sample high carbohydrate, low fat
pre-competitlon food suggestions:
Breakfasts: cereal, lowfat milk, banana;
toast, juice; muffin or bagel, yogurt; french toast or pancakes, syrup.
Lunches: sandwich with thick bread, little
mayo; soup, crackers; thick-crust pizza (single cheese, no meat).
Snacks: crackers, bagel, toast, canned or
fresh fruit, yogurt, small turkey sandwich, leftover pasta.
Dinners: spaghetti, tomato sauce; extra rice,
noodles, potato, vegetables with small serving of chicken, fish.
