Fueling for Competition
Janet Foster has been a Registered Dietitian for 23 years. She is a graduate from the University of Nevada Reno with a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. Married to William Foster, they are proud parents of Abby Foster and Nick Foster.
Eating for tournaments is definitely different than eating for training. Tournament days require a lot less calories, and the recommendations are quite different. You will rarely hear a Dietitian say, “eat simple carbs”, but for days of competing, quick energy IS the name of the game.
As discussed in an earlier article, eating during training is the most crucial time to make nutritious decisions. This is when an athlete fuels their muscles and consumes nutrient dense meals to build endurance. Training is a process that can be several hours–almost every day of the week. Matches during tournaments, on the other hand, may only take a few minutes. Eating for competition is more about small, frequent meals or snacks. It’s definitely about planning ahead and packing adequate, easy to tolerate foods, to get you through a long day.
There are many foods to avoid when enduring a long day of competition. Heavy meals are not recommended as they can cause that sluggish feeling as the day wears on. Spicy and high fat foods are contraindicated, as they can be a bad combination with the nerves caused by the anticipation of competition; gastrointestinal problems could result. Very high fiber foods are also not recommended for the same reason.
The science of eating for a long day of competing is based on quick energy foods, prior to the match, followed by a protein/carbohydrate recovery snack to keep the energy up for the long day. What foods are the best for this type of fueling? Quick energy foods right before a match may consist of raisins, popcorn, fruit snacks, and easy to tolerate fruits. The match recovery protein/carbohydrate snack may be a PB&J, a protein bar, or trail mix.
Another question that is asked often is, “what is the best breakfast for tournament day”? Again, it’s all about carbohydrates and avoiding high fat breakfast meats. Probably the most relied on breakfast is good old fashion pancakes. They are energy yielding and easy to tolerate. Combining pancakes with the protein in a scrambled egg, provides good energy that can last throughout the morning.
The best advice by experts is balance. Eating for tournaments is definitely different than eating for training. It’s all about choosing foods to provide quick energy, when needed, that can withstand a long day. Training on the other hand requires nutrient dense foods to promote optimal conditioning and strength over time that will lead to victories on the tournament days. –Janet Foster, RD, LD