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What to Eat Before Basketball?

admin — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:00:35 +0000

If you are concerned about when and what to eat before hitting the court, remember to only nibble before you dribble! Avoid eating a huge meal before you play, because you don’t want to feel bloated and weighed down by your food. Nibble on healthy, high energy foods throughout the day that contain carbohydrates. Fruit such as oranges and apples are a good choice, as well as nuts, skim milk, and whole wheat pasta. A moderately sized meal of high energy foods about three hours before you play is ideal, and remember to hydrate throughout the day. Drinking sports drinks is okay after and while you play, but water is usually enough before hand. Make sure you all but cease drinking in the last few hours before the game, to avoid unwanted washroom breaks.

What to Eat Before Hockey?

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:58:09 +0000

If you are stuck wondering if you should eat anything before your big game, or skate on an empty stomach, remember that your body is fueled by what you eat. Of course there are things you definitely want to avoid before hitting the rink, like high fat foods, greasy foods, and most fast foods. These can actually use up your body’s energy because they are difficult to digest. Also avoid alcohol and caffeine before lacing up your skates, as they can dehydrate you, which isn’t good for any athlete! Finally, never try any kind of new food that your body isn’t used to. You never can tell how your body will react, so play it safe and leave the experimentation until after the game.

Hockey players burn through a lot of energy, so make sure you are eating plenty of high energy foods all day. Carbohydrates in bran, whole wheat pasta, oatmeal, nuts and fruit can be essential for keeping your energy levels high, but make sure you aren’t stuffing your face a few minutes before face off. Try to stop eating two hours before you play, though a quick granola bar can be helpful a few minutes before going out onto the ice.

What To Eat Before The Big Game

admin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 16:00:06 +0000

It can be very tricky to decide if and when before a big game you should eat, and if you do eat, what would help to improve your game. Logically, you shouldn’t be sitting down to a three course meal twenty minutes before the puck drops, but eating a quick granola or energy bar about 5 minutes before your game can help to give you a bit of an energy boost.

Consuming water is crucial, and unless you are taking part in a high endurance event lasting several hours, it is preferable over sports drinks. Drink as much water as you wish, up to about 2 hours before your event, then cut down to only about 3 cups. Try to avoid drinking at all for the last 15 minutes before your game to prevent inconvenient washroom breaks.

Eating a large meal is never as desirable as eating several smaller meals throughout the day, so try to do lots of snacking on healthy, high energy foods like oranges and granola bars. Starting your day with oatmeal can be a good start, because it helps with digestion and is a good source of energy. A small meal of whole wheat pasta can be great about 4 hours before you are scheduled to play because it is high in carbohydrates, but won’t leave you feeling too bloated and full. Avoid eating fast foods and anything fried, because they can be harder to digest, which can leach your energy.

To summarize, small high energy snacks throughout the day, no water for the last 15 minutes before the game, a moderate meal with whole wheat pasta about 4 hours before you play and no fried foods for that day. It is also a good idea to not try any new foods that day, as you never can tell how your body will react.

High Energy Foods

admin — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 14:50:50 +0000

If you are feeling lazy or just want to give yourself an edge for the big game, here are some high energy foods that can really help to boost your energy levels. The first, rice bran, is the by product of a rice milling process that is often found in breakfast cereals and enriched breads. It contains a high number of antioxidants, helps reduce the risks of coronary heart disease, and has a high fiber content. Sweet potatoes are also a good source of energy, they are highly nutritious, and act as an antioxidant. Nuts and seeds are high in amino acids and fats, provide essential vitamins, high in fiber and high in carbohydrates.

Whole wheat pasta is a great choice if you are looking to boost energy but not gain weight and it reduces the risk of heart disease. Oatmeal is always a good choice if you are looking for more energy in the mornings and it helps with digestion throughout the day. It contains complex carbohydrates and fiber that also helps to stabilize blood glucose levels.

Some fruit are also high energy foods. Blue berries lower blood cholesterol levels, contain antioxidants, and are high in vitamin K. Oranges, grapefruits and lemons have great nutritional value. They are high in vitamin C minerals and dietary fiber. Figs can help to boost your energy levels, and are a great antioxidant. They also help in superior muscle function and bone strength. Finally, a great high energy and healthy fruit are apples. They are another great source of vitamin C and help to lower the chances of developing certain cancers.

High Protein Foods

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:50:18 +0000

If you are looking to add more protein to your diet, it can be hard to know which foods you should be eating. It is recommended that you multiply your body weight in pounds by .37 (or kilograms by .8) to find the minimum grams of protein you should be eating in a day. Eating too much protein can be unhealthy, so be aware if you are boosting your protein intake that you are not eating too much.

Obviously meat is a good source of protein. Chicken, pork and beef usually contain about 7 grams of protein per ounce. A hamburger contains approximately 28 grams of protein, a steak is about 42 grams, a chicken breast is about 30 grams and a serving of ham has about 19 grams. Another high source of protein is fish. Most fish fillets contain about 22 grams of protein, and canned tuna has about 40 grams.

If you are looking for alternative sources of protein other than meat, nuts and seeds are a good choice. Two tablespoons of peanut butter contains about 8 grams of protein and a ¼ cup of almonds, peanuts, and pumpkin seeds each have about 8 grams as well.

Another great source of protein is eggs. One large egg contains about 6 grams of protein. Dairy is also a logical choice, one cup of milk contains up to 8 grams of protein. Yogurt has about 10 grams of protein per cup and hard cheese (like parmesan) has 10 grams per ounce.

Finally, beans are a healthy way to get your daily protein intake. Most beans have about 10 grams of protein per ½ cup, and soy beans have 14 grams per ½ cup. Tofu contains about 20 grams of protein per ½ cup, so there really are many choices when choosing foods to help increase your daily protein levels.