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What to Eat Before a Football game?

admin — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:23:48 +0000

Knowing when and what to eat before playing football can be complicated. You want to stick to high carbohydrate foods throughout the day that will help increase your energy levels. Many people are under the assumption that throwing back a plate of pasta a few minutes before you play will help improve your game, but this is a misconception. You don’t want to consume anything for two to three hours before you play. Digestion requires energy, so not only could you feel weighed down and bloated by eating so close to game time, the digestion process will actually be leaching some of the energy you could be using to play. Eating a quick granola or energy bar a few minutes before you play is acceptable, because in some cases it can help to peak your energy.

A medium sized meal about three hours before game time is best, full of healthy high energy foods such as whole wheat pasta, oatmeal, nuts, and fruit. Avoid drinking energy drinks which are full of sugars and caffeine, as these can cause an energy crash after a short period, and can also dehydrate you.

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 Practice

admin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:56:50 +0000

Though you may not be as concerned about what you are eating before your practice as before your big game, it is important. Practice makes perfect right, and the same goes when figuring out exactly what you should eat on practice day. Eating healthy all the time is of course your best choice, but if you are a fan of fast foods and greasy meals, try to avoid eating anything of the kind at least three hours before hand. If you are hungry before practice, try eating a small healthy snack that will hold you over. Small amounts of peanut butter or nuts are recommended along with oats, an apple or an orange, and two cups of skim milk. This way you are having a healthy, balanced snack that will give you energy, help with digestion, but not leave you full and bloated.

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.