Three Hours Before Competition

These choices should be calm your hunger and aid in concentration and provide immediate energy. Chose one of the following:

• One cup of pasta with tomato sauce, fresh fruit.
• One whole wheat sandwich with lean protein, and a piece of fruit.
• One-half sandwich, fresh fruit, and a low-fat yogurt.
• Two pancakes or frozen whole wheat waffles with fresh fruit, and one pat of butter.
• Scrambled eggs with milk, and a piece of whole wheat toast.

Two Hours Before Competition

Chose one of the following:

• Dry cereal with fruit.
• One-half whole wheat sandwich with two ounces of sliced turkey breast.
• One-half bagel with low-fat tuna or cheese.
• Low-fat granola bar with fruit.

Chose one of the following:

• Fresh fruit or canned fruit.
• Low-fat dairy products such as yogurt with fruit.
• Low-fat pretzels.
• Half a bagel.
• Whole wheat toast.

Simple sugars such as fruit juice, soda pop, flavored "sports drinks," or other beverages should not be consumed before competition due to the extremely high sugar content. For the body to digest foods high in sugar, the body will draw extra water into the stomach to dilute the sugar concentration. The body will remove this water from the muscle tissues. The result for the athlete can be disastrous. The athlete will feel a loss of strength, stamina, and endurance - and the sugary liquids can make the stomach upset as well. If the athlete must have those drinks, they should be diluted to half strength. Remember water is still the best choice.

• Drink fluids throughout the day - thirst is not the first indicator of dehydration. Your body can be dehydrated long before you ever feel thirsty.
• Restrict the use of flavored "sports drinks."

Replace lost fluids immediately after the end of the event. For every pound of lost, consume two cups (16 ounces) of fluid.

Important Considerations

There are a number of ways that a nutritious diet may be achieved, the optimal diet for one athlete may not be the best for another. It seems that an athlete's best guide is to eat whatever they are most comfortable with, within the following guidelines:

Try to achieve the largest possible storage of carbohydrates (carbohydrate loading). This is particularly important for endurance events, but may be beneficial for intense, short duration events.

A stomach which is full of food during contact sports is subject to injury. Carbohydrates are easier to digest than fats or proteins. A meal that contains plenty of carbs will leave the stomach and be digested faster than any other kind of meal.

Avoid spicy food or gas forming foods such as onions, baked beans and peppers, because any type of disturbance in the digestion tract may be detrimental to performance. Carbonated beverages and chewing gum also contribute to the formation of gas.

Liquids consumed should be easily absorbed and low in fat content and should not act as a laxative. Whole milk, coffee and tea should be avoided.

Any food that is disliked should not be eaten. Most importantly the athlete must feel psychologically satisfied by any pre-competition meal. Performance may be impaired more by psychological factors than by psychological factors.

References

Cole K, Grandjean R, Sobszak R: Effects of carbohydrate composition on fluid balance, gastric emptying and exercise performance, Int J Sport Nutr 3:408-417, 1993.Coleman E: Eating before exercise, Sprts Med Digest 16(4):6-10, 1995.

Costill D, Hargreaves M: Carbohydrate nutrition and fatigue, Sports Med 13(2):86-92, 1992.

Grandjean A: Practices and recommendations of sports nutritionists, Int J Sports Nutr 3:232-242, 1993.

Holt W: Nutrition and athletes, Am Fam Physician 47:1757-1764, 1993.

Kleiner S: Nutrition on the run, Phys Sports Med 23(2):15-16, 1995.

McArdle W, Katch F, Katch V: Exercise physiology: energy, nutrition and human performance, Philadelpia, 1994, Lea & Febiger.