Fueling Your Sport
To feel and perform at your best, it’s important to fuel your sport pre, during, and post sport/exercise. When we talk about “fueling” that means what foods we need to eat to do our best at our sport!
Pre-Sport
So you’re all pumped for your sport but 15 - 30min in you aren’t feeling too well… You’re dizzy, your legs feel like they have weights on them, and you’re gassed. Did you eat enough BEFORE your sport? This is why Eating Pre-Sport is so important! It fuels your body so you can feel and perform at your best. So what do you want to do?
About 3-4hours before sport, consume a carbohydrate-rich snack or meal that includes protein. The goal is to top off carbohydrate muscle stores along with providing protein to build and repair muscle tissue. Enough protein before sport may also help to reduce post-sport muscle soreness.
Nerves or GI trouble? Go for low fat and fiber meals to help with digestion. Some people tolerate liquid meal replacements better than whole foods.
Around 30 - 60 minutes before the start, consume a water or sports drink, fruit, sports bar, or jam sandwich to provide a little extra carbohydrate prior to your sport.
During Sport
Depending on the type of sport and duration you will want to continue consuming fluids and carbohydrates throughout the event. The main goal will be to provide carbohydrates for maintenance of blood sugar levels so you don’t “hit the wall” or “bonk”.
Carbohydrates and fluids are essential for exercise greater than 1 hr, long-duration, moderate to high intensity exercise, and during extreme conditions.
It’s best to start consuming carbs and fluids early to enhance performance and improve recovery. For endurance exercise that is greater than 60 minutes, aim for 30-60g of carbohydrates per hour. You’ll want to determine the best combination and amount of fuels for you to sustain energy and minimize gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort. Whether that be liquids, sports foods, or whole foods, or even a combination of these fuels. Everyone is different! That is why training and learning what your body does best with is so important.
Within the first 15 minutes of exercise, you’ll want to begin fueling and hydrating to prevent energy depletion and dehydration. During sport, we need speedy fuel transport to muscles which can be done with consuming fluids with carbohydrate-rich foods. Consuming products with multiple sources of carbohydrate such as glucose, sucrose, and fructose allows for greater rates of absorption. Practice with different carbohydrate sources to see what your personal preference and GI tolerance will be! This can be done through sport nutrition products that contain carbohydrate and electrolytes that include sports drinks, gels, beans, or chews. You can also opt to go the whole food route with easily digested carbohydrate foods such as fruit like bananas, bread with jam or honey, dried fruit, fruit puree pouch, pretzels, small baked potatoes, rice cakes, bite-sized pieces of granola or sports bars. The main thing is trying different foods/sports nutrition products to find what works best for you.
Preventing dehydration by starting activities well hydrated and consuming fluids during activity is also important. For more information on hydration; head on over to the Hydrating Your Sport Blog.
After Sport AKA Recovery
Don’t forget the importance of Recovery Nutrition! Your sport/event might be done for the day, but our bodies still need nutrients to recover and perform well in the future! The aim of Recovery Nutrition is to restore fluid and electrolytes (sodium and potassium) that were lost in sweat. We also need to replace muscle fuel - carbohydrates - utilized during the sport and provide protein to aid in repair of damaged muscle tissue and to stimulate development of new tissue. In order to do this, we want to start nutrition recovery with a snack or meal within 15-60 minutes following your sport. This can be accomplished through sport drinks that contain carbohydrates and electrolytes, in addition to snacks or meals.
Recovery nutrition is even more important if you have 2 performances per day or your next performance is within 8 hours. Pack meals and snacks that contain carbohydrate and protein that can be easily consumed between performances.
Not everyone has an appetite after a sporting event. If you fall under this category, go for liquid foods that meet your recovery goals. This could include yogurts, chocolate milk, or shakes/smoothies.
Don’t forget the protein! Protein is an important part of recovery, particularly if you participate in high intensity activities as protein helps to repair our muscles. Aim for 15-25 grams of protein to stimulate muscle protein synthesis and help repair damaged muscle tissue.
Takeaways
We think of training and practice in terms of our sport. Our food choices are also a part of that training! Try out different foods and drinks in practice and lower level competitions to determine the best timing and tolerance for pre and during sport foods. Figuring out what works best for you will boost confidence in eating before, during, and after performance.
Disclaimer: this is general nutrition information. Always consult with your doctor or dietitian in regards to your exact needs.
Resources:
Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition (SCAN). (2016). Fact Sheet: Eating Before Exercise
Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition (SCAN). (2016). Fact Sheet: Eating During Exercise
Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition (SCAN). (2016). Fact Sheet: Eating For Recovery
Basic Nutrition For Athletes. http://forms.acsm.org/TPC/PDFs/13%20Gillespie.pdf