Sports Nutrition
To get optimal nutrition from your diet and workout routine, you should follow certain schedules and eating tips before and after you exercise.
Pre-Workout Tips
- Consume pre-workout or pregame meal 3 hours prior to event.
- Consume easy to digest carbohydrate foods such as cereal, bread, rice, pasta, and fruit.
- Consume lean protein such as chicken, fish, eggs, turkey, lean beef, and cottage cheese.
- Hummus, beans, eggs, lentils, soy products, cottage cheese and Greek yogurt are good protein sources for vegetarians.
- Do not eat a high fat meal. Avoid fried foods and heavy sauces.
- Limit high sugar foods. This will cause a spike in blood sugar and loss of energy later.
- Avoid gassy foods such as broccoli, cabbage, onions, peppers, corn, and cauliflower.
- Do not try new foods or new combinations of foods on event day.
- If you are having pregame jitters or loss of appetite, try liquid meal replacements such as Boost, Ensure, Smoothies, or Sports Bars.
- 30-60 minutes before game time, eat a high carb snack to top off glycogen stores. Fruit, Gatorade, graham crackers, nutri-grain bar, granola bar, etc.
- Drink plenty of decaffeinated fluids with your pregame meal as well as before and during your event.
Post-Workout Tips
- Replace glycogen stores by eating adequate carbohydrates within the first 2 hours after exercise.
- Include a protein source to prevent muscle loss and negative nitrogen balance.
- Take in 10-20g protein within 30-60 minutes of strength training.
- Balance out your meal with fruits and/or vegetables, healthy fat and dairy.
- Rehydrate. Weigh before and after event to determine sweat loss. If you have lost more than 2-3 lbs, you have not hydrated well enough during your event. For every pound lost, drink 16-20oz hydrating fluid. The goal is to not lose more than 2% of your body weight during exercise. Schedule an appointment with the Sports Dietitian to help determine your rate of sweat loss.