Pre Game Meals

Pre-Game Meals

The pre-event meal serves two main purposes:

To prevent athletes from feeling hungry before or during activity.

• Help maintain optimal levels of blood glucose during training and competition.

• The pre-event meal should include familiar foods that are high in carbohydrate, low-moderate in protein, and low in fat and fiber.

Fatty foods should be limited because they delay the stomach from emptying and can contribute to a heavy, sluggish feeling. High-fiber foods should be limited as they cause abdominal cramping.

Eating Before the Event

<1 hour

before

2 to 3

hours before

3 or more

hours before

Sports drink, water, bagel, bread, crackers (carbohydrates food as tolerated)

Fruit juice,sport drink, Fresh fruit, Bread, bagels, crackers, cereal with milk, energy bar, granola bar, oatmeal

Fruit juice, sport drink, Fresh fruit,

Bread, bagels English muffins Peanut butter, lean meat, low-fat cheese Low-fat yogurt Baked potato Cereal w/low-fat (1%) milk Pasta w/ tomato

For athletes who are anxious and experience nausea, solids meals may not be well tolerated for the pre-event meal.

As an alternative, either commercially formulated liquid meals or home-made liquid meals can be used to contribute to carbohydrate intake and hydration and minimize gastrointestinal distress (Coleman, 1998)