Game Day Food: Pre-Game and Post-Game Nutrition (2024)

FAQs

How do you eat pre-game during and post-game? ›

For pre-game, it is important for meals to be fully digested before the activity begins. This will allow your young athlete to avoid hunger and provide optimal fuel during the event. Post- game meals are designed to replenish the body's glycogen (stored carbohydrate).

Athletes should eat a balanced meal containing carbohydrates, protein, and fruit or vegetables 2-3 hours before game time. Make sure to drink 12-24 ounces of water with a pre-game meal to stay hydrated. Pre-game meals may include: Whole wheat chicken sandwich with vegetables.

Make sure to eat your pre-game meal three to four hours before the event. If you have an 8 a.m. event, cut your calories in half and eat at around 6 a.m. or 6:30 a.m., then have a sports drink 30 minutes before the start. It's important to avoid foods that are high-fat.

Before a game, some athletes also avoid fatty, foods that are slow to digest and try to eat mainly familiar, easily digested, high carbohydrate foods. High-fiber foods such as raw vegetables, seaweed, and mushrooms tend to cause a buildup of gas, so athletes have to avoid eating too much of them.

The pregame meal

Starches and grains — Good options are bread, cereal, crackers, rice, potatoes and pasta. Fruit — Fresh is best, but frozen, canned or dry is OK too.

The rule of thumb is to eat half of the calories that you expect to burn during the game. If you anticipate burning 600 calories, then eat 300 calories at the pre-game meal. Make sure 50-60% of your calories come from carbohydrates.

The focus before a game should be carbohydrates for energy. Too much protein and fibre close to game time has the potential to cause digestive upset and affect performance. Simple carbohydrates, especially in a liquid form, are quickly digested and therefore, an easily accessible energy for the body to use right away.

Generally, a variety of whole grain pasta, breads and rice along with fruits and vegetables like potatoes not only provide the carbohydrates that players need, but also a variety of essential vitamins, trace minerals and fiber.

Is pizza good the day before a game? ›

Playing in a game will burn up a ton of calories. Because of this, you need a calorically dense food option to fuel up the night before. Pizza is a yummy way to feed your body and mind so you can perform at your best!

Salad had more votes than any other food on this list. It is an easy and light dish to eat before a game. It is full of nutritious ingredients and is a great way to get your essential vitamins.

Avoid carbonated beverages (such as soda), because they may cause stomach discomfort during the competition. Avoid high-fiber foods (such as bran muffins), because they may cause gas and stomach discomfort during the competition.

“Starch-based meals should be the focus, says Turner. “Foods like lower fiber rice, pasta, and breads are good options.” But don't pig out—you want enough food to give you energy, but not so much that you feel that burrito bowl sloshing around in your guts during the first quarter of the game.

Pre-event meal

A high-carbohydrate meal 3 to 4 hours before exercise is thought to have a positive effect on performance. A small snack one to 2 hours before exercise may also benefit performance. It is important to ensure good hydration prior to an event.

Get a combination of the protein and carbs in your body 1 to 4 hours pre-workout and within approximately 60 minutes post-workout. Never try anything new on race or game day — it's always best to experiment during training to learn what works best for your body.

Many people who eat a nutrient-dense diet that meets their energy needs don't need extra fuel to exercise at moderate intensity for 60 minutes or less. Because a game usually lasts longer than an hour of strenuous activity, it is recommended that you eat some type of snack or meal before your game.

Things like carrots or celery sticks, for example, can be infused with a great deal of flavor by adding dip to the equation. Options such as peanut butter or hummus go great with either, can be eaten one by one without diverting attention away from the game, and are very manageable where mess is concerned.

The timing of a meal also remains important; most players will eat about three hours before a game, Bonci said. “A meal may be three hours prior, but that doesn't mean that everybody's eating it,” Bonci said. “The nerve factor is there, and there are a lot of players that just don't have an appetite,” she said.