As an athlete looking to gain a competitive edge in your spot, when you eat certain foods is just as important as the types of food that you consume. You have the capacity to improve your energy stores and strength without any extra training simply by finding and incorporating fuel choices at specific times throughout the day into your training regime and everyday life.
Before I dive into general guidelines and suggestions for prefueling, I strongly believe that it is imperative for an athlete to understand the concept of prefueling in order to find what prefuel regimes work best for you. Athletes will benefit from prefueling for a number of reasons:
1. Stabilizes your blood sugar levels during activity
Carbohydrates, or glucose, are an athlete’s main energy source during activity. A deficiency of glucose, also called hypoglycemia, can manifest as shaking/trembling, chills, sweating, dizziness/lightheadedness, headaches, nervousness/irritability, and weakness, among
other symptoms.
2. Fuels your muscles
Adequate and proper carbohydrate consumption prior to exercise ensures your body has the energy needed to utilize and maximize your strength on the playing field. As an athlete, I would feel very disappointed if I wasn’t able to harness my full playing potential after hundreds of hours of training simply because my body didn’t have enough energy to perform at its best when it needed it during competition.
3. Boosts your reaction time
The energy you acquire from prefuel does more than just fuel your physical activity - it also helps to keep your senses sharp. A lack of fuel before activity could lead to brain fog or delayed reaction times.
4. Maintains your hunger levels
Feeling hungry and irritable, or “hangry”, is arguably one of the biggest distractions an athlete can face during a practice or competition. Preemptively fueling yourself before a training session or long game can help you remain comfortably full and avoid those mid-exercise hunger pangs.
Listed below are some general guidelines for food and nutrient timing, but it is critical to understand that everyone’s nutritional needs are different and you need to find what works best for YOU.
Remember, food is FUEL for your body:)
If your practice/competition is 2-4 hours away, consuming a meal rich in complex carbohydrates with a moderate amount of protein and a healthy fat source is ideal. Make sure to drink lots of water before exercising, too.
Example pre-workout meals
(Adjust the portion sizes as necessary depending on how close your practice/game is!)
P.S. Carbs can either be simple or complex. Simple carbs, or sugars, are quicker to digest than complex carbs, which take longer to break down but provide more lasting energy than sugars. That’s why whole wheat grain products (complex carbs) are more favorable than white grain products (simple carbs).
If your practice/competition is <2 hours away, eating a snack mostly composed of carbohydrates is ideal because carbs are what provide us with a quick source of energy for activity.
Example pre-workout snacks
With all the different possible food combinations out there, it may take a while for you to find what works best for you. Try out different combinations and timings to see how your body responds; summer is the perfect time to try out different food combinations in time for the school athletic season! Stay tuned for my next article about post-exercise fueling, which is just as important as prefueling. Have fun:)
Sources
Sports Nutrition for Young Adults by Jackie Slomin, MS, RDN.
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