Nutrition B4 a Game

I play football for my High School Team. I have a meal about 2 to 3 hours before a game. I was wondering what the best carb source for sustained energy would be. Should I add protein in this meal?

Also is there any sense in taking an energy drink/bar 20 minutes before the game. Those product are mostly high glymecic carbs and I was wondering if the energy/insulin spike would actualy be beneficial or would it be detrimental in the long haul?

Any opinions on the questions or suggestions for spesfic products would be appriciated?

Man, I noticed this thread last night and didn’t have time, and was hoping some of the other ppl would chime in and give you a hand. Guess Not, LOL. I will do my best, and possibl;y spark some other response for you.

OK, your meal prior to the game. YES have protein. The protein will give you a longer lasting source of energy for the game. I have read several articles ( I cant bring forth any exact example, sorry guys )in the recent past that have been downplaying the whole carb loading theory in endurance athletes the day before events, and swapping it for a protein load. Not limiting carbs but not loading persay. Really you just dont want to go in to the event glycogen depleted. Like a bucket and water though you can only pour in and store so many carbs. Save them for just before and during the game.

Carbs, something with a good amount of fiber. You dont want white rice or potatoes etc. here. They will be gone and done before the game has begun.

Seeing as you are 2 hrs out getting some veggies in and possibly some oats, etc. that will fill you up should not be a hinderance.

So some veggies, some higher fiber grains or such, possibly a peice of fruit. Add that to a good protein source. Possibly some fish due to the fact it will be a tad less filling than others to go along with the veggies and such. Or a long lasting supplement protein, or blend Like Grow!

Sure you could take a bar before the game, but watch out for the inevitable crash if you do. To halt this crash, and keep yourself fueled and going. I would suggest having a serving or 2 of Surge dilluted in MUCH water to drink during the game.

Another great additon would be Powerdrive before the game in some green tea. You may even ditch the high carb approach and simply try this.

So I hope some of this helps, and possibly get some others to chime in even if to just shoot down my suggestions. LOL

Phill

In response to nutrition b4 a game, it would be best to limit fats all together for a day b4 the game aswell as high fibre carbs the reason for the this is to stop heavy/bloated feeling aswell as not feeling stomach discomfort eg. wind and needing to have a crap during or on game day. i would a have a low fibre carb/protien meal 10-12 hours b4 a game and then the meals after that have only low fibre carbs b4 game time. And as for the sports drink it is good to use a gatorade within the last 2 hours before a game to keep carb stores up.the reason for the low fibre carbs is becuase they are lighter and generally make u feel lighter which is how u want to feel. You want the energy but not the fullness.
EXAMPLE

night b4 game- spaghetti with meat sauce.
Game day breakfast lots of white toast with plain pasta. or jam sandwitches then depending on game time use the gatorade up untill start time and during game.

Consume a large breakfast; omelettes, cereals, fruit, and high quality meats provide good levels of carbs, protein and fat. Try to avoid salty foods at least 24h before a game as this causes dehydration. Try also to avoid dense foods such as heavy meats that will lie in your stomach and take hours to digest.

For those players who suffer from nerves and as a result cannot eat, try to eat something. A lack of food will only make you feel worse during the game. A high fibre breakfast can help with an upset stomach caused by nerves.

Drink plenty of water; Hydration levels need to be at their peak. Your urine should be clear. Try to avoid diuretics and especially alcohol at least 24h before a match. Eat a small lunch; About 3 hours before kick off a low GI meal should be consumed e.g. pasta, cereal. This will provided sustained energy levels for the match. An excellent strategy is to drink about 12-14 ounces of sports drink, which usually provides about 30 grams of carbohydrate, 10-15 minutes before the game begins.

The same amount should be consumed at half-time, although players may rebel at both intake patterns because of perceptions of stomach fullness. The important thing to remember is that through experience - trying out these drinking strategies on several different occasions during practices - the intake plans will gradually become comfortable and they will help reduce the risk of carbohydrate depletion.

Thanks for all the input everyone. I will defentily use a lot of the strategies I picked up here.