Game Day Fueling Plan for Athletes (2024)

FAQs

What is good game day food for athletes? ›

“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.

While the needs of each individual athlete varies, the basics are important for every athlete. Protein-containing foods include chicken, beef, pork, fish, soy products, legumes, dairy, nuts and seeds. Carbohydrate-containing foods include fruits, bread, pasta, rice, quinoa, farro, barley, potatoes and squash.

What to eat on the day of a game. On the day of the game, you should ideally finish eating 3-4 hours before it begins. To keep your energy up during the game, it is also a good idea to have an easily digestible light snack (such as a jelly drink) about 1-2 hours beforehand.

Anything too fatty, like junk food or milk, is digested slowly and will make athletes feel slow and sluggish. Athletes should also avoid eating too many high-fiber foods, like beans, fruits and vegetables, which are also difficult to digest and cause stomach problems on the field.

Try protein foods like eggs, beans, fish, poultry, lean meat, peanut butter, milk or fortified soy beverages, yogurt, and cheese. Healthy fats. Choose foods with healthy fats like nuts, seeds, avocado, fatty fish, and corn or olive oil.

An athlete's body needs the proper fuel, both food and fluids, to perform. Foods an athlete consumes should come from a variety of sources. Carbohydrate, protein, and fat are all keys to a fueling diet.

Carbohydrates are the preferred source of energy for the working muscles during exercise. Good sources of carbohydrates include whole grains (whole grain bread, whole wheat pasta, oatmeal, and brown rice), starchy vegetables (sweet potato, potato, corn, carrots) and fruits (banana, apple, strawberries)

Nutritionists recommend a bigger meal with plenty of fluids like water for what to eat before a game. Your plate should be about half starches, a quarter protein, and a quarter non-starch vegetables. Pasta, rice, potatoes, grilled chicken, sandwiches, pork chops, green beans, and asparagus are all great options.

Why do athletes eat carbs the night before a game? ›

Most high endurance athletes use carbohydrate loading as a nutrition regimen a few days prior to the event; because carbohydrate loading is known to produce an increase in stored muscle glycogen; which is known to prolong exercise, along with improve long-term performance.

Some NFL players turn to classic peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as a pregame snack. Others might build their own smoothies, . One-quarter of the meal should be a lean protein, like fish or beef. And the other quarter of the meal should consist of fruits and vegetables..

3-4 Hours before a game:

This means you can have all the nutrients on one plate including lean protein, complex carbs, fat, and fibre. A great pre-game meal 3-4 hours before a game could be: Chicken, rice, and broccoli. Whole grain pasta, tomato sauce, and meatballs.

Over two hours before: A substantial meal is best to eat two hours before your game. Your meal should include 6-8 ounces of lean protein — fish, turkey and grilled chicken are the ideal protein sources for this option. This meal should also include 1.5 cups of high-fiber pasta or rice and about 2 cups of vegetables.

It's important to eat both before and after football. Before playing, consume foods that provide energy and nutrients, like whole grain cereals, bananas, whole grain toast, baked beans, eggs, lean fish, pasta, and rice. These meal options offer essential carbohydrates, protein, and other nutrients to fuel your body.