What should I consume before sport?

To perform well your body needs to have adequate carbohydrate fuel stores in the muscle and liver.  Carbohydrate is stored in the muscles as glycogen to provide an important fuel source for sport.  Carbohydrate is also stored as glycogen in smaller amounts in the liver.  This glycogen reserve helps maintain blood glucose levels, and becomes very important during prolonged workouts or endurance sports.  The normal overnight fast (during sleep) will lower glycogen stores, which in turn can reduce your endurance performance.

If you are training or competing each day, particularly if you do more than one session, it is crucial that you constantly replenish your muscle glycogen levels.  The carbohydrate foods eaten in the last hours before a sport can help you to top up this important fuel.  If you are training or compete a couple of times per week your carbohydrate requirements will be different to someone who trains daily.  Carbohydrate requirements should be individualised to meet energy and activity levels.

Eating a carbohydrate rich meal or snack before sport gives you a much better chance of maintaining normal blood glucose levels and enhancing both physical and mental performance.  Don’t forget the enjoyment of a favourite pre-sport meal can be a great confidence booster!

What should I eat before a sport?

As a guide the choice of meal, snack and fluids should be:

• Easy to digest
• Rich in carbohydrate
• Low in fat
• Foods and fluids that are familiar and enjoyable
• Including plenty of fluids

The menu chosen should comfortably meet your training or competition needs, and be based on foods and fluids you know will be tolerated.  Experimenting with your competition plan during training is highly recommended.  Trying new foods or fluids on the day of an important competition or event is unwise!

Stomach upset?

Athletes who easily get stomach upsets, runner’s diarrhoea or who have sensitive bowels may find it difficult to eat solid food before exercise.  Reduced blood flow to the gut, dehydration and being nervous may all cause stomach upset.  These athletes should try choosing low fibre carbohydrate foods, drinks or liquid meals and consider the timing of food intake.  A reduced fibre intake can help prevent bloating, diarrhoea and stomach discomfort.

Liquid meals such as commercially available high carbohydrate drink supplements and home made fruit smoothies allow an athlete to fuel up without the full feeling.  Eating solid meals earlier and switching to a liquid meal supplement or sports drink closer to exercise may help to avoid problems. 

When should I eat and drink before exercises?

It is recommended that the pre-event meal is consumed 2-4hours before competition.  The decision will vary depending to the type and timing of the event and needs to allow enough time for the meal to be emptied by the stomach.  It is important that the timing is right for stomach comfort – neither leaving you too full at the start nor too hungry late in the session.

Some athletes can tolerate food closer to training or competition especially if there is only limited recovery time.  In this case, carbohydrate containing fluids such as sports drink or liquid meals supplements can also be used effectively to meet pre-competition eating goals.

For events in the morning, an athlete may schedule their breakfast 2-3hours prior.  In the case of a very early start, a larger supper the night before and a lighter snack or fluids only 1-2 hours before the event might be more appropriate.  Those competing later in the day may even choose to eat their normal meals in the earlier part of the day and then have a light snack 1-2 hours prior to the event.

Smart pre-event / exercise eating ideas.

• Breakfast cereal, reduced fat milk and fruit
• Porridge, reduced fat milk and fruit juice
• Toasted muffins or crumpets and honey / jam / syrup
• Toast with honey / jam / marmalade / vegemite
• Baked beans on toast
• Low fat creamed rice and tinned fruit
• Pasta toped with low fat tomato based sauce
• Jacket potato and creamed corned
• Low fat cereal bar / muesli bar / sports bar and banana
• Roll or sandwich with banana and honey
• Fresh fruit salad and low fat yoghurt or low fat dairy dessert
• Smoothie with reduced fat milk, low fat yoghurt and any fruit
• Soy smoothies with soy drink and blended fruit

By Jodie Barker