Game Day Nutrition
By now you have started to gather some really important information around the types of food that are most important for fuelling your muscles and brains, and also, the importance of hydration on good health and performance. You have also started to understand that the timing of what you have is also important, but also VERY individual. There are no two athletes who will like to eat and drink the same on game day – and that’s OK.
You might live a long way from your club, you might have family or other sporting commitments on game day that change the types of foods and the times you can access them. By the end of this lesson, you will have a good understanding of the best way for YOU to approach your game day eating. The good news is, many of the same principles from your training day strategies apply just as well here.
Stay Game Day Timelines & Preparation Tips
THE DAY BEFORE THE GAME
The key message 24 hrs prior to a game, is to concentrate on your carbohydrate intake and to sip fluids regularly throughout. To completely fill your fuel tanks, you will need about 5-6g/kg of carbohydrate in the 24 hours before a game.
This sample meal plan provides approximately 400g carbohydrate and would be suitable for most athletes the day before and day of the game. This is not intended to be your “must follow” meal plan, rather just to show you how much food is required to meet carbohydrate requirements in the 24hr pre-game window