Practical Considerations for Priming before sessions
Eating before early morning sessions
Some athletes find it quite difficult to eat prior to training sessions, especially morning ones. Given that by the time morning arrives, it has been a LONG time since your last meal, it is important to provide your body with some fuel (carbohydrates) before you start. If you can tolerate your usual breakfast, this is great, otherwise a small fuelling snack is ideal.
What does a pre-training, carbohydrate priming snack look like?
- Contains carbohydrate
- Low fibre and easy to digest (easy on the tummy)
- Small to moderate portion
- Could be solid or liquids
Examples include
ü 250mL popper of plain or flavoured milk + 1 banana
ü 250mL popper of plain or flavoured milk + 1 cereal bar (e.g. Carmen’s or Go Natural)
ü MYO smoothie – 100mL milk + 100g yoghurt + 100g fruit +/- 0.25 cup oats blended up
ü 1 piece raisin toast + 1 apple (or any other fruit)
ü 1 crumpet or English Muffin + scrape peanut butter
ü 2- 3 rice cakes with any topping + 250mL milk or 1 piece fruit
ü 1 piece fruit + 1 cereal bar
Take a minute to think about the sorts of things you like before exercise in the morning.
Eating before afternoon sessions
Given the gap between your lunchtime at school and after school training, it is important to have something to prime your brain and muscles prior to an afternoon session.
What does a pre-training, priming snack look like for afternoon sessions?
- The afternoon snack might more substantial than the early morning one.
- It contains quality carbohydrates – i.e. carbohydrate foods that offer other important nutrients.
- It will need to be planned for in advance – i.e. will you need to take something extra with you to go straight from school. If you go home first, will you need to think about something that can be prepared and eaten quickly
- Can be solid or liquid or both.
Examples Include;
ü 3-4 x rice cakes or cruskits or wholegrain crackers with 1 tablespoon 100% peanut butter or cheese and tomato or tinned tuna + 1 piece fruit
ü 1 Cup Breakfast cereal + milk and or yoghurt (~100g) + 1 piece fruit
ü 2 weetbix + milk + chopped fruit and a drizzle of honey
ü 1- 2 x pieces toast with any topping + 1 piece fruit.
ü Fruit Smoothie – made on about 200mL milk + 100g yoghurt + 100g fruit
ü Cereal Bar (e.g. Carman’s or Go Natural) + 200g Chobani or yoPro yoghurt + Banana
ü 1-2 slices raisin Toast + 1 glass milk
ü 1 scone or 1 fruit bun or 2 crumpets of 1-2 English Muffins with honey/peanut butter/jam toppings
ü 1 slice banana bread or low-fat fruit or savoury muffin with a glass of milk
ü 1 crumpet with sliced banana and honey
ü 1 small-medium fruit bun or scone or vegemite scroll + 1 orange
ü 10-15 rice crackers or 1 Cup Popcorn of 50g pretzels + hommus dip + 1 apple
ü 4 small pikelets + honey with sliced banana.
Take a minute to think about the sorts of things you like before afternoon training sessions
Eating and drinking within sessions
If you have eaten well in the hours and immediately before training, your priority in sessions will be mostly for fluid (you will learn much more about hydration in Module 3 ).
If you haven’t had enough carbohydrate during the day or before sessions, and time and opportunity allows, you can have a mid-session snack.
What that looks like is very dependent on what feels good to you. Generally speaking, things that are easy to consume and digest quickly work well – e.g. Fruit (e.g. grapes, watermelon, banana), rice crackers, popcorn, pretzels, cereal bar. If consuming food is tricky, you can top up carbohydrate within session via the use of fluids – e.g fruit juice, diluted cordial or sports drink.
If this sounds like you, again, some thought and pre-planning will be needed to make sure you have these items on hand at sessions, ready to go.