PRE-COMPETITION MEALS

What Is The Purpose Of The Pre-competition Meal?    The pre-competition meal keeps the body from feeling hungry before and during the event and it helps maintain the levels of sugar in your blood for your muscles to use during training and competition.

Many athletes often skip meals before they train or workout, especially if the workout is in the early morning.  Skipping meals lowers the stored energy in your body and can impair performance. 

When Should I Eat My Pre-competition Meal?    The stomach should not feel full during your event.  In general, it takes 1 to 4 hours for the stomach to digest a meal and empty it into the intestines.  If an athlete is nervous, the process may take even longer.  Food that remains in the stomach during an event may cause stomach upset, nausea, and vomiting.  If the meal is eaten 1 to 3 hours before the start of the competition, the stomach will be almost empty during the event.

What Is A Good Pre-competition Meal?    The pre-event meal should include foods that are high in carbohydrates, such as breads, pasta, fruits, or vegetables.  The stomach and intestines digest these foods quickly.  Carbohydrates also help build up stored energy in the body for use later during the event.

Below are some suggested pre-event menus.
1 hour or less before competition -   
*  fruit or vegetable juice such as orange, tomato or V-8
*  fresh fruit such as apples, watermelon, peaches, grapes, or oranges
*  up to 1 1/2 cups of a sports drink, such as Gatorade

2 to 3 hours before competition -
*  fresh fruit, fruit or vegetable juices
*  bread; bagels; English muffins (with limited amounts of butter, margarine, or cream cheese)
*  up to 4 cups of a sports drink, such as Gatorade

3 to 4 hours before competition -
*  fresh fruit, fruit or vegetable juices
*  bread; bagels; baked potatoes; cereal with low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt
*  sandwiches with a small amount of peanut butter, lean meat, or low-fat cheese
*  up to 7 1/2 cups of a sports drink, such as Gatorade.
                                                      

The Sports Medicine Patient Advisor
by Pierre Rouzier, M.D.
Pre-competition Meals: pages 298-299