Tournament Day nutrition strategy

Athletes should develop a nutritional strategy for tournament time. Lay out a plan to make sure that you are able to eat the proper items as the right times. Insuring peak performance through nutrition starts well before the first match and continues throughout the duration of the tournament.

Pre-Tournament Meals: Begin preparation for a weekend tournament early in the week. On Thursday and Friday, eat lots of carbs, items like pasta, rice, breads and potatoes. Add to that some protein such as baked chicken, turkey, other lean meats and vegetables. The goal is to store as much muscle glycogen as possible before the tournament begins. Also, drink plenty of fluids (water, juice and milk) to avoid potential dehydration. If you have an early match in Saturday morning, it is good to have a snack before going to bead Friday night. Eat a granola bar, yogurt, or a bagel and drink juice or a sports drink. At all costs, avoid fatty meats, fried foods, anything with a creamy sauce and soda.

Pre-Match Meal: During a tournament, the pre-match meal is most often breakfast. For breakfast, look for foods that are high in carbs. Items such as fruit, bagels, toast and yogurt are good choices. Pancakes or waffles are also excellent as is cereal with low fat milk. Scrambled or boiled eggs can be good if your first match isn’t until mid morning (several hours after breakfast). Avoid foods such as muffins (unless they are low fat), donuts, sausage, bacon and coffee. Also steer clear of most “prepared” foods such as Pop-Tarts and breakfast sandwiches. Also don’t add lots of butter, cream cheese, jelly or syrup to your bagels, toast or pancakes. Some is OK but don’t get carried away. Exactly how much you eat depends on the start time for your first match. If you are lucky enough to have a midmorning start time, between 9:30 and 11:00, you should eat more. You can also eat a bit more protein, things like eggs and cereal. If you have an 8:00 match focus on the CHO rich foods.

During the Match: There are not many nutritional options for the player during the match that will affect performance. Your best bet is to drink water or a sports drink between periods or other breaks. The importance here is to maintain hydration not too provide energy. There is not much time for the small amount of energy consumed to be effective.

Immediately After the Match: This is one of the most important times during a tournament. At the end of a hard match, muscle glycogen levels are depleted and you need to replenish them as fast as possible. To do this, it is critically important to take in about 50-100g of CHO, with a bit of protein within the first 30 minutes after the match. Drink a sports drink such as Gatorade and eat something like a banana, a bagel or an energy bar (not a protein bar).A 20oz Gatorade provides about 35g or CHO while a banana and bagel provide 30-40g of CHO and 1-8g of protein Another option is to drink low-fat, chocolate milk (8oz provides 32g of CHO and 11g of protein). This should be done as soon after your cool-down as possible. Research studies consistently show that eating or drinking CHO (with some protein) soon after exercise is the most effective way to rapidly replenish muscle glycogen levels. Sometime it is difficult to eat following a match, particularly after a grueling loss or a match played in the heat. However, you must remember that this is a critical time. You have a short window of opportunity to get yourself ready for the next match.

Between Matches: Exactly what you eat between matches depends in large part on how much time you have before the start of the second match. If you only have an hour or two between games, you’re limited to items such as fruits (bananas, oranges and apples) and CHO rich foods with small amounts of protein. Two excellent choices are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or peanut butter on a bagel. Sports drinks such as Gatorade will replenish both fluids lost and depleted glycogen. Be sure to eat enough to replenish your energy stores but be careful not to overeat. If you have several hours between matches, you should increase the protein content of your meal but still focus on CHO rich foods. You should also eat soon, within the first 60-90 min of your first match. Your best options are lean meat sandwiches such as baked chicken or turkey, pasta (avoid cream sauces), baked potatoes and burritos. It is always best to pack your own lunch. That way you can insure that you have the right foods, items that are healthy and enjoyable, and can relax rather than waiting for your meal.