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Heidi Smith, Sports Nutritionist, On the Road

Many athletes establish a pre-game routine to prepare the mind and body for top performance. That routine should include an effective nutrition strategy to prep the muscles for power and endurance. Pre-game nutrition can have a profound impact on performance AND recovery. See below to maximize your performance by choosing the right fuel at the right times:

48 hrs before the game

The 2 days before a game are the most critical for stocking the muscle with adequate fuel. The most important fuel for a hockey player is carbohydrate which is stored in the muscle as Glycogen. Glycogen takes 24-48 hrs to recover to full stores. This explains why the 2 days pre-game is so important for consuming carbohydrates. Glycogen is the fuel burned in anaerobic situations. In other words, any time you are out of breath on the field you are relying on Glycogen as your fuel. If your stores begin to run out during a game, you’ll “hit the wall” or run out of energy.

Tips for maximizing glycogen stores:

Rest. A hard workout even 2 days before a game will deplete your glycogen stores. Take it easy, stretch and avoid any high intensity work.

Consume High Carbohydrate Foods: At each meal be sure to include foods such as breads, bagels, rice, pasta, fruit, juice, vegetables…

Eat Often: every 2-4 hours

Avoid alcohol

24 hours before the game

The day before a game often includes travel. Even with the best intentions, many athletes fall short on their nutrition when trying to eat “on the road”. Some of the challenges of eating on the road are: high fat foods, unfamiliar foods, bizarre eating times, jet lag, motion sickness ect… Here are some guidelines to follow when eating on the road the day before a game:

Carry your own food: so you have the flexibility to eat the right foods at the right time

Avoid unfamiliar foods: You don’t know how they will affect your stomach

Avoid spicy or high fat foods: They can cause stomach irritation and slow digestion

Graze: Frequent small meals and snacks (every 2-4 hours) help to load the muscle with energy

Game day nutrition

Game times will vary but your meals should always stay consistent. The purpose of game day nutrition is to keep blood sugars stable, stay hydrated and avoid any unnecessary stomach upset or depletion of muscle glycogen. In other words, all of your energy for your game should ALREADY be stored in your muscle if you ate properly the 2 days prior. Large meals are unnecessary game day because if you recall from above, the energy won’t even reach your muscle for 24-48 hours. The best plan is to eat frequent small meals that are easy to digest and that provide enough carbohydrate and protein to keep blood sugars steady. Here are some examples of foods to choose and foods to avoid:

Foods to choose on game day

Easy to digest foods are those that are high in carbohydrate, moderate fat, low in fibre. (This is not a complete list, use foods that you enjoy as long as they meet the criteria listed above)

Fruit: note bananas should have no traces of green on the peel. If they are not completely ripe they may cause gas.
Bagels
Fig Newton's
Trail mix
Yogurt
Sandwiches: peanut butter, turkey, lean ham…
Sport bars
Sport drinks
Pasta….

Foods to avoid

Anything that you’ve never tried before
Chocolate bars
High sugar cookies or candy
High fibre muffins
Beans or legumes
Spicy foods
Caffeine: some athletes are accustomed to drinking coffee on game day. There is no problem with this practice as long as adequate fluids are consumed AND caffeine does not upset their stomach.

A pre-game meal should be eaten 2-4 hours before your warm-up. If your warm-up starts at 2:30pm you should be eating a meal or snack every 2-4 hours prior. For example:

Breakfast between 8 and 9am: Bowl of cereal, fruit, toast and peanut butter, 500ml of juice

Lunch between 11-12:00noon: Submarine sandwich (hold the onions, hot peppers and mayo) with lean meat and mustard. Fruit and granola bar for dessert. 500ml of water or juice.

Snack 1-2:30 Sport Drink (1-2 litres) to keep blood sugars stable.

2:30pm WARM-UP starts: GOOD LUCK!

Remember: this plan is only an example. You should come up with your own plan and practice your eating plan before your actual game day to see what works best for you. Every athlete is different. The most important component of game day nutrition is that your plan is familiar to you and that you know it works in practice.



Heidi Smith is a Registered Sport Dietitian. She runs her practice out of the Health and Performance Centre at the University of Guelph. She is available for one-on-one consultations to help YOU get the most out of your training and game performance. Email and phone consultations available. Consultations for Canadian Carded athletes are covered by the National Sport Centre: Toronto.

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