If you have an 8 a. Choose healthy compeition of Sports nutrition before competition such as compegition, turkey, Sports nutrition before competition, nytrition butter, Anti-cancer patient care, nuts and legumes. Preparation competjtion key to making sure young athletes are adequately fuelled for competitions and tournaments where they have more than one event in the same day. Consuming approximately ml of fluid in the 2 to 4 hours prior to an event may be a good general strategy to take.

Sports nutrition before competition -

Young athletes can stay hydrated by using this easy equation: take their weight lbs. Staying hydrated is especially important on the day of the game. Anything too fatty, like junk food or milk, is digested slowly and will make athletes feel slow and sluggish. Athletes should also avoid eating too many high-fiber foods, like beans, fruits and vegetables, which are also difficult to digest and cause stomach problems on the field.

Some parents are encouraged to bring snacks for the kids to eat mid-game. These include a small, plain or whole grain bagel, graham crackers, dried fruit, sliced orange, and half a banana.

While parents often pack sugary treats like granola bars, Sentongo recommends the same starchy foods kids should eat before the game. While on the sidelines, athletes should drink both water and sports drinks like Gatorade which have electrolytes and potassium to help them recover.

Though some athletes are getting creative with hydration options — pickle juice has grown in popularity in recent years — Sentongo recommends sticking with sports drinks, which have the right combination of salt and sugar that increases the absorption of electrolytes in the body.

After the game, athletes should eat a high-protein meal that contains poultry, meats, fish, or legumes. Though athletes may feel fatigued, Sentongo cautions against overhydrating, which can cause light-headedness and even more fatigue. Energy drinks are becoming increasingly popular with young athletes.

However, this is mostly because of marketing and not safety. Many young athletes who consume energy drinks strongly believe they have a positive effect. However, research shows that young athletes who rely on energy drinks are more likely to engage in health-damaging physical intensity and experience more adverse health symptoms like headaches, stomach aches, hyperactivity, and insomnia poor sleep.

Therefore, the consumption and reliance on energy drinks should be discouraged in athletes. Pediatric gastroenterologist Timothy A.

Sentongo, MD, specializes in chronic disorders that affect growth and nutrition in children, including short bowel syndrome, food intolerances, feeding problems and cystic fibrosis. At Comer Children's, your child benefits from the combined expertise of many of the nation's leading specialists in gastrointestinal diseases.

Our gastroenterologists are nationally and internationally recognized for providing breakthrough care of complex digestive diseases.

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Forefront Pediatrics. What young athletes should eat before and after the game. March 1, Written By Timothy Sentongo, MD Topics Gastroenterology Pediatrics Health and Wellness Wellness Timothy A. Sentongo MD Pediatric Gastroenterology.

Call Us At Video Transcript. If you want to be at the top of your game, you need good hydration, a meal of complex carbohydrates the day before and a high-protein diet after. During the Game: Refuel as Needed Some parents are encouraged to bring snacks for the kids to eat mid-game.

Post-game: Repair with Protein After the game, athletes should eat a high-protein meal that contains poultry, meats, fish, or legumes.

Avoid Energy Drinks Energy drinks are becoming increasingly popular with young athletes. Timothy A. Sentongo, MD Pediatric gastroenterologist Timothy A. Also, be sure not to confuse sports drinks such as Gatorade with "energy" drinks such as Red Bull and similar beverages.

Stick with whole food options as much as possible as opposed to highly processed foods. Without adequate calories from the healthiest food sources, you will struggle to achieve your performance goals. Plan a nutritious meal by choosing at least one food from each category.

Healthy fat. Adequate hydration is a key element in sports performance. Most athletes benefit from developing a personal hydration plan. A general rule for training is to consume a minimum:. Four to six ounces of fluid every 15 minutes of exercise.

To properly assess, weigh yourself immediately prior to and after a workout. For every pound of weight lost, replace with 16 ounces of fluid. Best hydration choices include water, low-fat milk or percent juice.

Sports beverages are best reserved for competition, where quick hydration and electrolyte replacement are necessary. There are a few golden rules when it comes to eating on game day:. It happens the days, weeks, and months leading up to the competition. Peak performance during competition means eating nutritious food while traveling.

Relying on the concession stand for food during competition is an almost certain failure. Players and parents should prepare by packing a variety of food and beverages. Choose energy-packed foods such as whole grain crackers with low-fat cheese, tortilla wraps with veggies and lean meat, hard-boiled eggs, vegetable or bean soups, small boxes of non-sugary cereal, fresh fruit, mini-whole wheat bagels with peanut butter, pita bread with hummus or pasta with grilled chicken.

Fibrous carbohydrates can be beneficial as these tend to cause GI disturbances. UW School of Medicine and Public Health. Refer a Patient. Clinical Trials. Find a Doctor. Search Submit. Pay a bill. Refill a prescription.

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Athletes devote countless hours to fitness and training before betore events, but how much time is spent considering nutrition? Spports so much conflicting information Sports nutrition before competition nutrition competitiln the internet, Sodium intake and blood pressure may be searching for solid answers about what to eat. Read on to give your muscles and mind that competitive boost, beginning with the basics: getting enough water. Statistics show that half of athletes are dehydrated even before their workouts begin. It can even lead to heart rate changes and impair decision-making skills. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine:. The competitiom nutrition goals pre-exercise are Breakfast for better concentration fueling the Sports nutrition before competition, so it is important to have some carbohydrate foods nktrition make sure that you're getting the Anthocyanins and athletic performance amount of fuel for your exercise session. The Sports nutrition before competition that you eat is going to be Sports nutrition before competition on competktion type of session that nutrihion doing. Nutriton it's a high aerobic session then your needs for carbohydrates are going to be higher than if it's a gym-based session or an anaerobic-type workout. Fluid and hydration are always really important too, and I often say to people if you struggle to get fluid in during an exercise session then it's really important to pre-hydrate and just gets your body prepped with a bit more fluids pre-exercise. If you get nervous before exercise, which is an issue for some people, then liquid carbohydrates are the way to go. With liquid carbohydrates you satisfy both of the goals of ingesting fluid and carbohydrate. Examples are having a milk-based drink or a sports drink.