Performance Nutrition
Hydration is the Key! It is essential that you drink enough water throughout the exercise and after to prevent dehydration and allow for optimal performance. Here are some guidelines:
Author and resource for nutritional consultations:
Amy Salo, RD, LD |
What to Eat for your Best Performance
As with any healthy diet it is important to eat a variety of foods and to eat regular meals and snacks. It is important to get enough calories in during the day through healthy choices to fuel your body for activity.
Before exercise:
- Eat a meal 2-4 hours before the exercise. Having fruit with a protein and carbohydrate will give you proper fuel to last for the exercise.
- Eat a snack if you have less than 2 hours before the activity and you haven’t eaten. This can be similar to a meal in content, just smaller.
- When it is an hour or less before the activity it is best to avoid eating. Eating something requires your body to send blood to your digestive system and use energy that you could be using toward your activity. It can also leave you with an upset stomach and feeling bloated or sick.
- Limit foods that are high in fat before a competition because these take longer to digest and can leave you feeling sluggish.
- Avoid high sugar foods that will give you a short burst because this won’t last long.
- Avoid foods high in fiber as these can take longer to digest, causing upset stomach.
After exercise:
- Eat fairly soon after a workout. (Ideally within an hour of exercise)
- Have complex carbohydrates and a protein source at this meal.
- Sources of complex carbohydrates include: fruit, whole grains, nuts, or milk.
- Protein sources include: meats, fish, eggs, cheese, nuts, milk, or nut butters.
Ideas to eat before an event:
- Smoothie with fruit, yogurt, and milk
- Yogurt with a banana and cereal
- Cereal, milk, and dried fruit
- Oatmeal, milk, and orange juice
- Pancakes, milk, strawberries
- Toast, egg(s), and apple juice
- Bagel with cream cheese
- ½-1 sandwich with turkey/roast beef/ham
- Chicken noodle or vegetable soup with crackers and flavored tuna
- Wrap with ham, lettuce, red peppers and cheese
- Hard boiled egg(s), grapes, and crackers
- Whole-wheat crackers with peanut butter or cheese
- Dried fruit and nuts
- Baked potato with cheese and veggies
- Sweet potato
- Fruit
- String cheese and a fruit cup
- Low fat milk with whole grain cereal, cereal bar, or animal crackers
- Pudding with granola or fruit
- Air-popped popcorn with almonds
- Hummus on pita wedges
- Celery with peanut butter and raisins
- Apple slices with peanut butter
- Sports bars*
*These items are not harmful to eat but also not necessary. They provide the same nutrients as the other foods above but can be much more costly.
Ideas to eat after an event:
- Sandwich made with whole grain bread, meat, and a vegetable.
- Grilled or baked chicken breast, brown rice or pasta, and vegetable.
- Baked potato with cheese and fruit.
- Bagel with peanut butter.
- Pasta salad with low-fat dressing, chicken breast and veggies
- Trail Mix – cereal, peanuts & pretzels
- Toast, banana and small amount of peanut butter
- Cottage cheese and canned fruit with a low-fat blueberry muffin