Nutritional Shake or Full Meal before a match

Feb 12

4 min read

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Determining the right pre-match nutrition choices can be challenging. How can we decide between having a full meal or opting for a nutritional shake?

Consider these questions as you get ready for a match:

What time is your match and how long will you be awake before the start time?
Will you have time to come home between matches or will you be out the whole day?
Will you have access to store cold items in a cooler to stay cold for a partial day? Full Day?
What does your body crave throughout the day and specifically at what times?

Here are three sets of match possibilities where we will examine options for small meals and/or shakes as nutritional intake.

I've included suggestions based on what I've done (and would do in the future) to prepare for matches under similar conditions. We are all unique, and our bodies respond differently to various daily situations. Take the time to understand your body, how it functions, and what inputs can help it maintain peak performance at any time of the day.

Morning Match 10am or earlier.

Suggested wakeup is 3hrs prior (7am)

Think about having a light meal or shake at 8am for a 10am match, followed by a small snack between 9 and 9:30am.

A small meal might consist of 1-2 eggs, some cheese, and a few ounces of breakfast meat. A breakfast rich in protein and fats will keep you full and give you enough energy for the match.

My Take:

Small meal

2-3 eggs with a side of cheese chunk along with a few ounces of half & half.

or

1-2 egg with a side of cheese chunk along with a few ounces of meat.

Shake

Some Ice, peanut butter, 1 scoop of protein powder, 1tsp chia seeds, a few ounces of whipping cream, water. Enough to make about 12-16oz of shake.

Mid-day Match between 11am-2pm start time.

Afternoon/Evening Match between 3-7pm start time.

Be sure to maintain focus on hydration and electrolyte consumption. This post provides guidelines and examples for food intake, but not at the cost of hydration. Everything mentioned should be viewed as a complement to proper hydration.

Check out the blog post about hydration to complete your match preparedness plan to its maximum!

-Amyn

Nutrition [input]