Sports nutrition is important for all sports no matter the duration. From hockey, to soccer and all the mud run’s in between, hydration and nutrition before and after are very important for optimal performance. Here are the how to’s of target nutrition…
Photo Taken by Dr. Pete Scornaiencki at LSSU
Pre-Event
This is a very important time for not only nutrition but hydration as well. Here are our top 3 nutrition / hydration tips to follow pre-event:
- Drink normally: Do not over hydrate the day of a race/ event as this will leave you feeling bloated and dilute your electrolytes. A good rule of thumb is 8 glasses of water per day!
- Don’t Carb load: Over loading on carbohydrates the day before or even the day of can cause digestive issues and this can really affect your performance. Best option is to fuel the body with a moderate amount of carbohydrate on the days leading up to the event. This will allow the body to store glycogen without upsetting your digestion.
- Don’t Skip Breakfast: if you are nervous race day, wake up a little earlier and slowly eat your breakfast. A pre-race/ event meal keeps blood sugars stable which provide you with the energy you need.
Post Event:
Now that the race/ event is over it is time to recover. Here are our top 2 Post event tips:
- Protein shake or recovery drink: This is super important to help the body recover after you have depleted your glycogen stores, used the muscles and pushed yourself. A couple of great options are an electrolyte drink (ie. Biosteel) or protein and water or milk
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate: don’t think that because the race is over you don’t need to re-hydrate. This is almost more important that pre-race hydration. Good rule of Thumb, you should weigh at least the same as you did pre-race. Any weight you have lost is typically water and should be replaced!
If you have other questions about what exactly you should be eating or drink before, during and after an even give us a callor send us an email regarding your specific event or sports nutrition needs.