Game Day Fueling Plan for Athletes (2024)

FAQs

What is good game day food for athletes? ›

Starchy foods like whole-wheat pasta, rice, potatoes, beans, broccoli, and grilled chicken offer a carbohydrate-rich meal that will provide the right fuel for the next day's event and protein to fuel recovery.

Try to eat every 3-4 hours. Most athletes eat only 2-4 times a day. By eating 3 meals and 2-3 snacks daily, you can gain lean tissue, maintain energy levels and recover at an optimal rate.

While the needs of each individual athlete varies, the basics are important for every athlete. Protein-containing foods include chicken, beef, pork, fish, soy products, legumes, dairy, nuts and seeds. Carbohydrate-containing foods include fruits, bread, pasta, rice, quinoa, farro, barley, potatoes and squash.

include a wide variety of foods like wholegrain breads and cereals, vegetables (particularly leafy green varieties), fruit, lean meat and low-fat dairy products to enhance long term nutrition habits and behaviours.

Nutritionists recommend a bigger meal with plenty of fluids like water for what to eat before a game. Your plate should be about half starches, a quarter protein, and a quarter non-starch vegetables. Pasta, rice, potatoes, grilled chicken, sandwiches, pork chops, green beans, and asparagus are all great options.

These are carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Carbohydrate provides energy for your brain, muscles, heart, and lungs. It is found in bread, cereal, rice, pasta, fruits, vegetables, milk, yogurt, and sugar. Protein provides energy and helps build and repair your body's cells.

An athlete's body needs the proper fuel, both food and fluids, to perform. Foods an athlete consumes should come from a variety of sources. Carbohydrate, protein, and fat are all keys to a fueling diet.

Brady's pre-game dinner is 80% plant-based

He follows an 80/20 rule — meaning 80% of his dish is plant-based, made up of vegetables or rice and grains. The remaining 20% of his dinner consists of lean protein, like wild-caught fish or organic chicken.

Are eggs a good pre-game meal? ›

Eat a healthy breakfast

Pairing carbs with protein, such as eggs, yogurt, milk, and peanut butter/nuts will help hold you over throughout your first game. Eating this heathy pre game meal 2-3 hours prior to your game is vital to topping off energy stores as you get game ready.

As part of a balanced football nutrition plan, footballers who want to improve their performance and get the most out of their training should always include whey protein in their diet plan and supplement routine. It's an easy way to ensure that you are getting enough of the right nutrients to stay on top of your game.

3-4 Hours before a game:

This means you can have all the nutrients on one plate including lean protein, complex carbs, fat, and fibre. A great pre-game meal 3-4 hours before a game could be: Chicken, rice, and broccoli. Whole grain pasta, tomato sauce, and meatballs.

Potatoes, pasta, rice, bread (ideally wholemeal unless just before a game), oatmeal, cereals, vegetables, and fruit are healthy carb options. Footballers should aim to consume at least 70 grams of carbohydrates as part of their pre-game meal and around 30 grams as part of a snack.

“Starch-based meals should be the focus, says Turner. “Foods like lower fiber rice, pasta, and breads are good options.” But don't pig out—you want enough food to give you energy, but not so much that you feel that burrito bowl sloshing around in your guts during the first quarter of the game.