Nutrition is often an overlooked or underestimated tool to improve sporting performance, body composition and overall health. If you think of the body as a car and food as the fuel; you wouldn’t fill a diesel car with petrol, similarly, putting the wrong type of food or fuel into your body will prevent you from performing and feeling your best.

When it comes to nutrition for sports performance, it’s all about preparing/fuelling the body’s tank, topping up/maintaining the tank and refuelling the tank to be ready for the next journey/session.

BEFORE EXERCISE: FUEL THE TANK

Carbohydrate is the most important fuel/energy source for intense exercise such as sprinting, jumping, tackling, kicking, dancing. Carbohydrate is stored as glycogen in the liver & muscles; however, these stores (fuel tank) are limited so must be filled before exercise and refilled after exercise with carbs from food, similar to filling & refilling a car with fuel before and after a journey.

The more high-intensity energy you have from carbs, the more intense you can train, the more calories you will potentially burn and the greater chance you have of achieving your performance goals such as becoming fitter, faster, stronger.

Therefore, carbohydrate-rich foods are so important in the day(s) before a game/event to make sure your body’s tank is filled and ready to fuel your performance.

24-36 Hours Before: Carbohydrate Loading

This strategy involves increasing carbohydrate intake in the day(s) before your match/race to fill up the body’s fuel tank/glycogen stores and subsequently delay fatigue in your match or race.

How to Carb Load

• Add an extra 1-2 portions of carbohydrate-rich foods to your meals, for example, if you usually have ½ cup of oats in porridge, add 1 cup of oats or if you usually have 1 potato with dinner, have 2 potatoes when carbohydrate loading.
• Consume carbohydrate-rich snacks e.g. yoghurt, fruit & granola; fruit smoothie; toast & sliced banana; fruit juice & granola bar.

2-3 Hours Before: Pre-Match/Race Meal

• Consume carbohydrate-rich foods with low-moderate fibre content (white versions of pasta, rice, bread, noodles).
• Lean protein source such as chicken, turkey, white fish (avoid fattier meats), low-fat dairy.
• A small portion of vegetables/fruit – remove the skin to lower fibre content.
• Avoid fatty, creamy, spicy foods as these may slow digestion & cause tummy upset.

Sample Pre-Exercise Meals

• Porridge, banana & honey
• Bagel, peanut butter, banana & honey
• Veg & tofu stir-fry & white rice (leave out the spice!)
• White pasta, tomato sauce & chicken
• White tortilla wraps & turkey & salad
• Baked potato & cod & veg/salad

1 Hour Before: Snack

If you carb load properly and have a high-carbohydrate pre-match/race meal, a top-up snack may not be needed. If you do want a snack, keep it small and avoid high-fibre, fatty or spicy snacks:

• Ripe banana
• Handful of Jellies
• Few Medjool dates
• White toast & jam

DURING EXERCISE: FUEL TOP-UP

Consuming carbs during high-intensity exercise >1 hour will preserve glycogen/fuel stores, helping you to perform at a high-intensity for longer while also maintaining physical performance, cognitive and technical ability during a race/match. Consume 30-60g of carbohydrate per hour (can break this down into 20-30g of carbohydrates every 30 minutes)

What & How Much Carbohydrate?

Easily digested, fast-absorbing carbs such as:

• 1 ripe banana = 20-30g carbs
• 2 Medjool dates = ~30g carbs
• 5 small pitted dates = ~20g carbs
• 1 carbohydrate gel = 22-25g carbs
• 1 500ml sport drink = 25-30g carbs
• 6 dried apricots = 25g carbs
• 2 tbsp maple syrup = 25g carbs
• 10 jelly beans = 12g carbs

AFTER EXERCISE: RECOVER/REFILL THE TANK

Exercise causes inflammation and oxidative stress which can result in fatigue, muscle damage, and delayed muscle soreness. It’s important to note that short recovery periods between matches/races and/or training without appropriate recovery strategies (carbs, protein, hydration, antioxidant-rich foods) can increase an athlete’s risk of injury. Getting back to our fuel tank once again, glycogen/fuel stores are low after training and matches/events and must be refuelled with carbs to have your stores ready and rearing to go for the next session.

When?

• Aim to consume a meal as soon as possible after exercise.
• If not possible, consume a carbohydrate-rich snack along with fluid and aim for a meal within 1-2 hours.
• When there is less than 8 hours between sessions, fast recovery is needed: rehydration is essential and consuming high carbohydrate meals.

What?

• Repair with protein (20-40g per meal).
• Refuel with carbohydrate (1-1.2 g/kg of body weight in post-match/race meal).
• Rehydrate with fluids (water, milk, smoothie, cordials, tea etc.).

Sample Recovery Snacks & Meals:

• Carton/glass of milk/flavoured milk/protein milk & banana
• Fruit, milk & yoghurt smoothie
• Veg & chicken/turkey/tofu stir-fry & rice/noodles
• Chicken & salad sandwich & glass of fruit juice
• 2 eggs, baked beans & toast
• French toast, banana & Greek yoghurt
• Salmon, baked potato & veg

HYDRATION STATION

The importance of hydration is often overlooked around training and matches/races but believe you me, it’s more important than you think! Beginning exercise in a dehydrated state can:

• Reduce the body’s ability to keep cool, particularly important in hot conditions.
• Reduce blood flow to muscles which decreases oxygen and glucose delivery to muscles, accelerating fatigue.
• The body burns through glycogen/fuel stores quicker resulting in earlier fatigue.
• Negatively impacts decision making, cognitive function and time to react to match situations.
• And the list goes on!

How Much Fluid?

• The general rule of thumb is to consume 35ml of fluid per kg of body weight daily in the form of water, milk, tea, cordials, smoothies, fruit & veg.
• Aim for 500-600 ml of water or sports drink within 2 hours before training/match.
• Consume 120-250ml of fluid every 10-15 minutes during exercise.
• Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink water – thirst is not a good indicator of hydration.
• Make sure you are fully hydrated before starting exercise.

How to Monitor?

The easiest way is to look before you flush!

• Upon waking, your pee should be a light yellow colour.
• Use this colour chart to monitor hydration, aim for pee colours 1, 2, 3.

Tips for Rehydrating

• Consume small amounts of fluid often instead of large amounts in one go.
• In hot weather/indoors when sweat loss is higher, salt may be needed to help restore electrolyte balance (add salt to recovery drink or recovery meal or consume salty snacks).
• An ideal natural rehydration drink = milk – contains carbs for fuel, protein for recovery, electrolytes and fluid for rehydration.
• Milk-based smoothies are another great rehydration/recovery drink – includes carbs, protein, fluid and electrolytes.

About Clare

Hey! I’m Clare, a Health and Performance Nutritionist with a BSc in Human Nutrition and MSc in Sport and Exercise Nutrition.

I am a big fan of wholesome real food which sets the foundation of the nutrition support I provide and nutrition/cookery workshops I deliver to individuals, groups and athletes.

I am a keen sports person where I play Gaelic football for my club and county teams. I enjoy experimenting with nutrition and hydration strategies around my own training, acting as a guinea pig for the athletes I work with!

For more nutrition tips and recipes, find me on Instagram @clarefarrellnutrition or drop me a message at clarefarrellnutrition@gmail.com and I’ll be more than happy to help with any questions or queries you may have!