Food/Supplements What to eat the day before and on gameday....

[ablett]

Might be a coincidence but since I've been eating bananas before games I've been feeling was better, can push myself harder for longer, feel way better. Still keen to get some of that beetroot juice, would be nice if it didn't cost so much

That's interesting about bananas , most sport dieticians don't advise bananas pre activity due to blood being drawn from muscle to aid digestion, blood being a nutrient carrier is the last thing you won't steered away from muscle, muscle cells full of blood perform better, less risk for injury etc...

Bi-carb soda is cheap & very effective as a lactic acid buffer allowing to have a higher training threshold.
Race horses have been using it since the 70's.

 

[mcuzzy]

That's interesting about bananas , most sport dieticians don't advise bananas pre activity due to blood being drawn from muscle to aid digestion, blood being a nutrient carrier is the last thing you won't steered away from muscle, muscle cells full of blood perform better, less risk for injury etc...

Bi-carb soda is cheap & very effective as a lactic acid buffer allowing to have a higher training threshold.
Race horses have been using it since the 70's.

It was about an hour before the match if that makes a difference? after that i usually don't have anything other than water or watered down sports drinks.

would bi-carb soda be the alternative to beetroot shots?

 

[ablett]

It was about an hour before the match if that makes a difference? after that i usually don't have anything other than water or watered down sports drinks.

would bi-carb soda be the alternative to beetroot shots?

Yes bi-carb much cheaper option than beet root shots.

Start of with 1/3rd of a teaspoon n work upto a teaspoon , too much too early will lead to a day on the Dunny!
I mistook bi-carb for dextrose once & had 20g of it, nekminut rub bling in the stomach , just made it to the loo & I was shitting out stuff I hadn't even eaten yet!
Worse toilet experience ever, I you ever want to play a prank on someone, excess bi-carb supersedes about ten packets of lax estates at once!

 

[BroughtonMid]

Yes bi-carb much cheaper option than beet root shots.

Start of with 1/3rd of a teaspoon n work upto a teaspoon , too much too early will lead to a day on the Dunny!
I mistook bi-carb for dextrose once & had 20g of it, nekminut rub bling in the stomach , just made it to the loo & I was shitting out stuff I hadn't even eaten yet!
Worse toilet experience ever, I you ever want to play a prank on someone, excess bi-carb supersedes about ten packets of lax estates at once!

yeah i wouldn't advise the bi carb soda for footy, very easy to over do it. it is effective though.

only for events that last 4-6 mins max.

 

[saj_21]

BUMP.......footy season is upon us

First practice game last weekend. We where playing up in the country near shepparton so was approx 1hr 40 min drive from my place and had to be there around 10am so i was up a little earlier and eating at different times than i would on a normal in season game day.

Woke up around 6;30 and around 7am had my super greens with a shake that included Jalna natural greek yoghurt, banana, mixed berries and 20g of protein powder. Around 7:30am (i was being picked up at 8 so had to eat) i had 2 eggs with 100g of mince with 2 slices of mixed grain bread covered in avocado.

During the drive i sipped on more supergreens with amino acids also had water

Around 11am i had two turkey wraps that i made myself

Around midday 50g of mixed nuts with 30g of peanut butter

I felt a bit sluggish (but that could of been the drive/waiting around to play) so might try eating some lollies closer to game time and half time.

As for the day/night before, I am not a big fan of eating a big carb meal the night before i can wake up feeling full and sluggish. So i up my carbs and spread them out during my meals on friday.

 

[Mofra]

Might be a coincidence but since I've been eating bananas before games I've been feeling was better, can push myself harder for longer, feel way better. Still keen to get some of that beetroot juice, would be nice if it didn't cost so much

Coles now have 90% beetroot, 10% apple for around $5 per litre (Sunraysia brand, in glass).

 

[ThePezDispenser]

That sounds like a lot of food pre game. Eating a big meal the night before allows you to eat less gameday and feel less sluggish, especially if leaving the house before 8.

I'm gonna go with a big meal the night before and coco pops with a water protein shake morning of with powerade and caffeine 30-60 mins before game time. Keep it light. Helps most games are around 11.30 start for me.

 

[ablett]

That sounds like a lot of food pre game. Eating a big meal the night before allows you to eat less gameday and feel less sluggish, especially if leaving the house before 8.

I'm gonna go with a big meal the night before and coco pops with a water protein shake morning of with powerade and caffeine 30-60 mins before game time. Keep it light. Helps most games are around 11.30 start for me.

Yes agree, that's a lot food to be digested before activity, especially foods like bread/yogurt/meat which are taxing on the digestive system.
Better off topping up your glycogen stores the night before a game & playing with as less food in your system as possible.

What you mentioned looks better except I'd switch powerade to coconut water n maybe some raw honey if your wanting more carbs.
Caffein response is better on an empty stomach if possible.

 

[ablett]

BUMP.......footy season is upon us

First practice game last weekend. We where playing up in the country near shepparton so was approx 1hr 40 min drive from my place and had to be there around 10am so i was up a little earlier and eating at different times than i would on a normal in season game day.

Woke up around 6;30 and around 7am had my super greens with a shake that included Jalna natural greek yoghurt, banana, mixed berries and 20g of protein powder. Around 7:30am (i was being picked up at 8 so had to eat) i had 2 eggs with 100g of mince with 2 slices of mixed grain bread covered in avocado.

During the drive i sipped on more supergreens with amino acids also had water

Around 11am i had two turkey wraps that i made myself

Around midday 50g of mixed nuts with 30g of peanut butter

I felt a bit sluggish (but that could of been the drive/waiting around to play) so might try eating some lollies closer to game time and half time.

As for the day/night before, I am not a big fan of eating a big carb meal the night before i can wake up feeling full and sluggish. So i up my carbs and spread them out during my meals on friday.

Based on what you've posted you'd be running around with a lot of undigested food in your system which will hinder not enhance performance.
The sluggishness is from food overload.
That's enough pre-game food to run a marathon daily for a week!
Fat is digested at 10g per hour so something like peanut butter which contains saturated fat should consumed a lot earlier pre-game if at all.
Mct oil is the best fat source to consume close to activity as is gets utilised as energy straight away & doesn't goe thought the same process as other saturated fats.
Being Hungary before a game isn't a bad thing.

If you woke up to a gun pointed at your head & the gun man said start running or I'll shoot you.
I doubt the gunman would be too impressed if you requested that he give you a few hours firstly so you have a bowl of yogurt with fruit, then some mince n eggs , super greens, turkey wraps n nuts etc so you can run better.
No, your instinct will be to get up and run as fast as you bloody can , the release of adrenaline will make you run as a fast as ever.
My point is mentally we feel the more food the more fuel, but it's about food efficiency not food quantity.
Fasting intervals pre-game has it's benefits , I'm not saying don't eat anything pre-game , keep it light & consume easily digested foods.
Hold of for aslong as possible after rising , then eat something light, allow time for digestion/utilisation, then maybe sip on some sought of concoction leading upto the game.
All sugar right before a game does is spike insulin & blunt HGH , by time your body clears the glucose from your stomach to be used as energy the game will be over.
sugar gives you an instant insulin spike not instant energy, most get these confused.
Once your tank is full it's full, you can't put 80litres of petrol into a 60litre tank so you can drive further.
Caffein pre-game protects glycogen stores.

Load your energy stores the night before, if your not doing any activity pre-game then why do you need to eat a lot of carbs if your glycogen stores are filled from the night before?
I can understand if you ran to the game, that would use some glycogen stores so you'd want to top them back up for the game.

 

[saj_21]

Based on what you've posted you'd be running around with a lot of undigested food in your system which will hinder not enhance performance.
The sluggishness is from food overload.
That's enough pre-game food to run a marathon daily for a week!
Fat is digested at 10g per hour so something like peanut butter which contains saturated fat should consumed a lot earlier pre-game if at all.
Mct oil is the best fat source to consume close to activity as is gets utilised as energy straight away & doesn't goe thought the same process as other saturated fats.
Being Hungary before a game isn't a bad thing.

If you woke up to a gun pointed at your head & the gun man said start running or I'll shoot you.
I doubt the gunman would be too impressed if you requested that he give you a few hours firstly so you have a bowl of yogurt with fruit, then some mince n eggs , super greens, turkey wraps n nuts etc so you can run better.
No, your instinct will be to get up and run as fast as you bloody can , the release of adrenaline will make you run as a fast as ever.
My point is mentally we feel the more food the more fuel, but it's about food efficiency not food quantity.
Fasting intervals pre-game has it's benefits , I'm not saying don't eat anything pre-game , keep it light & consume easily digested foods.
Hold of for aslong as possible after rising , then eat something light, allow time for digestion/utilisation, then maybe sip on some sought of concoction leading upto the game.
All sugar right before a game does is spike insulin & blunt HGH , by time your body clears the glucose from your stomach to be used as energy the game will be over.
sugar gives you an instant insulin spike not instant energy, most get these confused.
Once your tank is full it's full, you can't put 80litres of petrol into a 60litre tank so you can drive further.
Caffein pre-game protects glycogen stores.

Load your energy stores the night before, if your not doing any activity pre-game then why do you need to eat a lot of carbs if your glycogen stores are filled from the night before?
I can understand if you ran to the game, that would use some glycogen stores so you'd want to top them back up for the game.

Thanks for the input.

I understand what you are saying with your analogy, but the fact is a gun is pointed to my head and i can eat to fuel myself pre game ( i do take your point on board, i do believe in not over eating in general). I already "mini-fast" during the week as im not one to be super hungry first thing in the morning.

I generally don't like exercising on a full stomach and try to get pre work out meals in 2 or so hours before a workout/training. The peanut butter helps me feel full, maybe switch up to the morning instead of just before the game. Likewise with the lollies pre game/half time the feeling of having something in your stomach good bad or indifferent helps with feeling empty/hungry.

I've got two more practice games to trial with, maybe i will try less food this week as they say don't knock it till you try it.

 

[Ess_don]

-

So what would you recommend to eat night before a game to fill your glycogen stores?
Stick with a usual LCHF meal (like salad, meat and evoo)? Or add bit more carbs through sweet potato?

Then on gameday eat a light, quick digesting carb source like rice bubbles with whey protein+water few hours before the game?

My games are usually later in the arvo 2.30 or even 4pm, so I have to have a decent breakfast at least or Ill be too hungry.

And for the caffeine just before the game, just a straight shot of coffee? or I remember someone posting some smart caffeine tablets I think?

 

[ablett]

Thanks for the input.

I understand what you are saying with your analogy, but the fact is a gun is pointed to my head and i can eat to fuel myself pre game ( i do take your point on board, i do believe in not over eating in general). I already "mini-fast" during the week as im not one to be super hungry first thing in the morning.

I generally don't like exercising on a full stomach and try to get pre work out meals in 2 or so hours before a workout/training. The peanut butter helps me feel full, maybe switch up to the morning instead of just before the game. Likewise with the lollies pre game/half time the feeling of having something in your stomach good bad or indifferent helps with feeling empty/hungry.

I've got two more practice games to trial with, maybe i will try less food this week as they say don't knock it till you try it.

Good attitude!
Try Rinsing a sugar drink in your mouth n spiriting it out before n during the game/exercise ,it may give you the same effect as consuming it.
Some suggest The sweet taste triggers the brain to act the same way as if you've consumed it, a popular practice amongst cyclists ATM.
Maybe that's why the have two drink bottles in the AFL, one is powerade which the players uses to rinse mouth with then chases it water.
Makes sense if you can get the energy benefits of sugar with out the heavy load of digesting 100 or so grams of sugar while playing which can cause bloating, sluggishness etc...

 

[ablett]

So what would you recommend to eat night before a game to fill your glycogen stores?
Stick with a usual LCHF meal (like salad, meat and evoo)? Or add bit more carbs through sweet potato?

Then on gameday eat a light, quick digesting carb source like rice bubbles with whey protein+water few hours before the game?

My games are usually later in the arvo 2.30 or even 4pm, so I have to have a decent breakfast at least or Ill be too hungry.

And for the caffeine just before the game, just a straight shot of coffee? or I remember someone posting some smart caffeine tablets I think?

So what would you recommend to eat night before a game to fill your glycogen stores?
Stick with a usual LCHF meal (like salad, meat and evoo)? Or add bit more carbs through sweet potato?

Yeah sweet spud &/ or white rice smothered in raw honey.

Caffein best researched for results 200-400mg 45-60 mins pre activity.
You can split dosages leading upto the game if too much at once sends you batty!
If you u don't have MCT oil to put in ricebubbles with whey then 100-200ml coconut milk is another option.
Mct oil aids carb digestion & has synergistic energy effects consumed with carbs.

If your games are late arvo & your concerned if you don't have a decent breakfast then you'll be too Hungary,
then try not eating the breakfast feed til later on.
Upon rising, when you start till feel Hungary then have a black coffee with cream &/or MCT oil/coconut oil , not til after 9am if possible.
11.30-12 noon , rice bubbles/whey
1.30-1.45, black coffee/caffein tabs

From 2pm onwards you could sip on amino acids in 200-300ml of coconut oil diluted in 2litres of water.
Add lemon juice to mask the amino taste.

There's lots of other supps I could recommend which I'll be trialling during the piracy matches n games.

4pm games you can just push out everything by an hour an add another cup of coffee with fat to bridge the gap.
So coffee at 9am & 11-11.30, eat at 1.30-2pm n so on.

2.30 games I have a BP coffee @ 9ish pending work, another one 12ish without the butter but with Cocao powder, sip on aminos n coconut water from 1.30 onwards n a caffein tab around then too.
Upon rising & leading upto the game I'll Also ingest a few supps that support mitochondria & stamina, buffer lactic acid & prevent fatigue.

All this boosts my performance from 5 possessions a week to 6!

 

[saj_21]

Good attitude!
Try Rinsing a sugar drink in your mouth n spiriting it out before n during the game/exercise ,it may give you the same effect as consuming it.
Some suggest The sweet taste triggers the brain to act the same way as if you've consumed it, a popular practice amongst cyclists ATM.
Maybe that's why the have two drink bottles in the AFL, one is powerade which the players uses to rinse mouth with then chases it water.
Makes sense if you can get the energy benefits of sugar with out the heavy load of digesting 100 or so grams of sugar while playing which can cause bloating, sluggishness etc...

Thanks, my club provides a big cooler full of powerade so that should be easy enough to try.

I was thinking about your original post last night, maybe why i am so sluggish is because my body is using energy to digest all the food whilst i'm telling it to run, tackle, kick, tackle!

 

[saj_21]

So on the weekend i tried eating less, basically.

Woke up around 7;30am, around 8:30am i had half scoop of supergreens with a slice of toast smothered in peanut butter and a banana.
Around 11:30am i had another slice of toast covered in avocado and 2 eggs.
Sipped on BCAA's with another half scoop of supergreens in between

I didn't feel as sluggish (a 5min drive to the game vs 2 hours alsp helped), was a bit hungry and there was a dam BBQ going on right near the room and its all i could smell before the game. Will add in some more food next weekend and see how i feel.

 

[evo]

So on the weekend i tried eating less, basically.

Woke up around 7;30am, around 8:30am i had half scoop of supergreens with a slice of toast smothered in peanut butter and a banana.
Around 11:30am i had another slice of toast covered in avocado and 2 eggs.
Sipped on BCAA's with another half scoop of supergreens in between

I didn't feel as sluggish (a 5min drive to the game vs 2 hours alsp helped), was a bit hungry and there was a dam BBQ going on right near the room and its all i could smell before the game. Will add in some more food next weekend and see how i feel.

have a strong coffee or a couple of no-doze mate

 

[saj_21]

have a strong coffee or a couple of no-doze mate

I hate coffee, i've tried caffeine pills before but didn't feel any different. Caffeine doesn't give me a buzz at all really, i could drink a can of coke before bed and fall asleep in 5 minutes.

 

[ablett]

So on the weekend i tried eating less, basically.

Woke up around 7;30am, around 8:30am i had half scoop of supergreens with a slice of toast smothered in peanut butter and a banana.
Around 11:30am i had another slice of toast covered in avocado and 2 eggs.
Sipped on BCAA's with another half scoop of supergreens in between

I didn't feel as sluggish (a 5min drive to the game vs 2 hours alsp helped), was a bit hungry and there was a dam BBQ going on right near the room and its all i could smell before the game. Will add in some more food next weekend and see how i feel.

Add in more food, I'd have less, hunger is a good thing pre game.

Remember fat digests at the rate of 10g per hour hence it's ideal to eat the fat as early as possible , MCT oil being the exception that can be costumed upto 30 minutes prior.


This is what I experimented with prior to Saturdays practise match which started at 3.30.
9am- 40gram unflavoured WPC in water
11.30am- BP coffee , 100mg q-10 pill.
2pm- beetroot juice sports shot( for its nitrate content)
2.30pm- 10gEEA's + 3G taurine in 300ml coconut water
3pm - caffein pill 200mg

Played on a wing all game n got thru pretty good.

 

[saj_21]

Add in more food, I'd have less, hunger is a good thing pre game.

Remember fat digests at the rate of 10g per hour hence it's ideal to eat the fat as early as possible , MCT oil being the exception that can be costumed upto 30 minutes prior.


This is what I experimented with prior to Saturdays practise match which started at 3.30.
9am- 40gram unflavoured WPC in water
11.30am- BP coffee , 100mg q-10 pill.
2pm- beetroot juice sports shot( for its nitrate content)
2.30pm- 10gEEA's + 3G taurine in 300ml coconut water
3pm - caffein pill 200mg

Played on a wing all game n got thru pretty good.

If i remove any more food, i'm almost eating nothing. I don't like coffee, so won't be having a BP coffee. Another practice game this weekend, so will try adding a little more food which means i tried 3 different amounts of food intake pre game and will see what works well.

Can you elaborate why pre game hunger is a good thing?

 

[ablett]

If i remove any more food, i'm almost eating nothing. I don't like coffee, so won't be having a BP coffee. Another practice game this weekend, so will try adding a little more food which means i tried 3 different amounts of food intake pre game and will see what works well.

Can you elaborate why pre game hunger is a good thing?

Replace coffee with Cocao powder or tea?

Hunger releases HGH & when you compete on an empty stomach you release adrenaline, food blunts this.
The key is learning how to manipulate your hormones to enhance performance not hinder hit, too much insulin spiking from carbs leading up to your game causes blood sugar issues that could hinder your performance, cause sluggishness which could be symptoms of a crash in insulin levels so your body craves more sugar to raise insulin levels again.
During sport you want to keep insulin levels low , cos insulin blunts hgh& adrenaline release, & tap into fat stores for energy .
If glycogen stores are adequate then your body has them as a back up so it can use fat stores for fuel.
Caffein pre activity protects glycogen stores as does certain amino acids.

You seem to think the more food you eat pre-game the more energy you'll have.
The more you eat the more taxing it is on your digestive system.


Eggs, bread & peanut butter are not ideal pre-game foods, too slowly digested, pre-game you want foods that are light & easily digested & quickly converted to energy.
Either have high carb or high fat, seems like you doing a bit of both.
If you've loaded glycogen stores the night before why do you need them again pre-game?
If you follow a Keto or low carb diet & consumed minimal if any carbs the night before then you would have carbs pre-game but even then fat is a better fuel source than carbs once you are fat adapted.
Your fat stores holds 10 times the amount of calories for energy than your glycogen stores so you would rather a tank with 100litres of fuel or 10litres?

 

[ablett]

I hate coffee, i've tried caffeine pills before but didn't feel any different. Caffeine doesn't give me a buzz at all really, i could drink a can of coke before bed and fall asleep in 5 minutes.

You may have adrenal issues, might pay to get your hormones checked , not responding to caffein can be a symptom.
Do you respond to any stimulants?

 

[Kram]

Wayne Carey said he always had a bowl of Coco Pops around 10am on gameday, I think he had a half decent career.

 

[ThePezDispenser]

I hate coffee, i've tried caffeine pills before but didn't feel any different. Caffeine doesn't give me a buzz at all really, i could drink a can of coke before bed and fall asleep in 5 minutes.

That's 40mg of caffeine - You'd be looking at 300-400mg come game day

 

[estibador]

Try Rinsing a sugar drink in your mouth n spiriting it out before n during the game/exercise ,it may give you the same effect as consuming it.
Some suggest The sweet taste triggers the brain to act the same way as if you've consumed it, a popular practice amongst cyclists ATM.
Maybe that's why the have two drink bottles in the AFL, one is powerade which the players uses to rinse mouth with then chases it water.

I've been wondering why AFL players often spit out the powerade like that!

I just figured they were being wasteful campaigners because they don't have to pay for it.

 

[saj_21]

That's 40mg of caffeine - You'd be looking at 300-400mg come game day

yeah that might do the trick