July 1, 2022
What to eat on Tournament Day
The world of nutrition can be mis leading and confusing when it comes to whats best to eat and drink, so let’s break it down for you
Written by Rose Johnston | Level 3 Personal Trainer and Nutritionist
What to eat and when to eat it : Tournament/Rally Edition
With the constant back and forth of rest and work during a tournament, your eating habits need to be able to compliment and support this.
The first thing to observe is that these are things to TRY.
All of our bodies are different and finding out what works for you is going to enable you can perform at your best on game day,
For example, we all know players who can eat right before a game and others who work best eating a couple of hours before
Here I’ve broken down what to do before, during and after a netball tournament,
Pre tournament
The night before a tournament make sure you’ve got a good balance of starchy carbs and protein in your dinner. The carbs will enable your muscles to be full of energy ready for the following day and the protein will be there to help those muscles repair as you go enabling maximum performance.
Starchy carbs are your pastas, rices, potatoes and breads.
Protein is your meats, fish, eggs, tofu.
But don’t forget to include some veggies and fruit where possible to keep the nutrients flowing as well,
Alongside this, in the days leading up to a match you want to be ensuring you’re drinking enough water to keep hydrated. You’re likely going to sweat more fluids than you can replace on the day so having a healthy hydration level before playing will mean muscles can perform at their best throughout.
EXAMPLE : Mild Chicken Curry with rice, Penne Pasta with vegetables and tomato sauce, Jacket Potatoes with Tuna and Sweetcorn
In the morning…
If you are someone who needs to eat well before a game, then aim for eating 2-3 hours before. If this isn’t possible, aim to eat a few extra carbs the night before and have a smaller size breakfast.
Starchy carbs provide us with long lasting energy. It releases slowly in the body and so is vital for long days of sprinting madly around a court.
Ideally you could have porridge, toast, bagels or cereals in the morning,
Throw in some peanut butter, greek yoghurt or eggs for a protein boost as well.
EXAMPLE : Cereal with Greek Yoghurt & Honey, Porridge Pots, 2 slices of toast with Jam
During the day..
Drinking plenty of water before, after and during your games is going to massively help your energy systems. Quite literally, it will keep everything lubricated. Sugary drinks are not absolutely necessary as you should get enough sugars/electrolytes from your food HOWEVER if you are someone who sweats a lot and is prone to cramp then it’s definitely worth keeping a Lucozade nearby.
You may also find eating consistently throughout the day isn’t for you and so your instant energy needs to come in the form of caffeinated drink.
Think of your starchy carbs as the marathon runner and the sugar and caffeine being your Usain Bolts. Both I’m sure you know you will need both of in a game of Netball.
But a combination of both will most likely be your true winner for long tournament days,
With all this in mind, here are some suggestions for snacks to take with you :
Granola bars
Protein Bars/Balls
Snickers/Mars bar
Bananas
Apples
Oranges (classic!)
Berries to snack on
Small sweets (Tangfastics 3-4 at a time)
You’ll want to keep your snacks light. If your body is busy giving it’s energy to your stomach to aid digesting a big meal then it’s not giving it to your muscles as you sprint off at the centre pass,
If you don’t fancy a whole granola bar, have half.
Or have 3-4 Tangfastics.
Or top up on water.
When is best to eat your snacks? Between games as close to finishing as possible to allow digestion time before you go again.
Post Tournament
Keep drinking water to replace the fluids lost through the day,
Recovery wise, as well a stretching, ramp up your protein after your tournament.
Most of us need a minimum of 100g of protein a day but we’re often around the 60-65g marker. To put this into perspective a chicken breast is 31g. Tracking your protein by reading the labels and making a note in your phone is a great place to start with this.
Protein shakes can definitely be used, food is certainly more ideal but sometimes after playing you just don’t fancy a big meal with lots of protein and so a shake is totally fine,
Protein will enable recovery to happen quicker and as a result you will also build your muscle power, strength and endurance
EXAMPLE : Paprika Chicken Breast with new potatoes and veggies, Spaghetti Bolognaise with Turkey Meatballs, Fish (not battered), and Chips with mushy peas
The most important lesson here is do go with what suits YOUR body best. Your body will tell you what it needs on the day so listen to it. It might also be worth taking note of what you ate and drank and when you felt at your best so that you can remember it for future games!
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