With the right nutrition before training or competition, you can increase your achievements and peak performance. It's important to provide your body with sufficient energy and fluids and avoid digestive problems. Food is like gasoline for a car. Without fuel, a Ferrari won't go far or fast.
For intense performance, the body prefers carbohydrates as an energy source. You can find them in pasta, rice, potatoes, bread, but also in bars, pastries, sweetened dairy products, and fruit.
3-5 hours before: your last main meal
Your last main meal should be easily digestible, high in carbohydrates, low in fat and fiber, and low in protein.
Here are a few recipe ideas:
Pasta with tomato sauce and cheese
Mashed potatoes with shredded meat (chicken or tofu) in a light sauce, a few steamed vegetables
Sandwich with wholemeal or semi-white bread, cream cheese or ham, and a little butter
Breakfast cereal with milk or yogurt and some fruit
Bread with a little butter and jam/honey, with a milk-based drink
1-2 hours before: your last snack
Your last snack should be easily digestible and high in carbohydrates. It's important to drink plenty of fluids.
Here are a few ideas:
Small sandwich with white bread and a low-fat filling
Bread with jam/honey and a little butter
Ripe banana (dark yellow with brown spots)
Sports bar
Sports drink, water: drink approximately 500 ml per hour depending on your needs and tolerance.
Tip: In the hour before training or competition, eat only small amounts and in small portions, and drink regularly and in small sips.
The right timing is crucial.
To ensure that energy reaches the muscles at the right time, you need to know how long digestion takes. High-fat foods, as well as healthy meals rich in dietary fiber, such as salads, vegetables, whole grain products, seeds, and nuts, are digested slowly and can lead to digestive problems such as bloating, fullness, and diarrhea during exercise. Low-fat dairy products are considered easy to digest. If you don't tolerate lactose well, you can switch to lactose-free products.
Test your tolerance
You also need to consider your individual tolerance. Therefore, try different options to find your optimal nutritional strategy. And especially important: no experiments on competition day, because that can literally backfire.
Nerves and intestinal problems before competitions?
Are you particularly nervous during competitions and your intestines are acting up? Then try eating a low-fiber, high-carbohydrate diet the day before. Fill your plate with 50% carbohydrates like pasta, rice, potatoes, or white bread, along with some lean protein like cottage cheese, low-fat yogurt, chicken, fish, or tofu, and a few cooked vegetables. For snacks, try white bread with cream cheese, cornflakes with milk, rice cakes, etc. Small bites eaten regularly and chewed thoroughly are often sufficient. It can also help to drink sports drinks instead of water, as these provide easily digestible energy.
