It’s 7 o’clock in the morning, you are on your way to a tournament game, and you haven’t eaten anything yet. You’ve got 2 options - eat nothing or go through the drive-thru. Even though most drive-thrus are nutritional wastelands, you are still much better off grabbing something than eating nothing at all. So what’s the best choice you can make that will give you the energy you need to perform your best?
Pre-game hockey nutrition isn’t really that complicated.
You need complex carbohydrates - which you are getting from the whole grain bagel in this case - in order to keep your energy levels high throughout the game.
Getting in some fat and protein - either from peanut butter or some lean turkey breast slices - will help you feel full and recover more quickly once your game is done.
Getting your pre-game meal at the drive-thru isn’t something you should be doing everyday, but there are going to be times that it is your only option.
Ideally, I always tried to eat the exact meal before every game: a bowl of oatmeal, a banana and a couple of hard-boiled eggs. Not only is it a balanced meal from a nutritional perspective, but I really enjoyed it (in fact, I would even eat this breakfast in the late afternoon before a night game).
But when you are away at a tournament or running late, this type of home-cooked meal just isn’t realistic.
What do you eat for your pre-game meal? Do you try to eat the same thing every time like me or do you just have whatever you feel like on that day? Does it give you the energy you need to play your best on the ice or are you fading off in the third period?
Share what you are eating as your pre-game meal in the comment box below and I will let you know whether you are on track. Keep in mind that I am not a nutritionist - but I will be more than happy to ask the Total Female Hockey nutritionist experts, Cathy and Rita, to help me out with this one.
Post your pre-game meals below!
I’ll start us off with the meal I ate before every game in high school: 2 toaster waffles with peanut butter and jelly. Not the perfect choice in terms of nutrition, but I really liked it
~ Coach Kim
When figuring out pre-game nutrition, you always have to think of timing. The closer to game time the smaller the meal and the higher the carb content. If you only have one hour or less before your game your best bet will be fresh fruit. It is a nutrient dense source of carbs that is digested very quickly. Rule of thumb, experiment before practices. You are all different, so don’t expect that what worked for your friend will work for you!!
Wellness coach Rita Wyczynski
Recently I have begun enjoying a bowl of borscht and stale bread with a slight helping of mayonaise and ketchup.
When my team (PeeWee girls) have an early game in a tournament, I give them frozen yogurt tubes to eat while they dress (after warm-up and about 30min before the game starts). They are easy to transport, quick to eat, and provide a nice balance of protein and carbs. Peach and strawberry are the fav flavors.
Frozen yogurt tubes - that is a great idea! I am sure the girls love them. I will have to share that idea with my teams too - and give you full credit of course.
~ Coach Kim
I give my daughter a Cinch protein bar. Has a good amount of luceine (good for muscle), 10 grams of soy protein, and low glycemic index (gets into the blood slow and maintains blood sugars for even energy). Don’t have to refrigerate it, comes in three flavors so she doesn’t get bored, and natural ingredients.
I usually eat pasta, milk, and a fruit or veggie before a hockey game!