By: Angie Loriso Approximately 3-4 hours before an athlete competes, exercises, or trains they should consume a carbohydrate (CHO) rich meal. This meal plays an important role in fine-tuning the athlete’s preparation, comfort, and confidence for their activity. The goal is to fuel muscle energy stores that may be depleted from their last training session, prevent hunger while also avoiding gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort, and minimize psychological superstitions. The human body has a unique way of storing and utilizing glucose for energy, employing a combination of hormones and enzymes. CHOs are the body’s preferred source of energy. There are two categories of CHOs that athletes need to be aware of, high-glycemic CHOs (potatoes, white breads, fruit juices) and low-glycemic CHOs (oats, whole grains, legumes). High-glycemic CHOs are more quickly broken down, providing the body with quick energy whereas low-glycemic CHOs break down slower, gradually releasing glucose into the bloodstream. Researchers Wee and Williams (2005) conducted a study to compare the effect of a pre-exercise breakfast containing high- and low-glycemic CHOs on muscle glycogen metabolism, the breakdown of glycogen stores for energy. Seven runners either consumed a high- or low-glycemic meal containing 2.5 CHO/kg body mass 3 hours before exercise and then performed a series of running tests. The results of the study found that after consuming a high-glycemic meal participants had an easier time utilizing muscle glycogen stores, had a lower blood lactate concentration, and had a lower respiratory exchange rate when compared to their performance after consuming a low-glycemic meal. This demonstrates that by consuming a high-glycemic CHO meal (2.5g CHO/kg body mass) approximately 3 hours prior to activity an athlete is able to effectively build and utilize their glycogen stores to optimize performance. While all the above information is good to know it does not take away from the fact that fueling prior to activity is regularly overlooked by both athletes and coaches as they are often distracted by a myriad of other competition-related tasks. Additionally, competition time and location almost always vary from morning or evening and home or away, no two pre-competition activities are the same. Thus, it is imperative for coaches and athletes to plan ahead. An easy meal for an early competition with a short travel time may be eggs, pancakes, yogurt, and fruit. Whereas for an away competition a breakfast sandwich or oatmeal with fruit might be an easier option. For afternoon competitions deli meat sandwiches or wraps with fruit could be an option. While a bagel with cream cheese or peanut butter could be easier on a busier day. There are a variety of meals athletes and coaches can put together to ensure glycogen stores are stocked in the hours leading up to competition. It is best to experiment with different foods prior to big competitions to ensure no complications are endured. Regardless, 3-4 hours prior to competition it is imperative that athletes consume a high-glycemic CHO meal. For example, a 160lb (73kg) basketball player has a home game at noon on Saturday. For their pre-game meal at 9am they need 182g of CHO (73kg x 2.5g CHO = 182g). Therefore, the athlete may decide to eat 2 slices of sour dough bread (72g) with 2 tbsp of peanut butter (16g), a medium banana (26g), and 1 tbsp honey (24g) and 12oz of orange juice (44g). This equates to the recommended 182g CHO, providing the athlete with ample energy for their game. Burke, L., & Deakin, V. (2015). Clinical sports nutrition (5th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. Pp 346-376. Wee, S. L., Williams, C., Tsintzas, K., & Boobis, L. (2005). Ingestion of a high-glycemic index meal increases muscle glycogen storage at rest but augments its utilization during subsequent exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 99(2), 707–714. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.01261.2004
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April 2023
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