| Time |
Action |
Why |
| Wake up |
Drink a glass of water |
Your body loses lots of water
whilst you sleep. |
| Two hours before a game |
Eat a carbohydrate based food
Drink glass of water |
Carbohydrates enable you to
access your energy stores. Your body can only hold so much
therefore you need to top it up. If you do not you will
simply ‘eat into’ your muscles.Eating 2 hours
before gives your body time to digest it so at match time
it is working for you, not against you. |
| 20-30 mins before a game |
Take a ‘still’
carbohydrate and protein based drink – no bubbles |
A fluid based carbohydrate
and protein drink will be rapidly absorbed and set you up
for the game. Bubbles give you gas – and many energy
drinks contain sugar. The sugar puts the body into storage
mode just when you want it to be releasing energy |
| During game |
Sip lots of water if you can |
Sips of water will be more
rapidly absorbed than great big gulps – and give you
less wind BUT if you have limited time then take lots on |
| Half time |
Drink still energy fluid |
Top up fluids and energy store
– mental as well as physical |
| At the end of the game –
within 30 minutes |
Drink a carbohydrate and protein
based drink in a weak solution of squash or dilute fruit
juice |
The 30-minute window after
a game is when your body can rapidly take on board replacement
nutrition. The carbohydrate give a quick top up, the protein
will help repair muscle damage and convert into lean muscle
mass not fat. |
| In the next two hours |
Eat a good balanced mealDrink
more water |
Have a good protein / carbohydrate
balanced meal to keep recovery mode going.Top up with a
protein bar |
| At bed time and during next
day |
Take anti-oxidants on board |
Anti-oxidants help the repair
process further – lots of berries, fruit and / or
take a good quality supplement |
