Fueling for the open:
If you’re competing this week you still have time to dial in your diet and perform to your best of your ability. Make an effort to make at least two of your meals healthy ones.
Healthy meal components: lean protein, vegetables, whole grains, and a glass of water!
Next, stay hydrated throughout the day. Especially if your workout is in the afternoon or evening, make sure that you are consuming enough fluids throughout the day. Chugging a bottle of water before the event after being dehydrated the night before, morning of or day of will not help your performance. So make sure to hydrate throughout the day or the night before if you compete early in the morning!
Eating for morning Open Workouts:
Start by initiating a small snack ~30 minutes before you workout. You want to focus on consuming 10-30 gm of carbohydrates depending on your size. This might look like one banana, a packet of oatmeal or a piece of bread. If you workout at 530am, try eating a snack immediately after waking up and then getting dressed for the gym to give yourself enough time to absorb the snack. Test this out in the mornings leading up to the Open to see if it helps improve energy and performance at workouts.
Eating for Open workouts at other times of the day:
Make sure that you are fueling yourself throughout the day with healthy meals (lean protein, whole grain, and vegetable). Try to have your last meal 2-3 hours before the workout. If you feel yourself getting hungry, add a carbohydrate-based snack an hour or so before the workout similar to what is suggested for early morning open workouts.
Quick tips for competitors:
Tip#1: Drink extra fluids the day before the Open. This will insure that you are well-hydrated while also giving the body ample time to excrete excess fluid.
Tip#2: Eat foods that you are familiar with eating the day of the Open. The day of the event is NOT the time to try a new snack food or play with your pre-workout eating times. Keep it consistent with what you have been doing the days leading up to the event so your body knows how to respond.
Good luck and have fun!!
Jacqueline Weiss – Registered Dietician – Everlasting Fitness