Eating During Tournament Weeks

Everything you put into your body during the week leading up to a tournament can impact your energy levels and performance on the field. Please read through the dietary advice below from world champion ultimate player, Ben Wiggins. Here's a good pre-tourney diet that will get your body ready to perform at its peak all weekend.

Monday and Tuesday: Protein Loading

Why: Body cycles protein slower than other food constituents. Protein loading allows storage of long-term energy.

What to Eat: 3/4 meals per day, with at least one meal being primarily a main protein source, such as meat, eggs or tofu. Better if two meals focus on protein. Avoiding fat is nice, but no more necessary than any other day. Omelette for breakfast, chicken or fish for dinner will do it, as long as everything else is balanced.

When this will help: Throughout the weekend, but primarily after burning through daily reserves. Think "second-wind" on Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

Wednesday and Thursday: Vitamin Loading

Why: Body processes require vitamins to function. These cycle more quickly than protein, but can still be stockpiled during the week.

What to Eat: At least one large, complex salad each day. Focus here is on eating balanced meals that will allow intake of excess vitamins and minerals. Drink a smoothie. Balance the other food groups, make sure you get some protein, especially because you will likely be recovering from a practice or workout on three or four of these days. Steam, don't boil, your vegetables, and drink the juice. A Vitamin C pill isn't a bad idea. Garlic is amazing.

When this will help: Any injury or illness you pick up over the weekend needs to be fought off quickly, which your body is fully able to do given the right materials. Saturday night you body will heal as fast as you allow it to through what you eat on these days.

Thursday Night and Friday: Carbo Loading

Why: The levels of enzymes that use carbohydrates to make energy can be raised by intaking large carbohydrate meals, and this will also store energy in the short term in sugar form.

What to Eat: At least one full meal of a carbohydrates like bread, pasta or rice. The more "hippie" it is, the better, meaning go for whole-grain instead of bleached white. Keep balanced meals. Get more fluids to help digest and to hydrate. Keep hydrated, but don’t drink gallons and gallons of water solely. This throws your mineral/water balance out of whack just as much as losing all of your water. Be smart in where you stop for dinner on the car ride Friday!

When this will help: Your maximum stored energy will be on Saturday, and this might give you an extra boost in terms of energy usage.

Saturday Night: Recharge and Recovery

Eat 20g of protein within 30 minutes of the end of the last game. Your body needs these nutrients to recharge for Sunday. Eat a balanced meal for dinner. You need some of everything to maximize your recovery: minerals, vitamins, protein, carbs. A big plate of Mexican food gives a great mix of resources. Drink lots of water and sports drinks because hydration is a process.

Eat smart, play smart,

Coach Mallow

p.s. Remember that your Thursday night sleep is your Saturday energy, and your Friday night sleep is your Sunday energy.