Pale yellow to clear likely means hydrated, but urine that is apple juice colored are darker means get to hydrating. All athletes should continually be sipping on fluids leading up to a game or event, but a dark urine color indicates the need to drink more.

If your athletes need an extra boost of energy, try fruit, a granola bar, or some crackers with another ounces of water or sports drink to top off their energy tank! Encourage your young athlete to prioritize hydration by drinking water regularly throughout the day, considering electrolyte-rich beverages like sports drinks or electrolyte additions to water as they get closer to the sporting event.

By emphasizing the importance of hydration and incorporating these simple tips, you can help ensure that your young athlete starts the competition well-hydrated and ready to perform at their best. Follow these meal timing guidelines and hydration tips, and you set your young athletes up to be well-fueled and ready to give their best performance.

Skip to content — Uncategorized —. Previous Post 10 Snacks to Fuel After School Practice. One to three hours after a game, athletes should eat a balanced meal that contains carbohydrates, protein, vegetables or a fruit. This helps with muscle recovery and replenishes energy stores after exercise.

Athletes headed into a long tournament, which can include multiple games over one or two days, need to make meal planning a priority. Pack plenty of healthy, balanced snacks to consume between games. Aim for a combination of protein, carbs and fluid to stay optimally fueled.

The dietitians at Children's Health Andrews Institute can help athletes reach peak performance through meal planning before, during and after game day — and all season long. Learn more about our wide-range of orthopedic and sports performance services available to help athletes improve their game.

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Sign up for Performance Playbook, the monthly newsletter from Children's Health Andrews Institute. X Facebook Linked In Email. Learn how to develop a game day meal plan that works best for you. Game day meal plan guidelines Test your meal plan ahead of game day.

Every athlete is unique and tolerates foods differently. Experiment with pre-sport meals and snacks ahead of game day to find out what makes you feel best. The day of competition is never the time to try something new. Learn what foods to avoid. Depending on your body's preferences and the type of sport you play, it may help to avoid dairy, high-fat or high-fiber foods on game day.

There is nothing bad about those nutrients, but during exercise, blood is diverted away from the digestive tract to the working muscles, making it harder to digest high-fiber, high-fat meals.

Remember to leave at least 3 hours before game time. The rice will be perfectly cooked and seasoned while the chicken is juicy and delicious. A quick and easy meal to fuel your performance! Connect with Seanna!

Website: www. Seanna Thomas is a Nutrition Consultant, Mom to 3 active kids, and founder of Hockey Snacks Inc. Seanna focuses on whole foods with a spotlight on creating realistic healthy habits. She can be found on Facebook , Instagram , and seannathomas. In her downtime, she enjoys being outdoors with her family and relaxing at home with her husband and a well-deserved glass of wine and maybe watching a hockey game.

Tag s : Home Features Home. Ontario Minor Hockey Association. More nutrition tips: Carb-Loading - What's the Deal? Smoothies: Your New Secret Weapon The Best Hydration Options for Recovery and Growth.

On gameday, your body needs energy that it can easily burn and convert into energy. That means you need complex carbohydrates , which use glycogen to fuel explosive and high-intensity movements like sprinting. Complex carbohydrates also delay fatigue by helping your body regulate energy release over a full game.

For stamina, your body also needs access to slower-burning fuel. That means you should be eating healthy natural fats for your body to use as energy over longer periods of time, like a 60 or 90 minute soccer game.

But for athletes, the 24 hours before a game are especially crucial. Anything you eat during this time will directly impact the way you feel, and the way you play.

Avoid processed foods, get lots of carbs and of course hydrate like crazy. Dinner the night before a game is the most important meal during these 24 hours.

This meal should be full of carbohydrates and lean protein, and should be easy to digest. One great idea are these amazing salmon and veggie rice bowls , which are easy to tweak and absolutely loaded up with vegetables.

A few other killer recipes that can boost recovery and optimize muscle gains can be found here , courtesy of FourFourTwo magazine. I can testify to the tastiness of the first recipe pesto pasta with chicken, asparagus and peas , and am keen to try the rest soon!

You want to find that perfect balance where you eat enough to be full of energy, but not so much that you feel heavy or bloated. Generally speaking, though, you want to eat your last meal hours before a game. Look for fast-burning carbohydrates, and avoid the fats and fibers that make you feel sluggish because they take so long to digest.

For a game earlier in the day, your pregame meal could be a simple avocado toast , served with an egg scramble with lots of veggies! and a side of fresh fruit. This breakfast is chock full of carbohydrates, healthy fats, and all the vitamins and minerals you need to dominate on the field.

Another option and one of my very favorites is to start experimenting with the perfect smoothie. By following a smart meal schedule, you can provide them with the energy they need to excel.

This is the time for a satisfying meal! Encourage your young athlete to enjoy a larger meal that includes protein-rich foods such as meats like beef or chicken, along with complex carbohydrates from sources like pasta, rice, and bread. This combination provides long-lasting energy and important nutrients to keep them going strong.

Beef jerky and a banana, peanut butter crackers, cheese with whole grain crackers and fruit, or a protein bar and fruit are all fantastic options for a boost of nutrients and energy. At this point, have athletes check their urine color to assess their hydration status.

Pale yellow to clear likely means hydrated, but urine that is apple juice colored are darker means get to hydrating. All athletes should continually be sipping on fluids leading up to a game or event, but a dark urine color indicates the need to drink more.

Basically eating a pre-event meal gives energy, prevents fatigue, decreases hunger pains, and provides hydration to the body. In combination with the pre-event meal, all athletes should properly hydrate their bodies with water several hours before the competition begins and continue through out the competition.

Below you will find the basics of pre-event meals. The post-event meal is important for any athlete after competition. This meal helps replenish glycogen energy stores and electrolyte imbalances.

The basic goal for the post-event meal is to refuel the muscles and prepare for the next competition or practice. Doing this will decrease the chances of muscle fatigue and performance. We do this by restricting the number of patients in our clinics and strictly abiding by all CDC recommendations.

The offering of these services is dependent on your insurance.

The sooner you refuel, the better! Electrolytes are essential minerals that your body needs to stay hydrated before, during, and after exercise.

But they do more than that. Adding an electrolyte supplement to your drink throughout the day will keep you in check.

Adding lemon and a bit of sea salt to your drink will do the trick as well! Need to find a sports nutritionist for designing your game day nutrition plan? Reach out to a physical therapy clinic near you to get a local recommendation and find the help you need!

Right Timing — Before the Game Aim to have a snack or a small meal 1 to 3 hours before your game. Recommendations for what to eat before a game or workout: Oatmeal with berries Balanced energy bar A banana, an apple or other fresh fruit Yogurt A fruit smoothie A whole-grain bagel or crackers Granola bar A peanut butter and apple sandwich Avoid High-fiber foods — broccoli, baked beans, bran cereal High-fat foods — eggs, meat, cheese Sugar, soda, candy New foods What to Eat During the Game As mentioned before, having food during exercise may result in stomach cramps.

Replace fluids according to thirst and weather Consume Drink oz. per hour for workouts longer than 1 hour Sports drinks — for activity longer than 1 hour Watermelon and orange slices are good for halftime Avoid High-sugar snacks and drinks — candy, soda, fruit juice Energy drink, caffeine Refined carbs — bread, pasta Sugar and caffeine may upset the stomach leading to lower performance What to Eat After a Game or Workout: The most important meal on game day is what you eat after your game or workout.

Read our article on carb loading: Post Views: 42, RECENT NEWS. UPPER BODY Back Arm Elbow Hand Head Neck Shoulder Wrist. LOWER BODY Ankle Foot Hip Knee Leg. Previous Post PT News February Next Post Ice vs. Heat When in Pain. Home Injury Center About Physical Therapy Resources Careers Contact Us.

Encourage your young athlete to enjoy a larger meal that includes protein-rich foods such as meats like beef or chicken, along with complex carbohydrates from sources like pasta, rice, and bread.

This combination provides long-lasting energy and important nutrients to keep them going strong. Beef jerky and a banana, peanut butter crackers, cheese with whole grain crackers and fruit, or a protein bar and fruit are all fantastic options for a boost of nutrients and energy.

At this point, have athletes check their urine color to assess their hydration status. Pale yellow to clear likely means hydrated, but urine that is apple juice colored are darker means get to hydrating.

All athletes should continually be sipping on fluids leading up to a game or event, but a dark urine color indicates the need to drink more. If your athletes need an extra boost of energy, try fruit, a granola bar, or some crackers with another ounces of water or sports drink to top off their energy tank!

Encourage your young athlete to prioritize hydration by drinking water regularly throughout the day, considering electrolyte-rich beverages like sports drinks or electrolyte additions to water as they get closer to the sporting event.

By emphasizing the importance of hydration and incorporating these simple tips, you can help ensure that your young athlete starts the competition well-hydrated and ready to perform at their best.

Follow these meal timing guidelines and hydration tips, and you set your young athletes up to be well-fueled and ready to give their best performance. Skip to content — Uncategorized —. Previous Post 10 Snacks to Fuel After School Practice. Next Post Fuel Your Endurance Training to the Finish Line!