During sports, the body prefers to use carbohydrates for fuel. The foods that you eat should also be easy to digest so that the food can be converted to energy and sent to the muscles to use.
Eating the wrong types of food before games can cause stomach issues like bloating and nausea and can even cause you to feel tired in the game because the fuel was not easy to digest and is stuck in the gas tank (your stomach).
Foods That Can Hurt Your Athletic Performance
To perform at your best, you should try and avoid the following types of foods prior to games and practices:
- Fried Foods & Fast Food: Chicken nuggets, chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, fries, onion rings, hash browns, etc
- High Fat Foods: Burgers, Steak, Hot Dogs, Sausages, Bacon, Cheesy entrees, Pizza, Creamy Sauces & Dressings (alfredo & ranch), quesadillas, grilled cheese, Italian subs
- High Protein Foods: Large portions of meat/poultry/fish, protein bars, beef jerky
- Spicy Foods: Hot sauce, buffalo sauce, Mexican spiced foods, chili powder/pepper, paprika
- High Fiber Foods: High fiber cereals (Kashi), raw vegetables, salad greens, Quest Protein bars, beans/lentils
- Gas Forming Foods: Broccoli, brussels sprouts, garlic, onion, ginger, beans/lentils, cabbage, soda, and carbonated drinks
- Highly Processed Snack Foods: potato chips, Cheetos, cookies, cakes, donuts, ice cream, etc
Each of these food groups can create issues when you exercise or play a sport. Even “healthy” foods like protein bars or vegetables can cause problems if you eat them directly before practice or your next game. This is why it is important to not only eat the right foods but also eat at the right time.
Get Meal Kits Delivered For Your Sports Program
SportsGrub provides meal delivery services and catering for various student-athletic events. We provide gameday delivery services as well as catering for sports camps throughout the year. With our food ordering app, it is easy for coaches and athletic directories to quickly share the Sportsgrub menu with their team or campers. From there, athletes can get personalized meals delivered to them. We base our menu off of nutrition research so that your team has properly portioned meals that provide good macro and micro nutrients. For more information on SportsGrub and to get started with your first meal delivery, please contact our team or give us a call.
