It is important to take care of your body leading up to and during a competition weekend. There are many variables contributing to your athlete's performance and recovery, and for the Union Cup this weekend, we can focus on three categories.
Make sure to get 10-11 hours of sleep each night leading up to the weekend. Naps can be a helpful way of catching up. If you have games scheduled early in the morning, try to be awake for at least 1.5 to 2 hours before competition. Therefore it is especially important to go to bed early the night before games.
It is not possible to completely hydrate 12-24 hours before the weekend. Your body needs to be used to drinking enough water. Including high quality electrolytes in meals leading up to the weekend is helpful for staying hydrated. Here are some examples of foods with high quality electrolytes:
- Naturally colored salts (sea salts, rock salts, pink and grey salts)
- Celery
- Beets
- Canned Tuna/Salmon
- Olives
- Pickles
- Potatoes & sweet potatoes
We've already touched on what kinds of foods can help maintain hydration along with water. However, it is important to make sure your body has high quality fuel to perform and recovery its best. For morning games, make sure to eat a good breakfast 1.5-2 hours before the game. Breakfast should be a good balance of Protein, Fat, and Carbohydrates all from whole, natural sources.
Post-game nutrition should be a whole meal, eaten as soon as possible, ideally between 30-60 minutes of the end of the game. On weekends with more than one game, this meal should serve as the primary fuel for the next game. If games are significantly spread apart, the next post-game meal should be eaten 1.5-2 hours before the game. Pregame and post-game meals, similar to breakfast, should include a good balance of whole and natural sources of Protein, Fat, and Carbohydrates.