Fueling Your Body for Game Day

Abby Olmstead, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Nutrition plays a crucial role in sport performance, but it doesn’t have to be complicated! Fueling for competition can be possible anywhere with any budget, amount of prep time, or level of cooking skill. As a registered dietitian nutritionist, I help people meet their nutrition goals in a way that is accessible and manageable with their lifestyle. This includes working with athletes on increasing nutrition quality and making sure they are getting the proper diet to maximize sport performance. Here are my top recommendations to help feel your best before and after the big game. 

Every Day
Preparation for game day starts with your everyday food choices. Ensure you are taking care of yourself during practice and training sessions by eating enough food, and making sure you are getting a good balance of different food groups. Aim for about 55-60% carbs, 15-20% protein, and 20-30% fat in your diet. MyPlate is a good guide! Protein is getting a lot of hype these days, but don't go crazy on protein. To make sure you're getting enough for muscle building and repair, aim for around 1.2-1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight (remember, 1 kg = 2.2 lbs). Try to cap it at around 30 grams per meal. Variety in micronutrients is important, try to eat a rainbow! Different fruits and veggies have different vitamins and minerals which show in their color.

Hydration is key! Drink up, around 60-80 ounces of fluid daily. Remember hydration can be more than just water. Electrolytes, coconut water, milk, or juice all count!

The Night Before/Morning Of
Focus on keeping  it balanced! Evenly distribute your meal into thirds: ⅓ carbs, ⅓ protein , ⅓ fruits/veggies, with around a golf-ball-sized amount of fat. The night before an away game can be especially challenging with limited options. During travel games, packing snacks can be a game changer to fill nutrition gaps. Remember fast food can be balanced too!

The last thing anyone needs before a big game is an upset stomach. Stick with familiar foods to avoid any potential negative symptoms.

Before the Game
When you are 30-60 minutes before the main event, load up on easily digestible, simple carbs for quick energy. Think crackers, pretzels, granola bars, or low-fiber fruits like bananas, grapes, or applesauce. Also, remember that bananas are also an awesome source of potassium, which helps prevent muscle cramps!

Recovery Time
You might realize it, but after the game is nearly as important as before! Help your body recover with what you eat. Refuel with a mix of carbs and protein. Carbs refill your energy, and protein helps repair muscles, reduce soreness, and build strength. Also, fun fact: chocolate milk is a superstar recovery drink!

​By consistently utilizing these food and hydration strategies, athletes can not only perform at their best, but recover quickly and support overall well-being. Always keep in mind good nutrition isn’t just something that happens on game day, but every day in between!

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Abby Olmstead

Author Abby Olmstead, MS, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist focusing on developing healthy relationships with food, improving overall wellness through nutrition, management of food intolerances and allergies, eating disorder treatment, gut health, and more. She works with adults, children (age 5+), and families to help create the best possible health outcomes for each individual person. 

Abby is a Health at Every Size (HAES) advocate, utilizing Intuitive Eating and positive nutrition models to improve nutritional health without fear, shame, or judgement. She is a believer that “all foods fit”, and passionate about helping people increase confidence with food choices, improve body image, and reestablish a connection with food as a part of culture and social interrelation.