Because glucose is the preferred energy source for most exercise, a pre-exercise meal should include foods that are high in carbohydrates and easy to digest. This include foods such as pasta, fruits, breads, energy bars and drinks.
1 hour or less before competition
fresh fruit such as apples, watermelon, peaches, grapes, or oranges and/or
Energy gels
up to 1 1/2 cups of a sports drink.
2 to 3 hours before competition
fresh fruits
bread, bagels, pasta
yogurt
water
3 to 4 hours before competition
fresh fruit
bread, bagels
pasta with tomato sauce
baked potatoes
energy bar
cereal with milk
yogurt
toast/bread with a bit of peanut butter, lean meat, or cheese
water
The first thing your body needs is a nice fresh supply of amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and are used by your body for making muscles, hormones, neurotransmitters, bones and all sorts of other important things. Exercise depletes critical amino acids such as glutamine, valine, isoleucine and leucineâand the way you replenish your body's supply is with protein. That means meat, chicken, eggs, fish or whey protein powder (even soy protein powder, though I don't like that as much as whey).