How to eat before a match.

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BexDun
BexDun Posts: 133 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey,

So I've been on a calorie deficit for a couple of months, but it's coming up to my first Rugby match of the season and I'm looking for some advice on how I should be eating to maximise energy.

I've been eating 1410kcl a day max and trying to eat more protein.

Should I increase this? And do I need to carb up?

At the moment I'm not too worried about losing weight, it would be a bonus if I could maintain some loss though. It's worth noting I also powerlift 2x a week.

Cheers

Replies

  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    I'm assuming you've been practicing this whole time? How did you eat before practices? I'd think you'd want a 200-300 calorie meal 2-3 hours before the match.
  • pondee629
    pondee629 Posts: 2,469 Member
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    Did you play last season? What did you do then? If it worked, repeat. If you didn't play last year, what, and when, do you eat before a workout? If that works, repeat. If you do, however, find a special elixir that provides maximum energy before a match, race, game or other event, please share it with the group. ;-)
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    rybo wrote: »
    I'm assuming you've been practicing this whole time? How did you eat before practices? I'd think you'd want a 200-300 calorie meal 2-3 hours before the match.

    ^This. Practice what you eat just like you practice for the match. Don't wait until game day to experiment.

    Good luck.
  • richardgavel
    richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
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    BexDun wrote: »
    Hey,

    So I've been on a calorie deficit for a couple of months, but it's coming up to my first Rugby match of the season and I'm looking for some advice on how I should be eating to maximise energy.

    I've been eating 1410kcl a day max and trying to eat more protein.

    Should I increase this? And do I need to carb up?

    At the moment I'm not too worried about losing weight, it would be a bonus if I could maintain some loss though. It's worth noting I also powerlift 2x a week.

    Cheers

    I would eat closer to maintenance close to the match, top off your gylcogen stores. Assuming match is in morning, eat light easily digestable carbs. Morning of a race (run and triathlon) I stick with bagel and Gatorade about an hour or two before start.
  • BexDun
    BexDun Posts: 133 Member
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    Thanks. I played last season, but we weren't in the league so only every now and then. I didn't really take any notice of how I ate and energy levels. As we're in the league and everything counts now, I've been doing everything I can to get ready.

    I've been in pre season training and just sticking to my kcl deficit. I don't really eat before training normally. Maybe if I'm hungry I'll grab a snack.
  • ttippie2000
    ttippie2000 Posts: 412 Member
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    In addition to race day nutrition, take two rest days right before the match. This helps with restoring glycogen stores in your liver. Your task during those days? Sleep 12 hours a day, stretch, walk and take it easy. Spend some time visualizing yourself performing at your best.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    ttippie2000 wrote: »
    In addition to race day nutrition, take two rest days right before the match. This helps with restoring glycogen stores in your liver. Your task during those days? Sleep 12 hours a day, stretch, walk and take it easy. Spend some time visualizing yourself performing at your best.

    how many people do you know who have nothing better to do than sleep 12 hours a day?!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    BexDun wrote: »
    Hey,

    So I've been on a calorie deficit for a couple of months, but it's coming up to my first Rugby match of the season and I'm looking for some advice on how I should be eating to maximise energy.

    I've been eating 1410kcl a day max and trying to eat more protein.

    Should I increase this? And do I need to carb up?

    At the moment I'm not too worried about losing weight, it would be a bonus if I could maintain some loss though. It's worth noting I also powerlift 2x a week.

    Cheers

    what are your stats? its VERY doubtful that 1410 is maintenance
  • BexDun
    BexDun Posts: 133 Member
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    what are your stats? its VERY doubtful that 1410 is maintenance

    1410 Is what I'm having on deficit. I don't actually know my maintainance (never calorie counted while maintaining weight) but I assume 1600/1700ish.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
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    I play a full contact sport that's super strenuous, and my go-to on bout days has become Chipotle. I get rice, beans and sofritas and just salsa and corn and a little cheese and lettuce and sometimes guac (insert "that's extra" joke). I eat half of it at least an hour before we do anything like the warmup, and I'm usually in the mood to dip into the rest at half time.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    BexDun wrote: »

    what are your stats? its VERY doubtful that 1410 is maintenance

    1410 Is what I'm having on deficit. I don't actually know my maintainance (never calorie counted while maintaining weight) but I assume 1600/1700ish.

    You can roughly calculate it based on how much weight you are losing on 1400 a day. If it's a pound a week, add 500 cals a day.

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