Competitions and Nutrition

abbyrae1

Hey Everyone!

I'm competing in a couple weeks in an individual all women throw down and I'm looking for advice on nutrition for the week of, day of, etc. and any other tips or tricks people have!

This will be the second competition I am participating in but it will be the first individual competition. I didn't do well last time with planning out my meals, partially due to how the event went (excessive amounts of lag time between WODs, there was only supposed to be about an hour, ended up being about 3 hrs between).

TIA

MoJokes

This is a good topic. I recently saw a video where Dan Bailey was asked what he does. He said he keeps it the same, he says why change my habit? these guys do a few WOD's a day so i guess a competition day is pretty similar with how the events are spread out.

cmay89

I find that upping my carbs a little bit helps me, but otherwise, everything else stays the same. If it changes too drastically prior to the event I feel ill.

Of course this is all what I would do if I don't get so nervous prior to the event that I don't want to eat a darn thing....

abbyrae1

Thanks for the input guys! I'm more so wondering about the day of also, I am planning on doing 2 a days about 3x per week until then, and then working out normal on the other days (full day off on sundays) but I'm curious about on the day of the competition. Anything specific work for you in the past? What to pack, etc.?

Last time I brought fruit, a ton of water, protein, recovery, etc. but didn't pack anything really heavy (thought the day was going to be done by 1pm so didn't see the need). So I'm wondering if I should maybe pack something that is more of a "meal" this time?

i'll look for that Dan Bailey vid too. Thanks!

MoJokes

Thanks for the input guys! I'm more so wondering about the day of also, I am planning on doing 2 a days about 3x per week until then, and then working out normal on the other days (full day off on sundays) but I'm curious about on the day of the competition. Anything specific work for you in the past? What to pack, etc.?

Last time I brought fruit, a ton of water, protein, recovery, etc. but didn't pack anything really heavy (thought the day was going to be done by 1pm so didn't see the need). So I'm wondering if I should maybe pack something that is more of a "meal" this time?

i'll look for that Dan Bailey vid too. Thanks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ld0I000WUk here it is. watch from 7 minutes

dirtybadgermtb

Hey Everyone!

I'm competing in a couple weeks in an individual all women throw down and I'm looking for advice on nutrition for the week of, day of, etc. and any other tips or tricks people have!

This will be the second competition I am participating in but it will be the first individual competition. I didn't do well last time with planning out my meals, partially due to how the event went (excessive amounts of lag time between WODs, there was only supposed to be about an hour, ended up being about 3 hrs between).

TIA

Having competed in a lot of competitions (Tough Mudders, long bike rides, triathlons, CrossFit comps, running races) and having made a lot of mistakes, the best advice that I can give is to not make any drastic changes to your diet, clothing or equipment in the days before or during the event. If you have a 6-8 weeks until the event and want to start a new nutrition plan, that is fine but if you are only a few weeks or days out, keep doing what you are doing.

On event day, stick with foods that you are familiar with but take lots of extra stuff. There are always longer delays during events than the organizers plan so having a real meal during the lag time is a big benefit. Also, even if you are typically a low carber, I highly recommend drinking traditional sports drinks immediately after the WODs to quickly replenish your carb stores. Also, something that I didn't expect was this overwhelming desire for something salty. Almonds wouldn't cut it. Pretzels would have been great but I ended up eating a snack size bag of Cheese-Its and it was the best thing I had all day. My body knew what it needed. Here was my comp day menu:

Breakfast:
Banana
Oats
Walnuts
Eggs
Honey
Greek Yogurt

Throughout comp:
2 bananas
Pistachios
Almonds
Turkey and cheese sandwich (I wish I too 2!)
Large bottle of Gatorade
Random sports recovery drink from on-site vendors
Grapes
Homemade Cliff style bars made with oats
Small bag of cheese its


I hope this helps!

abbyrae1

Thanks Vulcan!

bostonwolf

Thanks Vulcan, I will definitely have a sports drink or three with me when I compete in January.

MissXFit13

I ran into the same problem my first competition, because it lasts all day, and it's tough to figure out when to eat when you have 3-4 WODs lasting all day.

(disclaimer: I eat paleo)

First, the week leading up to the event, I eat carbs and protein pretty liberally. Especially carbs. I don't stuff myself or overeat, but I definitely allow myself to eat as much food as I want that week.

The morning of: breakfast of fat/protein. Bacon and eggs. Keeps me full for a long time.

Throughout the day, I bring some combinations of protein and carbs again, like hamburger, chicken breasts, pulled pork, and sweet potatoes or parsnips. Bananas or Lara bars as a snack for an instant sugar energy boost. Nothing that will rock my stomach, nothing out of the normal from my typical diet.

I also keep recovery drink options or protein powder on hand if I'm really not hungry but know I need something in my belly.

bostonwolf

I feel like my best bet is going to be to force myself to eat something after every WOD. The longer I have to digest the better off I will be.