Nutrition ( what & when to eat before a game)
WHAT AND WHEN YOU FEED YOUR CHILD BEFORE THE BIG GAME CAN AFFECT HIS PERFORMANCE
by Mark Jenkins
Not many kids care about whether they "eat right," but they do care about how well they perform on the playing field. And they may think that a special training meal is the key to stardom. IIf your child asks for special pregame menus, take the opportunity to give the kid a few nutrition lessons.
Lesson 1: An athlete's performance doesn't depend on some magic elixir swallowed just before the game. It depends upon his or her everyday nutritional intake and sensible eating practices just before exercise.
If young athletes are eating properly on a regular basis—and that means a balanced, carbohydrate-rich diet as recommended in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Guide Pyramid—they don't need extra protein, minerals, amino acids, or anything else.
Lesson 2: The purpose of the pregame meal is to add to the body's energy reserves and prevent hunger pangs—without causing an upset stomach. To supplement energy reserves, says Nancy Clark, a registered dietician and the author of Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook, the meal should be high in carbohydrates and low in fat and protein.
Protein is a poor source of immediate energy, and it contributes to dehydration. It should be a very small part of the pregame meal. Fatty foods take longer to digest than other foods and can cause stomachaches during a game.
Lesson 3: The timing of the meal is as important as the menu. Clark recommends that young athletes eat a small meal about two or three hours before strenuous exercise. Kids who are hungry before game time can eat a snack. Try rice cakes, crackers, low-fat yogurt, fruit, or a dry bagel.
After the game, kids should continue to eat plenty of high-carbohydrate foods to replace depleted energy sources. Liquid carbohydrate sources, such as juices, are handy and tasty right after the game. They also help avoid dehydration.
Lesson 4: What kids drink immediately before, during, and after a game is as important as what they eat. Stress to your children that they need to drink fluids even when they aren't thirsty.
Young athletes should drink a glass or two of water five to 10 minutes before exercise and at least one glass every 20 minutes during exercise. Organizers of all-day meets should schedule regular water breaks. Parents can make sure their child takes a big bottle of water to games and practices.
After exercise, athletes should drink at least two cups of fluids for each pound of weight lost during the activity. You might even want to weigh your child before and after games to figure out how much he or she has lost.
WHAT TO EAT
Here are three good meals to give kids two to three hours before the game:
·        A cup of soup; a slice of lean turkey or chicken breast on a bagel or whole-grain bread; a piece of fruit; juice, water, or milk
·        One to two slices of thick-crust pizza, with little or no meat; a low-fat cookie; juice, water, or milk
·        Spaghetti with tomato sauce, little or no meat, and a roll; angel food cake with fruit or preserves; juice, water, or milk
WHEN TO EAT
Try to schedule your children's pregame meals so that the food is fully digested by game time. Here are some guidelines to follow, when possible:
·        Allow three to four hours for a large meal to be digested.
·        Allow two to three hours for a small meal (fewer than 500 calories).
·        Allow one to two hours for a blended or liquid meal.
·        Allow less than one hour for a light snack (a piece of fruit or small bowl of cereal).
from Sports Parents magazine, May 1996

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