Proper nutrition and hydration before practices or games are crucial to performing well and recovering properly. I have adapted a nutrition schedule from the book "Feeding the Young Athlete: Sports Nutrition Made Easy for Players, Parents and Coaches" by Cynthia Lair with Scott Murdoch, Ph.D, RD for practices, games and tournaments.
This food and hydration timetable is a basic schedule for meal times and adequate hydration. It is not a strict timetable and can be adjusted according to the game time (eg. for early morning games/late games) and your body’s response to food before and after exercise; however, it is crucial that you fill your body with nutritious foods before and after games for optimal performance and recovery. This timetable can also be used for practice days.
Here are foods you should avoid on game days:
Hamburgers/cheeseburgers
Pastries
Fried foods (fried chicken, french fries, etc.)
Ice cream
Pizza with lots of cheese
These foods contain high amounts of fat and/or sugar and should generally be avoided on heavy practice and game days. Your body does not metabolize these foods quickly enough to produce sufficient energy, and the foods only give an initial burst of energy, leaving athletes lethargic and sluggish after the 1st or 2nd period.
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