Competition Day

It is particularly important that athletes avoid doing anything they are unaccustomed to doing, or eating anything they are unaccustomed to eating, on the day of an event. Athletes should have a checklist prepared of what is needed and where it is. Competition day is not the time for running around the house screaming, “Where did I put my running shoes!” Leave nothing to chance, and have a backup plan for everything that might go awry (e.g., transportation).

Eating and drinking appropriately on competition day is important, so make certain you have the right foods and drinks immediately available (don't leave it to chance). Take charge of knowing what you need, and take charge of getting it. Imagine drinking sports beverage X during practice all year, then getting up the morning of the competition to discover that your spouse couldn't find sports beverage X at the store, so he bought sports beverage Y instead. Avoid being put in any situation that will cause you stress on competition day.

Early-Morning Competition If the competition is early in the morning, you should get out of bed 2 to 3 hours beforehand. If you have difficulty getting up early in the morning, pra tice it for several days before the competition. Give yourself enough time to eat some carbohydrates, drink some fluids, and get to the competition. Finish eating at least 1.5 hours before the start of your competition (assuming you are eating mainly starchy carbohydrates). Different athletes process foods differently, so knowing the best time differential between eating and the competition is important. Some athletes feel best when they finish eating 2 hours before competition, while others feel best finishing 3 hours before an event. Each athlete should know what works for him or her. The athlete should make whatever minor adjustments are needed if he or she eats with a team; make certain everything is right for you! After eating, maintain a sipping protocol on sports beverages for the entire time leading up to the competition. The athlete should not be placed in a position of feeling rushed. When that happens, the food inevitably gets the short end of what should be done, and the athlete suffers, either through poor endurance or GI distress, during the entire competition.

Late-Morning or Early-Afternoon Competition People often feel tired and hungry in the late morning and early afternoon because the food they ate for breakfast has stopped providing energy by this time. Therefore, it's important for athletes to eat something every 2.5 to 3.5 hours. For an 11:00 a.m. competition, wake up and have breakfast at 6:30 a.m., and eat again at 9:00 a.m. After the 9:00 a.m. meal, initiate your constant fluid-sipping protocol until competition time. For an early-afternoon competition (at 1:00 p.m.), have your last meal at 10:30 a.m., then begin your fluid-sipping protocol. Going into competition hungry is a sure formula for failure.

Midafternoon or Early-Evening Competition It's difficult to compete in the mid afternoon or early evening, especially if it's an outdoor sport and it's hot. Athletes typically go off schedule with a midafternoon competition. The best thing to do is spend the morning eating and drinking as usual (breakfast, midmorning snack, lunch), and then begin the countdown to the competition by having some starchy carbohydrates (e.g., a banana, toast, or crackers) and some fluids about 1.5 to 2.0 hours before the competition starts. The fluid-sipping protocol should then be initiated until competition time. The excitement of the competition can make athletes forget they've hungry. Therefore, it's a good idea to develop a well-rehearsed eating, snacking, and drinking schedule-and stick to it.

Late-Evening Competition The late evening is also a difficult time to compete; the body wants to sleep, but the competition is keeping it awake. Therefore, sleeping late and eating something every 2.5 to 3.0 hours will help keep your energy level up until it's time to compete. Keep checking your hydration state (urine should basically be clear). Remember that a successful late-evening competition is sweet and will help you get a good and restful night's sleep!