By now most popular winter team sports such as soccer, netball & rugby are in full swing! Typically game day is either on a Saturday or Sunday and depending upon age group, games are played early or mid-morning. From a sports nutrition perspective, this makes breakfast a very important opportunity to fuel the body with energy ready for the game!
Four key things to consider when selecting an ideal game day breakfast:
- Aim for breakfast to be eaten approximately 1-2 hours before the game
- Base it on nutritious carbohydrate rich foods such as bread, cereal, fruit, milk etc, keeping it lower in protein, fat and fibre as these take longer to digest and may cause stomach discomfort
- If on game day, excitement & nerves start to affect appetite, it may be best to trial a liquid breakfast option such as a fruit smoothie. Try to avoid a “no breakfast”, even if it is means eating a piece of fresh fruit. The aim to prevent energy levels dropping during the game.
- Include water! Start hydrating as soon as the day starts, not just before & during the game.
So, to get the most out of game day, focus on giving active kids a breakfast of champions!
All the best for the season 🙂
Other great articles on Sports Nutrition:
- Nutrition for Netball – Fuel for training, game day & health.
- 3 Essential Sports Nutrition tips when preparing for a Triathlon
