2. Introduction – Eating Before
Sport
Food consumed before exercise is only
useful once it has been digested and
absorbed. These meals leading up to
exercise should contain carbohydrates,
energy and should include protein, vitamins
and minerals. Foods higher in fat, protein and
fibre tend to take longer to digest than other
foods, and may increase the risk of stomach
discomfort during exercise, and should
therefore not be consumed before exercise.
3. What to eat 3-4 hours before
sport
The following foods are suitable to eat 3-4 hours
before exercise:
• crumpets with jam or honey + flavoured milk
• baked potato + cottage cheese filling + glass of
milk
• baked beans on toast
• breakfast cereal with milk
• bread roll with cheese/meat filling + banana
• fruit salad with fruit-flavoured yoghurt
• pasta or rice with a sauce based on low-fat
ingredients (e.g. tomato, vegetables, lean meat)
4. What type of food to eat 1-2 hours
before exercise
The following snacks are suitable to eat 1-2 hours
before exercise:
• liquid meal supplement
• milk shake or fruit smoothie
• sports bars (check labels for carbohydrate and
protein content)
• breakfast cereal with milk
• cereal bars
• fruit-flavoured yoghurt
• fruit
5. What to eat 1 hour before
exercise
The following foods are suitable to eat if there is
less than 1 hour before exercise:
• sports drink
• carbohydrate gel
• cordial
• sports bars
• jelly lollies
6. General Information
Recovery is a challenge for athletes
Muscle glycogen is the main fuel used by the body
during moderate and high intensity exercise.
Recovery encompasses a complex range of
processes that include;
• refueling the muscle and liver glycogen
(carbohydrate) stores
7. Introduction – Post sport
• replacing the fluid and electrolytes lost in
sweat
• manufacturing new muscle protein, red blood
cells and other cellular components as part of
the repair and adaptation process
• allowing the immune system to handle the
damage and challenges caused by the exercise
bout
8. Carbohydrates
• In the immediate post exercise period,
athletes are encouraged to consume a
carbohydrate rich snack or meal that provides
1-1.2 g of carbohydrate per kg body weight
within the first hour of finishing, as this is
when rates of glycogen synthesis are greatest.
– To fuel up for a race, 350-840 g per day for a 70kg
athlete of carbohydrates is ideal to ensure
adequate glycogen stores.
9. Fluids
• Research suggests that many athletes fail to
adequately drink sufficient volumes of fluid to
restore fluid balance.
• Athletes should aim to consume 125-150% of
their estimated fluid losses in the 4-6 hours
after exercise
• Fluid replacement alone will not guarantee re-
hydration after exercise.
10. Immunity and General Health
• In general, the immune system is suppressed
by intensive training
• Ensuring adequate carbohydrate stores before
exercise and consuming carbohydrate during
and/or after a prolonged or high-intensity
work-out has been shown to reduce the
disturbance to immune system markers
11. Food Supplements
• Many athletes fall into the trap of becoming
reliant on sports food supplements, believing
this to be the only and/or best way to meet
their recovery goals.
• Unless constrained by poor availability or lack
of time, athletes are best advised to favour
real food/fluid options that allow them to
meet recovery and other dietary goals
simultaneously.
