Ask a Dietitian

As seen on BCTV December 14/99

To be adequately fueled for a hockey game, keep the following thoughts in mind:

• Pay attention to the timing of your meals to be adequately fueled:
  – allow 3-4 hours for a large, dinner size meal to be turned into energy before the start of your game
  – allow 2-3 hours for a lunch size meal
  – allow 1-2 hours for a small snack or light meal such as an energy bar, fruit shake or yogurt
• To stay well hydrated, drink 2-3 cups of water 2-3 hours before your game. During the game, drink about 1/4 cup of water every 15-20 minutes and drink at least 2 cups afterwards.
• Sports drinks aren’t really necessary in any sports lasting less than 1 hour. If you use a sports drink, start consuming it after the first hour of exercise and continue at regular intervals of about 1/4 – 1/2 cup every 15-20 minutes.
• Carbohydrates are still important in a pre-exercise meal. However, bear in mind that rice, breads, cereals, vegetables and fruit in addition to simply pasta, are all carbohydrate sources. A good pre-exercise meal would be rice and a vegetable-chicken stirfry or pasta with a mostly vegetable sauce and about 3 oz of lean protein.
• Ensure you recover adequately by drinking at least 2 cups of water after exercise and eat at least 50-100 g of carbohydrate food with a lesser amount of protein within the first hour after exercise. Some good recovery foods are yogurt, a bagel with peanut butter, an energy bar or a big glass of real fruit juice and a handful of nuts.
• Talk to a registered dietitian/nutritionist before taking tool many so-called energy or weight-enhancing supplements.

Watch for the Eating for Energy segment every Tuesday on BCTV’s Noon News Hour!

Article written by Patricia Chuey and reprinted with permission