Competition Nutrition for a multiple event day

[Chris Tan]

Hi guys and girls,

What would you recommend nutrition wise for a multiple event day?

Breakfast - I was thinking balanced macros so eggs, sweet potato and something

Pre Wod 1 - pre workout shake

Post Wod - whey + carb shake

Pre Wod 2 - sugary fruit

Post Wod 2 / Lunch - Sushi Rice + some form of protein

Pre Wod 3 - sugary fruit

Post Wod 3+4 - whey + carb shake

Pre Wod 5 - sugary fruit

Does that look okay? Any tips or suggestions? I like the idea of sushi, but I'm wary of taking in anything with fat, as it will slow the absorbtion of the protein / carbs. Do you have any protein source that will go well with the sushi rice?

Thanks

[Darryl Shaw]

Reduce your training volume and intensity in the week leading up to the competition and increase your carbohydrate intake to maximise glycogen stores. That means sticking to light workouts, technique work, and stretching, and eating plenty of rice, pasta, bread and potatoes, and all the fruit you can eat.

Make sure you get up early enough on the big day so you can have a good high-carb low-fat breakfast at least three hours before your first event. Then make sure you have plenty of small easily digested high-carb meals and snacks on hand to keep you fuelled during the day.

If you can you should try out your competition day diet a few times beforehand, as you don't want to risk going into an event with an upset stomach. And don't be afraid to use sports drinks and bars if you do find solid food causes you gastric distress during exercise. Just don't try anything new on the big day unless you want to risk having a Paula Radcliffe moment .

AIS Sports Nutrition Factsheet: Nutritional Preparation for Tournaments and Multiple Heat Competitions.

*All links WFS*

[David Meverden]

Do you have more details? Like how spread out the events will be? And you mentioned it's a multiple day event, but then your list of 5 events seem to all be on the same day.

If 5 workouts are spread out over one regular day then it's unlikely you will want to or be able to eat as often as you listed above. No harm in packing lots of food, but don't be surprised if you only get down 1/4 of a shake in between two of the closer event. Unless things are really spread out you'll spend so much time warming up, busting your ***, then on an adrenaline kick that your digestive system won't be doing a whole lot.

For both strongman and crossfit competitions I end up not eating much all day (especially if the events are on the short end, like all strongman events are). I like chocolate milk and will also keep things like gatorade, bananas, peanut butter crackers, and protein powder around, and I'll force myself to snack throughout the day, but that's about it. I will drink tons of water though, like 1.5-2 gallons throughout the day.

If they do give you a solid dependable lunch break (2+ hours) then get away from the competition area, do what you have to to relax and calm down, and eat an easily digested, not too large, lunch (for example,sweet potato or rice for carb, lunch meat or something for protein). After you're done for the day eat a really big dinner with lots of carbs and some protein if there are events the next day.

[Chris Mason]

Eat foods that are a part of your normal diet. Plenty of quickly absorbed carbs. You are good to go.