What to eat before a GAA football game?

benchgrinder

Just wondering what people generally eat before a football match. Last few games iv been out on my feet with 10 mins to go. Scrambled eggs or something alone those lines is what i normally eat before a game, protein more than anything.

celt262

For the last cavan match i 4 pints of heineken and a quarter pounder with cheese and chips.

I was thirsty as hell near the end of it.

wadacrack

benchgrinder wrote: »

Just wondering what people generally eat before a football match. Last few games iv been out on my feet with 10 mins to go. Scrambled eggs or something alone those lines is what i normally eat before a game, protein more than anything.

before playin a game? eat a carboyhydrate for energy and protein afterwards to recover. Some pasta 2 hours before a game would be good. Some fruit aswell bananas or apples

KevIRL

Hang sangwedges and a flask of tea, ideally eaten from the boot of a car

Lemlin

Not GAA related but since I was a nipper I remember Alan Shearer used to eat chicken and beans so that was my staple diet pre games!

homerjay2005

the more you eat before a game, the more energy your body takes to digest it....so be careful, less is more in this case.

depends on time of start, but for any games i play i focus on making sure the day before is where i eat best, will have some serial and maybe a sandwich the day of the game, but keep it simple. good rest and fitness is more important than eating a few hours before the game. i heard a great quote a few weeks back -

"if the head is light, so will your legs".

Mars Bar

Carbs for energy. Proper carbs as in Pasta.

Pasta and chicken approximately two hours before throw in is probably best.

Henno30

Carbs (complex) and protein no closer than 2 hours to game time. Porridge, pasta (wholewheat, not white!), chicken, apples are all good. You want to make sure your muscles are filled up with glycogen energy for what's ahead. You don't want to consume anything with too much fat within a few hours of a game as fat slows down your digestion and your muscles absorption of that energy. So does protein to some degree, so ideally meat should be consumed no closer than 3 hours to game time either.

Hydration is as important as nutrition, and most athletes are well below their ideal hydration levels most of the time. You should be aiming to drink at least 3 litres a day, every day. This isn't just something you do the day of a game.

premierstone

homerjay2005 wrote: »

the more you eat before a game, the more energy your body takes to digest it....so be careful, less is more in this case.

depends on time of start, but for any games i play i focus on making sure the day before is where i eat best, will have some serial and maybe a sandwich the day of the game, but keep it simple. good rest and fitness is more important than eating a few hours before the game. i heard a great quote a few weeks back -

"if the head is light, so will your legs".

Me too, my favourite atm is Breaking Bad

jive

homerjay2005 wrote: »

the more you eat before a game, the more energy your body takes to digest it....so be careful, less is more in this case.

Don't be ridiculous, the energy required to get energy from food is negligible. Overeating isn't advised because you'll just feel heavy and bloated. To OP, eat whatever makes you feel best and so that you won't be hungry during a match. Pasta, porridge, rice etc. all good simple options, add a bit of meat or whatever if you want also. I'd just avoid simple sugars unless having some fruit during the match or simple sugars at half time. I wouldn't sweat it too much, focus more on training and rest. Eat healthy obviously but no need to be too fixated on what you eat prior to a match, whatever feels good feels good.

benchgrinder

thanks for the suggestions, much appreciated.

Hesh's Umpire

I was just wondering reading this thread if a small half time snack would be beneficial for a GAA player?
I see the tennis lads munching bananas during games a lot.
Anyone?

Ando's Saggy Bottom

homerjay2005 wrote: »

the more you eat before a game, the more energy your body takes to digest it....so be careful, less is more in this case.

.

You're right about not overeating but your reason for avoiding doing so is bizarre. Where did you hear that?

jive

Hesh's Umpire wrote: »

I was just wondering reading this thread if a small half time snack would be beneficial for a GAA player?
I see the tennis lads munching bananas during games a lot.
Anyone?

Doesn't do much for me, try it yourself and see how ya go. Some lads on my team eat jellies for the simple sugars, lucozade would do much the same too. Granted, I do have a banana when going out to warm up

wadacrack

Hesh's Umpire wrote: »

I was just wondering reading this thread if a small half time snack would be beneficial for a GAA player?
I see the tennis lads munching bananas during games a lot.
Anyone?

Gaa is only 60 or 70 mins much less than tennis or even football. Important to stay hydrated through the game so plenty of water before the game and at half time. A banana orange or apple at half tme would be ok not needed really imo

rebel girl 15

If you are feeling out on your legs with 10 minutes to go, your hydration sounds like a definite problem. Week before a game you need to up your fluid intake, if you do it the day before the game your body does not adjust and you'll just end up needing to go to the toilet all the time. Taking fluid on board during the game and after the game as well

What you eat the day before will cause an impact as well. Morning of a game I'd normally have scrambled egg with toast, if the game is later I'd have chicken and pasta, but I'd make sure I had decent food the day before as well.

homejay may be on the right track about the overeating afaik - pretty sure it came up in our nutrition lectures about being a cause of sporting fatigue, but I'll double check it, could be mixing it up with something else

paul71

wadacrack wrote: »

Gaa is only 60 or 70 mins much less than tennis or even football. Important to stay hydrated through the game so plenty of water before the game and at half time. A banana orange or apple at half tme would be ok not needed really imo

I don't know why it was but bananas where the only thing I could eat during basketball games (sub-in, sub-out breaks) that would give me energy without the risk of stomach cramps, oranges gave me no energy and apples were to hard to digest while under physical pressure and would cramp me up.

woodchopper

I would not recommend pasta at any time of the day but if you are going to take it make sure its the evening meal before the match the following day presuming its a afternoon kick -off.

Better options are Gluten Free Pancakes or if stuck for time spelt bread with a dabble of peanut butter for taste 3 hours before. Gluten is a toxin in the body and does little to improve performance. Also small amounts of sweet potato are an option.

Finally the poster who talks about the necessity to drink 3 litres of water every day is a fool . A simple urine test dictates whether you are hydrated or not. There is no fixed number and consuming large amounts of water can be dangerous.