WAG Q&A With Adee, Episode 30: Competition Day Nutrition

It’s time. The long hours at the gym, mandatory recovery days and attention to your nutrition are finally about to pay off. It’s competition day. With so many things running through your head, it’s easy to feel the pressures and stresses of anxiety looming over you.

Adee’s addressing all of your common questions and concerns about nutrition on competition day to help you bring yourself back to the comfort zone and prepare for the “big day.”

Don’t try something new.
Take it from Adee, competition day is not the time to try a new pre-workout. Anytime you introduce new foods to your body, you open yourself up to reacting in a multitude of ways. Rather than get light-headed or an upset stomach as you step up to compete, stick to what your body knows.

Practice your nutrition.
If you’re an athlete in any type of sport, generally you have an opportunity to participate in a mock, or trial, version of the real deal prior to the big day. This is the when you should really focus on testing what does, and doesn’t, work for your nutrition. In these less important competitions, you have more room to make mistakes and learn from them.

Ignore your nerves — and eat.
The combination of nerves and adrenaline is enough to make anyone lose their appetite, so it’s natural for athletes to experience this as well on competition days. However, it’s still important to maintain healthy eating habits and fuel your body. Stay consistent with what your body knows — eat things that you’re used to, but keep it simple. Also, make sure to time your meals so that you aren’t eating too close to when you’re going to work out, as it could slow you down.

Celebrate, without the food coma.
It’s natural to want to approach the day after competition day as a free-for-all buffet. Your day-after celebration with family and friends may center around food, and your desire to indulge may heighten. Just remember that your body is going to react in some way either that day or the next morning.