Volleyball Nutrition Tips – When and What to Eat

  • May 11, 2020

By Pakmen Volleyball Research Staff

Volleyball players should stay healthy mentally and physically all the time in order to be able to demonstrate excellent results on the court. Nutrition plays an important role in the life of a volleyball player.

The reality is, the health and performance of volleyball players depend a lot on nutrition. It’s crucial for volleyball players to eat the right foods that give them the energy that they need to train hard. Plus, volleyball players should eat at the right time. If volleyball nutrition is correct, then volleyball athletes will be able to stay healthy and perform well on the court.

The big question is – when and what should volleyball players eat? And of course, it’s incredibly important to get the answer to this important question. In today’s post, we’ll give you nutrition tips that volleyball players need to follow in order eat right.

What Should Volleyball Players Eat?

During the game, volleyball players need to make explosive movements, jump high, do blocking and carry out attack hits. That’s why volleyball players need to eat products that fuel them.

Volleyball player’s daily diet should contain macronutrients which provide human body with energy it needs. Products which are rich in carbohydrates, fats and proteins need to be a part of volleyball player’s diet.

Protein rich foods. It’s important to know that foods which are rich in protein have many great benefits for volleyball players. Proteins are a good source of energy for volleyball athletes. Volleyball players, who eat foods high in protein, usually perform much better on the court. Eating protein rich foods plays an important role in building and repairing muscles. It’s also important to note that protein helps volleyball players prevent different types of injuries on the court. Volleyball players, who eat protein rich foods, usually recover from injuries much faster. Volleyball player’s diet has to include foods which are rich in proteins. These include cheese, meats, legumes, meats as well as seafood.          

Foods rich in fats. Fats have to be a key part of volleyball player’s diet as well. Eating fats fuel volleyball players. As a result, they can do volleyball workouts in a more effective way. It’s recommended for volleyball players to eat foods rich in fats before a less strenuous workout. It would be better to eat foods with good fats (also known as healthy fats) prior to doing serve receive workouts. Keep in mind that products like avocado, olive oil, nuts as well as peanut butter contain healthy fats. So, they should be added to volleyball player’s healthy diet.

Foods rich in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates also give energy to a body. That’s the reason why volleyball players should eat carbohydrates. However, it’s incredibly important to consume the right type of carbohydrates.

There are two types of carbohydrates: a simple carbohydrate and a complex carbohydrate. It’s worth noting that both types of carbohydrates provide a body with energy it needs. However, there are some differences between simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates.

Simple carbohydrates are a quick way to give energy to a body. You should know that processed foods contain high amounts of simple carbohydrate. However, athletes shouldn’t eat processed foods before volleyball games because the effects of these foods don’t last for a long time.

On the other hand, it makes a lot of sense for volleyball athletes to consume foods rich in the complex carbohydrates before matches. What is great about these types of foods is that they allow volleyball players to perform for a longer period of time.

Among the foods which are rich in the complex carbohydrates are: corn, legumes, fiber-rich vegetables and whole grains. Consume such foods before volleyball games to perform well and demonstrate excellent results on the court.

It’s important to know that it takes a body some time to break down the complex carbohydrates and turn them into energy that your body needs. So, you should wait until the complex carbohydrates begin to work. That’s why volleyball players need to eat foods which are high in the complex carbohydrate at the right time.

It’s a great idea to eat foods high in the complex carbohydrate at night. In this case, a body will have time to turn the complex carbohydrates into energy. As a result, a volleyball player will perform much better on the court during volleyball games and practices.

Drink plenty of water. It’s no surprise that volleyball players usually make a lot of quick movements during games and practices. So, they sweet a lot and burn too much energy. This may cause dehydration that negatively affects volleyball player’s performance on the court.

And of course, you should do your best to prevent these kinds of things from happening. That’s why it’s so important for volleyball players to drink a lot of water in order to stay hydrated all the time. It’s recommended for volleyball athletes to drink water before, during and after the game to maintain their hydration.

When Should Volleyball Players Eat?

Timing also means a lot for volleyball players. In reality, volleyball players have to work hard and try to get the most out of their practices. If an athlete misses meals, this will have a huge negative impact on his/her health and performance.

A volleyball player should know what to eat in the morning, before intense matches, workouts and practices. Also, volleyball players need to eat the right foods after games to restore their body.

Below, we’ll provide you with volleyball nutrition tips that volleyball players need to follow to improve their performance on the court to get the best possible results in volleyball matches or to get the most out of their training.

How frequently do volleyball players need to eat during a day? It’s crucial for a volleyball player to get all the necessary energy providing chemicals all the time. So, a volleyball player should eat throughout a day in order to be able to do a great job on the court.

Long pauses between meals or snacks negatively affect volleyball player’s performance on the court. This is something that should be avoided. Keep in mind that volleyball players will be able to improve their performance significantly if they eat more frequently.

It would be better for volleyball athletes to have small meals frequently than to have large meals only 2 – 3 times a day. Normally, the interval between meals has to be 2 – 3 hours.

What foods should volleyball players have for breakfast? Some volleyball players choose to skip a breakfast. However, it’s a big mistake. It’s worth remembering that breakfast should never be ignored by volleyball athletes. Actually, breakfast gives you an opportunity to fuel your body. Skipping a breakfast is a bad habit that should be avoided at any cost.

Every day of a volleyball player should begin with a good breakfast. That means that volleyball athletes should start eating immediately after they wake up in the morning. By doing so, volleyball players will be able to build energy stores that they will be able to use during a day successfully.

The question is – what should athletes eat on breakfast? Among good breakfast options for breakfast are: nut butter banana shake, greet yogurt, egg omelet, turkey breakfast sandwich, oatmeal, nuts. These foods will give volleyball athletes an energy boost they need to get through a day successfully.

What should volleyball players eat before matches? Are you preparing for a volleyball match? If so, it would be nice to eat the complex carbohydrates beforehand. As a result, your body will get energy and this will allow you to perform well on the court.

What should volleyball players eat before workouts? Are you planning to have an intense workout in the nearest future? If this is the case, you need to eat simple carbohydrates a few hours before workouts. This type of carbohydrates will be absorbed by your body quickly.

But most importantly, foods rich in simple carbohydrates will give volleyball players energy before a workout. So, they will be able to get started with workouts successfully, perform well during workouts and get the most out of their training.

What should volleyball players eat after games and practices? It’s important to note that a body loses nutrients during volleyball games and practices. So, it would be better for a volleyball player to have a quick meal after physical activity. It’s recommended to have some break and then eat foods which are rich in proteins and carbonates after games and practices. Eating this type of foods will allow you to restore your body and muscles.

Thank you so much for reading this article. We’ve just explained what foods and when volleyball players should eat for peak performance. Plus, we’ve provided you with volleyball nutrition tips. Follow our tips to train hard and perform well on the court. As always, we wish you the best of luck!