What to Eat Before a Volleyball Tournament?
The nutrition has an impact on the athlete’s health and performance. That’s why the pre-game meal is incredibly important for volleyball players.
The so called pre-competition meal has to contain the healthy nutrients and provide volleyball players with the calories. Foods also have to contain the liquids that volleyball players need to drink in order to keep their bodies hydrated during important volleyball matches.
It’s crucial for volleyball players to know what foods they should eat and what foods they should avoid before volleyball competitions.
Volleyball players have to be very selective when it comes to picking foods that they should eat before the matches. The athletes should obviously eat the foods that give them the energy that they need to perform well on the court.
Volleyball players shouldn’t eat too much food before competitions. Overeating will have a negative impact on the athlete’s performance. On the other hand, the athletes shouldn’t feel hungry during the game. And of course, volleyball players should give a preference to the foods that they enjoy.
Today, we’ll provide you with some insights into the pre-competition meals for volleyball players. We’ll also share the tips that volleyball players need to follow in order to perform in the best possible way on the court and contribute greatly to their team’s success.
So, let’s get started.
When Is It Time to Eat Pre-competition Meal?
The time when volleyball players eat the pre-competition meals means a lot for their performance and success. The athletes have to make sure that they will have enough time to digest meals.
It takes less time to digest small meals and more time to digest large meals. Blended foods as well as liquid foods are easy to digest. So, it will take less time to digest them.
Let’s say that you are planning to eat a large meal before volleyball competitions. In this case, you should have about 3 – 4 hours to digest food. If you are planning to eat small meals, then you should have at least 2 – 3 hours to digest food. It takes 1 – 2 hours to digest blended food or liquid food and 1 hour to digest small snacks. Protein rich foods as well as foods which are high in fat usually take 5 – 6 hours to digest.
What Foods Volleyball Players Should Eat Before Competitions
It makes a lot of sense for volleyball players to focus on the foods that provide them with the ingredients that fuel their body. We’ll provide the list of foods that volleyball players should consume before games and practices.
Sooner or later, you will be able to find your favorite pre-game meals that have a profound positive impact on your performance. Lastly, you’ll have to stick to your diet. Now, let’s take a closer look at the pre-competition meals for volleyball athletes.
Bananas
Bananas are one of the best foods that volleyball players should eat before competitions. What is great about bananas is that they are a powerful source of potassium. If volleyball players eat bananas before games, they can improve movements of their muscles as well as water levels of their body. Bananas give the body energy that it needs. All of this positively affects the athlete’s performance on the court.
Baked beans
Baked beans are a good pre-game meal option for volleyball players. The food itself is very delicious. But most importantly, beans are a powerful source of protein and fiber. These elements contribute greatly to volleyball athlete’s performance. So, you should eat baked beans before volleyball games particularly if you like this food.
Cereals
Cereals are a good pre-meal food for volleyball players. It would be great to eat cereals for breakfast if you are going to play the game in the morning. It’s worth noting that cereals pair well with fruits. So, you can add berries as well as banana to the bowl with cereals.
Chicken
Chicken has become a favorite food for many athletes. Chicken contains healthy vitamins as well as minerals that a volleyball player needs to perform well on the court during games. On the other hand, chicken doesn’t contain too much fat. Chicken is an easy to digest food. It’s also important to note that chicken can be prepared in a number of different ways. That means that volleyball players can try many chicken recipes.
Eggs
We all know that eggs are a good source of protein. This makes eggs the ideal pre-game meal for volleyball players. So, you can eat boiled eggs to fuel your body before games. If you don’t like boiled eggs, then the omelets are worth considering. This type of food will provide you with the energy that you need to demonstrate excellent performance on the court.
Energy bars
It’s recommended for volleyball players to eat the so called energy bars. You need to know that energy bars contain carbohydrates. Eating an energy bar that contains 25 – 40 grams of carbohydrates helps volleyball players improve their performance on the court significantly. It’s also important to note that energy bars provide glycogen to the body. When volleyball players eat energy bars, their energy levels usually go up.
Fish
Fish is rich in protein. If you eat fish, you will be able to prepare your muscles before a game. Another big advantage of eating fish before volleyball games is that this food is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. This important element will allow you to improve circulation and perform better on the court during the game.
Rice
Rice can be added to the pre-game diet of volleyball players. Rice is the food that’s rich in carbohydrates. It doesn’t take too much time to prepare the rice. There are plenty of rice recipes. It would be better for athletes to eat the rice meals with meat and vegetables.
Yogurt
Yogurt has to be included in volleyball player’s diet. The fact is that yogurt is a powerful source of calcium. Volleyball players need to consume calcium in order to strengthen bones and prevent the injuries during games and practices.
When selecting yogurt, give a preference to low sugar options. It’s a great idea to mix yogurts with fruits. Many volleyball players give a preference to the so called Greek style yogurts. Such yogurts provide volleyball players with ingredients they need to do great job on the court.
Whole grain bread
Whole grain bread is a pre-game meal that contains many useful nutrients that a volleyball player needs. Whole grain bread is rich in B vitamins, fiber, magnesium, iron and many other elements. It’s important to point out that whole grain bread goes well with many other foods. So, you’ll be able to diversify your pre-game diet.
Volleyball Players Should Drink Enough Water before Games
It’s incredibly important for volleyball players to drink the correct amount of water before games and practices. It’s recommended for the athletes to drink about 17 – 20 ounces of water 2 – 3 hours before games and practices. Then, volleyball players should also drink about 0.5 liters of water about 30 minutes before a game. Volleyball players should drink water to keep their body well-hydrated. Sport drinks as well as replenishing fluids are also worth considering as pre-game drinks for volleyball players.
What Volleyball Players Shouldn’t Eat and Drink Before Games?
We’ve just described the foods as well as drinks that volleyball players should consume before games and practices. On the other hands, some foods and drinks should be avoided.
Volleyball players should avoid the foods which are difficult to digest. Bear in mind that the foods which are high in fat should be avoided. Don’t eat foods like potato chips, hot dogs as well as French fries before volleyball tournaments. It will take you too much time to digest these types of foods. As a result, volleyball players will not get the energy they need during volleyball tournament.
Carbonated beverages and high fiber foods should be avoided as well. Such foods may cause stomach discomfort and, of course, this will have a negative effect on volleyball player’s performance.
Volleyball players shouldn’t eat sweet foods and shouldn’t drink sweet beverages before games. That means that the athletes should avoid consuming candy bars as well as soda drinks before the competitions.
Thank you so much for reading this article. We’ve just shared some insights into pre-game nutrition for volleyball players. Follow our tips to eat right before volleyball competitions and this will help you boost your performance and do better job for your team during the game. Best of luck!