After a very busy summer and fall of traveling to competitions, I would really like to write about fueling at competitions. As much as I have strong opinions about the importance of nutrition, and fueling during competition, I believe that everyone is different and ultimately you should always do what is best for YOURSELF. With that being said, I would like to share with you all how I fuel for my competitions.
Travel Day
Depending on how far away my competition is, my travel day can be super short or a full day. Travel days can easily throw my body out of routine and schedule. Here are the few things I do to help manage:
Before heading to the airport, I try to make sure I eat a very well-balanced and substantial meal because it's hard to tell when your next full meal may be. If I have an early morning flight, I'm sure to pack something for the airport or the plane ride so that I can have a nutritional meal first thing of the day.
Airport food is expensive and most of the time not the most nutritious. I make sure to pack a few snacks for the flight or drive so that when hunger strikes I have something to eat. Like I said, travel days are not always reliable because of delays, weather, etc. Having nutritious snacks on hand definitely helps me until I reach my destination. Some of my favorite snacks to pack for travel days are trail mix, fresh fruits, and my favorite bars that I like to eat. Some other great options are to-go peanut butter packets, they are easy to pack and eat with a banana or apple, dates filled with peanut butter is a delicious and very nutritious snack that is packable as well.
When traveling I always have a water bottle with me, so that once I pass through security I can fill it up at the fountain. Staying hydrated is the most important thing you can do while traveling and I can’t express that enough. Get used to the airplane bathrooms because, trust me, your body will thank you in the end for keeping it hydrated! If I'm driving to my destination, I will make the extra bathroom stop or two that is needed from drinking water throughout my travels.
Arriving at My Hotel/Destination
When I get to my hotel, I like to check out my room and see what is available. Is there a refrigerator? Does the hotel provide breakfast?.. etc. Once I have taken inventory, I like to find a grocery store or any kind of market that is close by to get things that I could not pack in my suitcase. I like to try and find, fresh fruits, yogurt, and granola.
Berries are great to accompany my breakfast. Bananas are an incredible, quick food for athletes and are easily digestible. I can use muesli or granola for a snack or a meal and usually is easy to find anywhere I travel. If the room does have a fridge, yogurt goes great with my fruits and granola as a snack at anytime throughout the day. I also like to pick up an avocado because hotel breakfasts hardly ever provide avocados and it's one of my favorite things to eat in the morning! Lastly, I spend a lot of time in the hotel room waiting to compete and I may get the munchies! I like to snack on popcorn at home, so sometimes I will grab a bag of popcorn for my room.
Things that I pack ahead of time in my suitcase are bars (peanut and date bars from Trader Joes), I recommend packing your favorite bars to eat because you might not be able to get them wherever you are going. Bipro Protein powder is the second thing I always pack. It’s very important to have something for recovery after competition and practices. I like to use protein powder in my shaker bottle for my recovery. A bag of Trail mix, preferably a mix of raw nuts and dried fruit. Trail mix is a snack that is reliably nutritious and easy for me to digest. Depending on where I am traveling to, I may pack this in my bag as it's great to snack on during travel. Lastly, I always have Nuun tablets packed in my bag. I like to pack an immunity Nuun for travel days, they provide immune support to prevent getting sick as well as replenish my electrolytes. I also pack Nuun sport tablets for all the days I skate as a way for me to make sure my body stays hydrated and fueled.
Eating Throughout the Competition
I can digest food pretty well when I am at a competition, however I do struggle with eating after I finish competing. When I step off the ice or am done for the day I really have no appetite. That's where my Bipro protein powder that I can mix with water is super helpful to me. This is a perfect example of figuring out what works for you and your own body to make sure you get the proper fueling you need at competition. Drinking my protein powder allows my body to recover and refuel if I don't feel I can stomach some food right away.
During training at home, I like to eat homemade date energy ball as I'm getting my skates on for practice. I eat one almost every time I step on the ice for training. It's a quick, digestible, and sustainable energy source that I have taught my body to rely on before practice. So, at competition I do the exact same. Since I am traveling, the trader Joes Date bars stand in place for my “homemade” energy balls. That way, no matter what time of day it is my body knows this familiar fuel as it helps my body get into “routine” mode while I tie my skates. A lot of times competition schedules don't line up with regular eating schedules (many times, an event will run through dinner time).
Another thing that I remind myself when I get to competitions is that nerves can affect my appetite. So it is important to try to eat the same amount and types of food as I would eat if I was at home.
Dining out at competitions doesn’t always provide the cleanest or healthiest food. However, it’s always possible to make it work. Almost any restaurant can prepare a piece of chicken and some sort of starch and vegetable. The only thing I try to avoid during competitions when eating out are sauces, dressings, and anything fried. I like to stick to clean foods that are easily digestible. It’s hard to tell what is in sauces and dressings. I never want to roll the dice how my body will react to them. I stick to foods I know my body is familiar with so that it can run its best. My favorite thing to eat for a meal at competitions is sushi, providing it is of quality. (It might also be my favorite thing to eat in general). Sushi can be a very clean and nutrient balanced meal to have during a competition. Tuna avocado rolls are my go-to choice at competition.
Knowing my Body and Focusing on Myself
During competitions it is likely for me to stay at the same hotel as other skaters and competitors; especially when competing internationally. It is easy for athletes to feel uncomfortable eating in front of other athletes, coaches and judges. I like to be aware of myself and stick to what I know my body needs to fuel, not what others are fueling with. Everyone has a different body, a different routine, and this is where you need to own yourself and your actions. Comparing your body image, your food intake, or feeling insecure about yourself at competition is not the time. You can not change yourself overnight, you are at the competition to do one thing, your job. To do my job and everything I have explained above, I do my best to stay focused while enjoying my time with competitors and friends.
Though it can be hard to focus on all these aspects, with time and practice you learn your own recipe for competition fueling. It's important to find a combination of things that help you feel good, provide fuel, and make you feel happy. Competing should be enjoyable and so should fueling!