The nutritional needs of athletes during the regular season can be separated into three periods based on the sport in question. Characterized as the requirements of a pre-event meal, lunch after the event, and the energy and fluid during the event.
The purpose of the pre-event meal is to maximize glycogen the body, especially in skeletal muscle. Moreover, it aims at providing adequate hydration and to minimize stomach discomfort, hunger and digestion in an event.
The diet of less than optimal quality taken before an event can sometimes hinder the performance of an athlete. On the other hand, drastic changes of a balanced diet stomach and cause intestinal problems, diarrhea, lethargy and even, once again negatively affects performance. Finally, eating foods with herbs just before an event by a player whose regular diet is more mild upset stomach and intestinal gas increased.
As for pre-event meal should focus an athlete in (a) the period of food consumption in relation to the event in question, (b) the quantity / volume of food, (c) food components food / content and (d) the type (s) of liquid (s) in the file.
The time of food consumption in relation to the case in question is crucial. Studies have shown that glycogen stores depleted by exercise to prepare a meal just before an event, because muscle fibers have a limited capacity to restore glycogen stores when food is consumed 4-6 hours or less before of an event. All meals taken before an event must be taken early enough to ensure that your digestion is completed and the stomach is quite empty during the event. Thus, most of the blood supply to the muscles can help instead of being used by the digestive system.
The food of the amount of food can also affect performance. Too small a meal may result in insufficient blood sugar, while a very large meal can lead to lethargy.
Finally, with respect to the liquid meal, athletes should drink enough to start an event well hydrated, but not enough to cause a diuresis. Large amounts of caffeine should be avoided because they may contain sufficient moisture to cause diuresis and during an event