Fall sports are in full swing and for many, that means early morning practices. Early mornings are great for trying to avoid the Texas heat, but it can definitely make fueling for practice more challenging. However, fueling is SO important, and fueling well can really help to optimize performance. So what does it look like to fuel for that early morning football, drill team, or cross country practice? I’m glad you asked!

Of the 3 macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate, and fat), carbohydrates are the muscle’s main fuel source. Our goal before practices is essentially to top off our muscles’ stores of carbohydrate to make sure we have adequate fuel and can perform at our best. An ideal pre-practice snack should be carbohydrate rich, while being low in fiber, fat, and protein. That’s not because there’s anything wrong with any of these nutrients, we will want to incorporate these nutrients in other places in our eating pattern, however, foods high in these nutrients take longer for our bodies to digest which may cause GI upset during practices. So for the sake of our stomachs, we want to stick to pre-practice snacks that are high in carbs and low in protein, fiber, and fat.

If an athlete is rolling out of bed with 15-20 minutes until practice starts, a liquid containing carbohydrate such as a regular Gatorade (not Gatorade Zero), or a semi-solid carbohydrate like applesauce may be the best bet. If you have half an hour to an hour until practice, you are more likely to be able to tolerate something a little more solid. Here are some examples of appropriate pre-practice snacks:

Granola or dry cereal

Piece of toast with a very thin layer of peanut butter and a sliced banana

Banana muffin

½ or whole bagel with a thin spread of cream cheese

Granola bar (not a protein bar!)

Don’t forget about hydration! Most of us wake up a little dehydrated after not drinking fluids for 8-10 hours, so it’s important to try to get at least a glass of water in before heading to practice. And of course keep hydrating at practice and throughout the day.

Need more help to navigate performance nutrition? Give us a call – we would love to help!