Post-competition 'slump'
What foods do you recommend to eat during and after a sports competition? I am a competitive ice-dancer and find that the day after competition, I am invariably exhausted. -annabelsmyth
Eat/drink low Gi before the event:
Low Gi foods and drinks can also be called sustained release or slow-release foods. They are digested slowly and can therefore still supply energy one to two hours after consumption. If low Gi foods are consumed one to two hours before competing, blood glucose will be maintained at a healthy level for the duration of the activity or sporting event.
During the event:
For competitions that last for more than 90 minutes, you should have some high Gi foods and drinks in between, for example a quick sandwich made with white bread and a sugary drink. If the duration of the exercise is less than 90 minutes, the low Gi food/drink that was taken beforehand should be sufficient to sustain blood glucose levels at a healthy level.
After the event:
It is crucial to consume some high Gi carbohydrate food or drink within the first 30 to 60 minutes of completing exercise. An Eat Natural bar, for example, is likely to have lots of added sugar and would therefore by high Gi. Exercised muscles continue to absorb glucose from the bloodstream and this happens at the fastest rate during the first 30 to 60 minutes after exercise. Faster replenishment of glycogen into the fatigued muscle is observed if high Gi foods are taken as soon as possible after exercise. The meal or snack eaten one to two hours after the event, should still consist mainly of high GI carbohydrates. The next meal can be scaled down to medium Gi carbohydrates and the meal thereafter should be back at low Gi carbohydrates, provided no activity has taken place again later in the day. For very active persons, ie those who train two or three hours every morning or an hour every morning and an hour every evening, it might mean having to eat high Gi foods most of the time. If however, training is scaled down before an event, low Gi carbohydrates should dominate all meals for the best carbohydrate loading effect.
Also make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day, as well as some high Gi drinks when called for as above.
Kellie Collins
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