There are two types of situations when we are faced with a match at around 3.30 p.m. One is when the match is played in or near our town, and the other is when we have to travel 30 km or more, which would mean that we would have to eat around 12.00 p.m., something unusual in our daily lives.
It is important to remember that when it comes to preparing our tanks for the match, we have to do it gradually during the week, but we must stress that the second-last and last meals are extremely important. So in this situation we should focus on breakfast and the pre-match meal.
During the 6 hours before the competition, it is necessary to adequately load our glycogen stores, taking into account the characteristics of these based on what is written in the above-mentioned article, as well as adequate hydration from the moment we wake up.
Here are several options for a proper breakfast around 9:00:
- A glass of milk or natural yoghurt with wholegrain cereal + fruit.
- Fruit + toast with tomato and olive oil (or turkey breast).
- My favourite: Natural yoghurt with chopped fruit, honey and nuts.
As far as lunch is concerned, it is enough to eat a meal rich in carbohydrates, always accompanied by a meal rich in protein. In the case of carbohydrates, it is advisable to accompany them preferably with vegetables in order to facilitate their absorption and make their digestion more "comfortable". For example
- Pasta salad + chicken/turkey breast.
- Pasta with vegetables + chicken/turkey breast.
- Rice with vegetables + chicken/turkey breast.
"The game is at 12:45 because we are playing 70 km away from our home town and I cannot eat a plate of pasta at 12:00."
A very common mistake we make is that because we have to eat at 12:00, we don't eat breakfast at all. We should eat breakfast, even in small quantities, if it is going to be very difficult to eat properly afterwards. It is not easy for most players to eat a plate of tomato pasta at 12:00, so in this case the following is suggested:
- Tomato salad with a small portion of cooked pasta accompanied by hard-boiled egg/tuna/pineapple/turkey + chicken breast/turkey.
- Combination dish: portion of rice + chicken breast/turkey.
By choosing one of these options, or a small variation of them, we will be loading our glycogen stores sufficiently without feeling uncomfortable eating at 12 noon.
If it is still very difficult for the athlete to eat any of these options, and the 12:00 meal is too light, we advise eating one of the proposed breakfasts in larger quantities to avoid early fatigue. In this case, it is advisable to eat an energy bar or a piece of fruit in the hour before the event to help you perform at your best for as long as possible, without forgetting to drink plenty of fluids.
As we mentioned in the beginning, this is something that largely depends on the habits of the players, so it would be interesting to get your input through the comments, raising possible doubts and suggesting other options that work for you.
