PRACTICE

Practice starts right after school. What should I eat?

If lunch was several hours ago, don't expect it to carry you through an intense practice.

Before practice: Have a snack if you need one.

Good options might include:

• Banana and granola

• Yogurt and fruit

• Toast

• Cereal

• Crackers and cheese

• A sandwich

What about during practice?

For a typical practice, fluids are the main priority.

For longer or particularly intense sessions, additional carbohydrate may be useful.

What should I do afterward?

If dinner is soon, dinner can be your recovery meal.

If not, have a snack and then eat dinner later.

Think: carbohydrate + protein + fluids.

GAME DAY

3–4 hours before: Main meal
1–2 hours before: Smaller snack if needed
During: Fluids; additional carbohydrate may be useful for longer activity
After: Refuel and rehydrate

Basketball-specific tip

If you have practice, school, and a game all in one day, your fueling needs don't disappear just because you're busy.

PRACTICE

“I run every day. Do I really need to eat more?”

Yes. Your body uses energy for much more than running.

Before practice

2–4 hours before: Normal meal if your schedule allows.

30–90 minutes before: Smaller snack if you're hungry or need additional fuel.

During

Fueling during a run isn't possible most times, which makes what you eat before and after ESPECIALLY important. 

After

Don't skip recovery just because it wasn't a race.

Eat, drink, and give your body a chance to rebuild.

RACE DAY

Your fueling shouldn't suddenly become completely different from what you've practiced.

Practice your race-day routine during training first.

Cross-country-specific tip

If you're constantly exhausted, struggling to recover, getting injured repeatedly, or noticing other changes in your health, don't automatically assume it's just part of running.

Low energy availability can affect both health and performance.

PRACTICE

“It's just a bike ride. Do I need to eat?”

The answer depends heavily on how long and how hard you're riding.

A short, easy ride is very different from a three-hour training ride.

Before

Start your ride adequately fueled.

Don't try to make up for missed meals immediately before training.

During

As ride duration increases, so does the importance of carbohydrate and fluids during the ride.

After

Longer rides create bigger recovery demands.

Think:

Food + fluids + recovery

Cycling-specific tip

The longer the ride, the less realistic it becomes to rely only on what you ate beforehand.