This weekend our powerlifting team, and GWA coach Nathan, will compete in the 2023 BCPA Fall Classic powerlifting meet. With that, we thought it would be appropriate to talk about how to handle your nutrition on competition day. Powerlifter or not, you may glean a few useful nuggets of information here that may apply to your respective sport.
When it comes to putting in a good performance on the platform, whether it’s your first meet or your fifth meet, preparation is paramount. This means trusting the hard work you’ve put in leading up to meet day, having your paperwork ready to go and, most importantly, having food, snacks and drinks planned out. For this particular post, we’re going to keep things as basic as possible. As such, we won’t be discussing water cuts, or fasting. With that being said, here are some simple, general guidelines for having a successful meet day with regards to your nutrition and hydration:
1. Eat a well balanced breakfast. Prioritize protein and carbohydrates, stick to foods that you would normally eat.
2. Keep water on hand, all day. It’s easy to get caught up in competition shenanigans and forget to drink. STAY HYDRATED.
3. Now is not the time to experiment with new foods. This includes supplements, new protein snacks etc. Stick with foods that you know your body can digest well.
4. It’s a long and exhausting day, steadily sipping on Gatorade, Powerade, or Pedialyte can go a long way.
5. Plan a lunch that is an APPROPRIATE size. Do not use this as an excuse to overload on food. At this point, it will be more of a hindrance than a help.
6. Snack on simple carbohydrates in between meals. The most opportune times will be between lifts, in most cases. Don’t over-do it or you may experience a heavy crash later.
7. Only eat to your comfort level. If you feel bloated or over-stuffed, it will impact your performance.
8. Your meet day nutrition should not look too drastically different from your regular training day nutrition.