A Complete Guide: What to Eat During a Competition?

October 13, 2025 •

4 min read

Athletes lose up to 2% of their body weight in sweat during intense exercise, a level of dehydration that can significantly impair performance. Understanding what to eat during a competition? is critical for maintaining peak energy levels and avoiding the fatigue that can undermine your hard training.

Quick Summary

This guide provides a practical overview of fueling strategies for athletes during competition, covering proper macronutrient intake, timing, hydration, and specific food choices to enhance performance.

Key Points

Timing is Crucial: Follow the 4-2-1 rule for game-day nutrition, with a large meal 4 hours prior, a snack 2 hours before, and focusing on hydration in the final hour.
Prioritize Carbohydrates: Carbs are your body’s primary energy source during competition, especially for prolonged or high-intensity events.
Stay Hydrated: Drink water or sports drinks regularly, not just when you feel thirsty. For events over an hour, electrolytes can be crucial.
Practice Your Plan: Never try new foods or products on competition day; practice your fueling strategy during training to avoid surprises.
Avoid High-Fat and High-Fiber Foods: These can lead to digestive discomfort and sluggishness, negatively impacting performance.
Refuel Post-Event: Consume a mix of carbs and protein within 30-60 minutes after your event to begin the muscle repair and glycogen replenishment process.
Tailor Your Approach: Different sports and event durations require different fueling strategies. Customize your plan based on your specific sport's demands.

The Foundation of Performance Fueling

Optimal performance on competition day depends heavily on a well-executed nutritional strategy. Your body's primary fuel source during exercise is glycogen, which comes from carbohydrates. Ensuring these stores are topped up before and during the event is crucial. While carbohydrates are the star player, protein and fats have supporting roles, particularly in recovery and for longer events. Proper timing is just as important as the food itself to allow for adequate digestion and absorption without causing gastrointestinal distress.

Timing is Everything: The Game-Day Fuel Plan

A successful nutritional plan for a competition starts well before the event begins. The '4-2-1 rule' is a simple guideline many athletes follow to structure their game-day eating.

4 hours before: Eat a complete meal high in carbohydrates, moderate in protein, and low in fat. This gives your body ample time to digest and store energy. Examples include grilled chicken with pasta and a tomato-based sauce, or scrambled eggs with whole-grain toast and berries.
2 hours before: Consume a smaller, easily digestible high-carb snack to top off your energy stores. A banana, a granola bar, or a fruit pouch are good options.
1 hour before: Focus on hydration and sipping on fluids, potentially with electrolytes, especially in hot conditions.

Fueling Mid-Competition

For shorter events (less than 60 minutes), the fuel from your pre-game meal and snack is often sufficient. However, for longer or multi-event competitions, refueling is essential to prevent fatigue and maintain performance.

For Endurance Events (>90 mins)

Endurance athletes, such as marathon runners or cyclists, need a constant stream of carbohydrates to keep up with high energy expenditure. The recommendation is to consume 30 to 60 grams of easily digestible carbohydrates per hour.

Energy Gels: Pre-packaged gels are a quick and concentrated source of carbohydrates. Test them in training to ensure gut tolerance.
Sports Drinks: These provide both carbohydrates and electrolytes, helping with hydration and energy.
Carbohydrate Chews or Blocks: Another convenient option for measured carbohydrate intake during exercise.
Solid Foods: For events lasting over 4 hours, some athletes tolerate solid foods like bananas, rice cakes, or low-fiber energy bars.

For Strength and Power Sports

For strength athletes like weightlifters or powerlifters, fueling is less critical during the actual competition unless sessions are exceptionally long. A meal 2-3 hours prior with both carbs and protein is key. During breaks, focus on staying hydrated with water or an electrolyte beverage. A light, easily digestible carb snack like a protein bar or dried fruit can be consumed if needed.

For Team Sports (e.g., Soccer, Basketball)

Team sports involve intermittent, high-intensity bursts of activity, requiring a balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fluids. Refueling during halftime or breaks is crucial. Quick-digesting snacks are ideal.

Dried Fruit or Fruit Slices: Easy to eat and quickly absorbed.
Rice Cakes: A simple carbohydrate source that is easy to digest.
Sports Drinks: For both hydration and a carb boost.
Small Sandwiches or Wraps: A mini turkey sandwich can provide sustained energy between events.

The Power of Proper Hydration

Dehydration is a major performance killer, impacting physical and mental function. Monitoring fluid intake is essential before, during, and after competition. Urine color is a good indicator: pale yellow is well-hydrated, while darker urine signals dehydration.

Fluid Intake: Sip on fluids regularly, aiming for 4-8 ounces every 15-20 minutes during exercise.
The Role of Electrolytes: When you sweat, you lose important electrolytes like sodium. For events over an hour or in hot conditions, sports drinks with electrolytes or salty snacks can help replenish these losses.

Foods to Avoid on Game Day

Certain foods can hinder performance and cause gastrointestinal issues when consumed close to or during a competition.

High-Fat Foods: Take longer to digest and can lead to sluggishness (e.g., fried foods, burgers, creamy sauces).
High-Fiber Foods: Can cause bloating, gas, and digestive discomfort (e.g., beans, raw broccoli, excess whole grains).
Excessive Simple Sugars: Can lead to an energy spike followed by a crash (e.g., sugary drinks and candy bars).
Caffeine (if not a regular user): Can act as a diuretic and cause dehydration, and also lead to stomach upset.

Fueling Strategies for Different Athletes

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to fueling. The ideal strategy depends on the sport's demands, duration, and individual tolerance. Practicing your fueling plan during training is critical to avoid race-day surprises.


Aspect	Endurance Athlete	Strength Athlete	Team Sport Athlete
During-Event Fueling	30-60g carbs per hour	Less emphasis on mid-event fueling unless prolonged	Quick-digesting carbs during breaks
Fueling Sources	Gels, chews, sports drinks	Light carb snacks, water, electrolyte drinks	Dried fruit, rice cakes, sports drinks
Timing	Small, frequent intake every 15-20 mins	Focus on hydration during breaks	During halftime or natural breaks
Key Focus	Sustained energy output	Hydration and maintaining energy reserves	Fast-acting fuel for explosive bursts

Conclusion

Mastering your competition nutrition is a vital part of your athletic preparation. By prioritizing easily digestible carbohydrates, staying well-hydrated with water and electrolytes, and knowing what foods to avoid, you can ensure your body is perfectly fueled to perform. Remember, the best strategy is the one you have tested and practiced in training, allowing you to focus on your performance without worrying about your stomach. For further reading, consult authoritative resources like the Nationwide Children's Hospital Sports Medicine Institute.

Post-Competition Recovery: What to Eat

After crossing the finish line, recovery nutrition is paramount for restoring glycogen stores and repairing muscle tissue. Aim for a carbohydrate and protein-rich snack within 30-60 minutes after the event to kick-start the process. Chocolate milk is a popular and effective choice, providing an ideal ratio of carbs and protein along with fluids and electrolytes. Follow up with a balanced meal within a few hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

The ideal pre-competition meal, eaten 3-4 hours before the event, is high in carbohydrates, moderate in protein, and low in fat and fiber to ensure easy digestion. Examples include pasta with lean grilled chicken or oatmeal with fruit and nuts.

Carb-loading is recommended primarily for high-endurance events lasting longer than 90 minutes, such as a marathon or long-distance cycling. It's not typically necessary for shorter events.

For short breaks (less than 2 hours), opt for small, easily digestible carbohydrate snacks like dried fruit, pretzels, or a sports drink. For longer breaks, a small meal like a turkey sandwich can work, but always stick to familiar foods.

You can monitor your hydration by checking your urine color; it should be a pale lemonade color. Darker urine suggests dehydration. Drinking on a schedule (e.g., every 15-20 minutes) is more reliable than waiting for thirst.

For endurance events, both energy gels and solid foods can be effective. Gels offer a quick, concentrated carb source, while real foods like bananas or rice cakes provide sustained energy. Test both in training to see what your gut tolerates best.

For events over an hour or in hot, humid conditions, sports drinks provide carbohydrates and electrolytes that water alone cannot. For shorter activities, water is sufficient. Sports drinks can help improve hydration and energy levels.

Avoid foods high in fat, fiber, or excessive sugar. These can cause digestive issues, bloating, or energy crashes. Stick to low-fat, low-fiber, high-carb options.