Powerful Nutritional Tactics for Meet Day
by Anthony Ricciuto
Today is the day of the big competition. You've been putting in some of the
hardest training sessions of your life. You've been getting plenty of sleep,
even taking those extra power naps that help you recover from those brutal
workouts. You've been taking the latest supplements, making sure you have that
natural edge. You've even been avoiding those late nights out with the boys to
make sure that your training doesn't suffer. Your gear couldn't be in better
working order. You just had that double ply denim bench shirt tweaked just
right, and those new knee wraps have really made the difference this last
training cycle. Everything is perfect or is it?
You run out the door after wolfing down some breakfast and are at the meet with
enough time to weigh in and listen to those boring rules meetings. Yeah I know,
you have to break parallel in the squat. Come on and get on with the show! You
double checked your gear twice to make sure you have everything from your
ammonia caps to that all important water bottle used to wet down the seams in
that new denim shirt. Just when you think you brought everything that you will
ever need to the meet, including that good luck jock strap from when you used to
play high school football, it suddenly hits you. You forgot one very important
thing-FUEL. Not the type to run your car, but the kind that is going to get you
through the entire contest, and keep you going strong all day long. You have
forgotten to bring the right nutrients that your body will need to perform
optimally at the contest. No problem you say, I'll just grab something at the
meet. Food is food right? Wrong! This major mistake has just caused you to
hinder your performance on the most important training day of the year. All the
preparation and hard work, the endless hours of sweat and tears could be
completely ruined if you don't plan out your nutritional tactics for meet day.
Don't let this happen to you!
Nutrition is often overlooked in the sport of powerlifting. I know, we don't
have to have 3% body fat like the bodybuilders we so strongly detest. Nor do we
have to posses the endurance to run or cycle mile after mile like a triathatlete,
but that doesn't mean that nutrition doesn't play a vital role in the
performance of the powerlifter. The above scenario may seem unrealistic, but I
have seen it happen not just at state meets but at national and world meets! I
have witnessed one guy scarf down link after link of sausage, gorge himself on
endless strips of bacon and then wash it down with some sugary fruit punch drink
less than half an hour before squat warm ups. Then I hear him complain that he
feels bloated during his squat attempts. What else would you expect to feel
after inhaling several small farm animals right before your warm ups. Another
personal favorite is the guy who scarf's down a couple candy bars and washes them
down with close to two liters of soda after his squats. He seems to be flying
high until he misses his 2nd and 3rd bench attempts. Later I hear him telling
his handlers that he just ran out of steam and he can't figure out why.
Considering he consumed enough sugar to put a polar bear into a diabetic coma,
I'm surprised that's the only thing that happened. Then there is the guy who
avoids breakfast because of his nervous stomach. For the rest of the day he may
have a couple pieces of fruit but his hunger starts to kick in right at the
worst time. His favorite time to load up on a double burger, fries and a vanilla
milkshake- is oh about 45 minutes before his first deadlift attempt. Then he
complains that he his stomach hurts trying to get down into proper deadlifting
form. I know these scenarios sound really funny but they are things I have
experienced while coaching some of my athletes at competitions.
The purpose of this article is to help the competitive powerlifter plan out what
kind of things one should and should not do on meet day in regards to nutrition
and supplementation. Let's start off with some of the better things to eat on
meet day. Nerves can be at an all time high come competition day and you don't
want to weigh yourself down with foods that take several hours to digest.
Breakfast is going to be a very important meal so make sure you start your day
off in the right direction. You want to consume an adequate amount of protein,
carbs and fat, yet you don't want to eat half of the country's livestock just
before doing squats. Breakfast should take place about 2 hours before warm ups.
If you are the type that has a hard time stomaching food on meet day, make it 3
hours. One word of advice, eat only until you feel slightly satisfied, not to
the point where you have to unbutton your jeans to get a little breathing room.
Remember, you are fueling your body for competition, not trying to get your
moneys worth at a Sizzler buffet. For breakfast you want to eat a low glycemic
carbohydrate that is going to give you the proper energy source to start off
your day. My personal favorite is a bowl of rolled oats with a diced apple and
cinnamon for flavor. For a protein source, a lean piece of beef or a small
omelet is perfect. The best thing to drink would be a glass or two of purified
water. This will help keep you hydrated before you start your warm ups. Foods
that you want to avoid would include fatty meats like sausage, bacon, and high
glycemic carbohydrates like fruit juices and pancakes smothered in syrup. This
will cause the blood to be pulled from your muscles and to be relocated to your
stomach to start the digestion process. This is not something you want come meet
day, especially before your opening squat attempt.
During the competition, eating large amounts of food, especially the wrong types
are not recommended. This will cause you to feel lethargic and out of the
groove. Even worse is if you don't eat the right combinations of foods you may
cause a massive insulin spike that will drain your energy at the time you need
it most. During the competition small meals should be consumed that are easily
digested. For carbohydrate sources you want to stick with ones that have a low
glycemic index. This will protect you from your blood sugar level from taking a
rollercoaster nightmare which will cause a decrement in your performance.
Protein is also important in keeping your blood sugar level stable and to
maintain an influx of amino acids to your hard working muscles. Chicken breast,
fish and lean cuts of beef in small amounts will do the trick. In the charts 1A
and 1B, I have laid out what types of foods to consume, and to avoid on meet
day. This allows you to mix and match to your desired taste. These are not your
only choices available, but this will give you a start. In chart 2A I have laid
out a sample diet of one of my athletes that they have used with success on
competition day. Remember, everything is relative. If you are a smaller lifter
you may eat less, if you are a super heavyweight you may have to increase the
amount of nutrient dense food.
Hydration is another key factor in obtaining your optimal performance come meet
day. You should never be thirsty, as this is an indication that you are already
dehydrated. Even a 2% dehydrated state will cause a decrement in performance, so
make sure you bring at least a gallon of purified water with you. For those that
made weight in the morning using a sauna or some other type of water weight loss
technique, hydration will play an even more important role with you. Consuming a
liquid electrolyte formula after weigh ins to replenish minerals you have lost
will be very important. An electrolyte imbalance can cause you to cramp,
decrease your strength, and set you up for injury. Electrolytes improve fluid
absorption and the transport of nutrients into working muscles, so their
importance cannot be over emphasized when cutting weight. Sipping on a glucose
polymer solution between your attempts and events will help replenish glycogen
stores and prevent dehydration.
In regards to supplementation, this can be your ace in the hole for your meet
day nutrition strategy. For those that can't stomach too much solid food during
the contest a protein shake can be substituted. I recommend that you stick with
a whey protein isolate because it is fast absorbing and it is easy on the
stomach. Egg or casein protein powders may cause bloating in some individuals,
so avoid them on meet day. Protein bars can also help when in a bind but make
sure they are low in sugar. Everyone likes some type of pick me up for the show
and the most popular is the Ephedrine/Caffeine/Aspirin stack in either synthetic
or herbal versions. Make sure you check with your organization for specific
supplementation rules. One ingredient that has benefited my lifters is adding L-
Tyrosine to the stack. This is an amino acid which the brain converts to several
stimulatory neurotransmitters. These include dopamine, epinephrine, and nor
epinephrine. Studies have shown that L-Tyrosine can increase energy levels,
improve mental concentration, and increase performance. Stacking this with your
ECA can really give you that extra kick. Creatine is another valuable meet day
supplement. Since it helps replenish your ATP stores, it will help increase your
overall output and help you recover for the next event. My lifters take a
serving directly after the squat and bench press. The glucose polymer solution
that I mentioned will be beneficial in keeping you hydrated and maintain your
blood glucose levels, keeping you fuelled throughout the day. Just make sure the
label says glucose polymer. This is a longer chain carbohydrate molecule, so
they prevent you from crashing like the bench presser I mentioned earlier. The
perfect type is a combination of Maltodextrin and amylopectin starches. Avoid
many of today's popular sports drinks as many of them contain the wrong types of
carbohydrates that can decrease your performance. Avoid drinks containing corn
syrup or sucrose. In regards to supplementation on meet day, don't take anything
that you haven't used in training. You don't want anything to upset your stomach
or give your nervous system a shock right before the meet. As always, don't
change anything last minute.
Into the millennium powerlifters are looking to increase their performance from
many new angles. Optimum sports nutrition for the powerlifter can no longer be
overlooked when trying to obtain a PR. If you have overlooked your powerlifting
nutrition in the past now is the time to make a change. Eating three square
meals a day will no longer cut it. In powerlifting, performance nutrition is the
weak link that can drastically affect your progress in the long run. A powerful
nutritional regiment is going to take powerlifters to the next level in their
health, recovery and performance. Don't be the one that has forgotten about his
nutritional tactics for meet day because your competition won't!
Foods to Consume
| Protein |
Carbohydrates |
Fat |
| Chicken Breasts |
Rolled Oats |
Olive Oil |
| Fish |
Sweet Potatoes |
Flax Oil |
| Lean Beef |
Apples |
Hemp Oil |
| Eggs |
Barley |
Fish Oil |
| Protein Shake/bars |
Brown Rice |
Omega 3-6-9 |
Foods to Avoid
| Protein |
Carbohydrates |
Fat |
| Sausage |
Bagels/ White Bread |
Butter/Margarine |
| Bacon |
White Potato |
Mayonnaise |
| Fatty cuts of Beef |
White Rice |
Hydrogenated oils |
| Pork |
Fruit juices/Sodas/ Generic Sports Drinks |
Trans Fatty Acids |
| Lunch Meats |
Anything containing sugar |
High Fat Dressings |
Sample Nutritional and Supplement Outline
Breakfast 7:00 AM
Meal 1
1 bowl of Rolled Oats
1 Apple
1 Omelet consisting of 6 egg whites and 2 yolks
1 Tbsp. of Flax Oil
16oz of water
Vitamin/Mineral Pack
1 gram of Vitamin C
9:00 AM
ECA stack + 3 grams of L- Tyrosine
9:30 AM (During Squat Warm-ups and Attempts)
8-16oz of Glucose Polymer Solution
Continue to sip solution as needed after attempts
11:00 AM After Squat Event
Meal 2
5 grams of Creatine
5 grams of Glutamine
50 grams of Maltodextrin
25-50 grams of Whey Protein Isolate
1 Sweet Potato
1:00 PM Bench Press Warm-ups and Attempts
8-16oz of Glucose Polymer Solution
Continue to sip solution as needed after attempts
2:00 PM After Bench Press Event
Meal 3
5 grams of Creatine
5 grams of Glutamine
50 grams of Maltodextrin
25-50 grams of Whey Protein Isolate
3:00 PM (Long break for the Bench Press Competition)
Meal 4
1 Chicken Breast
??? cup of Brown Rice
1 Apple
1 Tbsp of Flax Oil
4:15 PM
ECA stack + 3 grams of L-Tyrosine
5:00 PM ( Warm up for Deadlift and attempts)
8-16oz of Glucose Polymer Solution
Continue to sip solution as needed after attempts
5:45 PM After Deadlift Attempts
Meal 5
5 grams of Creatine
5 grams of Glutamine
50 grams of Maltodextrin
25-50 grams of Whey Protein Isolate
Vitamin/Mineral Pack
1 gram of Vitamin C
Meal 6 After the Meet
Here anything goes, but here is my personal favorite.
16 oz Steak
Baked Potato with Sour Cream
Chocolate Milk
1-2 pieces of cheese cake ( Hey you deserve it!)
Books and Courses
|
Great Websites
|
Excellent Stores
|
Recipe Cook Books
|
|
