What to eat, when preparing for a competition

I recommend eating small portions but more meals in a day. Try it and see the difference in your energy level

To me food is everything. People don’t realise that your diet dictates how your body will turn out. I put it as 70% diet and 30% training that makes one a HotBod.

I learned by hard that try not to eat what you don’t usually eat when comes competition time. You run the risk of an upset tummy, and doing a ‘merlion’ (vomit) if you know what I mean.

Just eat what you usually consume before-hand, and don’t dabble with new food. But of course it’s wise to eat the below recommended food items.

It’s all about preparing your body before-hand months in advance, the storing and replenishing of glycogen (body fuel) is essential. It’s like training itself, you need to train your body to consume such food items, to get used to it.

Even though I’m not competing these days, I’ve grown used to my previous eating habits, I’m still practicing it … hey it’s healthy stuff, so why not.

But of course, I need to lower the overall calories intake, as I’m not as active previously. If I didn’t do that, I would be probably be a chubby Uncle Sha, keke.

1 week before

• Store up glycogen
• Taper training
• Eat carbohydrates
• Complex carbs with low GI
• Calories stay the same, but 60-70% from carbs

Before event

• High carb, low fat, low protein, low fibre
• Not too bulky and filling
• Try cereals, porridge, bread, rolls, toast, fruit juice, fruit, rice cakes, plain crackers, boiled rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, boiled pasta, dried fruit, oatmeal biscuits, plain wholemeal biscuits, muffins and carbohydrate drinks

Just before event

• 50gms of fast-absorbing carbohydrate
• Delay fatigue and improve endurance

During event

• Consume small amounts of carbohydrate at regular intervals
• Drink at regular intervals (150 to 300ml), ideally every 15 minutes
• Do not wait until you feel thirsty

After event

• Restore depleted glycogen
• High GI carbohydrates, approximately 2g/kg of body weight
• 40g of protein
• Within 2 hours
• Speeds up recovery time