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John Steinbreder, GolfersMD News
Mar 28, 2011
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Good golf isn’t only about smooth, efficient swings and smart course management. It is also a matter of eating and drinking properly before, during and after a game.
Start with pre-round meals, which are important in order to maintain proper energy and blood sugar levels. “I recommend that golfers eat roughly two hours before they tee it up,” says Page Love, an Atlanta-based sports nutritionist and dietician who consults to professional and collegiate athletes, among them the University of Auburn golf team and has written articles for Atlanta Golf Magazine. “I prefer things a little lower in protein and fat, and with some carbs. Oatmeal with roasted nuts and fresh fruit is good for breakfast before a round. And something like a tuna sandwich for lunch before an afternoon game works as well. The idea is to settle hunger while keeping energy high and making sure blood sugar is at the right level. If that starts to fall, you can lose concentration and see performance drop.”
One advantage golfers enjoy is an ability to eat while they are actually on the course. For those mid-round snacks, which can help stave off unwelcome drops in energy and blood sugar, Love recommends sports bars with higher levels of carbohydrates and moderate amounts of protein as well as fruit like bananas and trail mix.
Proper hydration is also critical, and Love believes golfers should make sure they drink plenty of fluids the night before a round as well as the day of. “Water is best for that, and you should hydrate right up to the time you go out to play as well as while you are on the golf course,” she says, adding that sports beverages such as Gatorade and PowerAde work as well.
Taking care of nutrition needs does not end with the round, however. “The first thing a golfer should do after playing, especially when it is hot, is replenish fluids by drinking water or sports beverages,” Love concludes. “Follow that with some carbs for muscle energy replenishment, and then perhaps something with a salty component to replace whatever sodium you have lost, and some protein. You can do all of that with a sandwich, or an energy bar.”
Obviously, not all golfers are alike when it comes to pre- and post-round nutrition and the things that make them perform best. “Therefore, it is important to determine what works best for you in training so you know what works best in actual competition,” Love says. “Don’t do your experimenting when performance counts the most.”
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