[Bushkey]

My wife and I are going to a archery competition this weekend. Before competing in the last competition a lot of people had a lot of different advice regarding the right pre-competition diet. What do you guys think and what is your preference.

 

[NY911]

I don't eat before a shoot.

One time I did and about mid way through..........................

 

[Bushkey]

Don't you get the empty stomach jitters.

 

[r302]

Pre competition diet?

I have heard the same thing you probably have.

Don't eat before a tournament.

You need your strength, so eat a big breakfast.

Don't drink anything with caffine, ( misspelled )

If I ate before a tournament, I was going two or three times before it started because of nerves I guess.

By lunch, I was hungry, but when I ate the hamburger and chips that were for sale, afterwards I felt brain dead and it was like no one was home until I finally woke up after missing everything I shot at, so

What I found that I survived best on was a candy bar and a drink, ( soda ), until I was through competing.

Afterwards I was starving, but my senses were't dulled by eating a big lunch.

I'm sure it's different for most archers.:wink:

 

[NY911]

Actually - I have a bad stomach - so I try not to get caught "with my pants down!"

I usually drink a big cup of coffee on the way to a shoot - but latley have been cutting caffiene out of my daily diet - and this past shoot reflected that!

I was much steadier on target and my score improved.

I know alot of the members here better suited to answer this question will give you a proper answer

 

[XCalibre]

what i usually do is i fill up on carbs the day before, like a big plate of spaghetti or some other pasta for supper. that's for the long lasting stored energy that your body gradually takes as needed. for breakfast i usually have something with protein in it, like peanut butter on toast, or eggs, or some kind of meat like bacon, although that's quite greasy, or some ham or something. protein helps with the muscle growth and maintenance. that's what was explained to me, anyways i've survied thus far by doing that...

 

[XCalibre]

although some days i just pretty much wing it, and i'm fine with that too. the most important thing i think is to stay properly hydrated. drink plenty of water.

 

[AT_X_HUNTER]

If you were running a marathon, swimming, playing ball, or something like that I'd say you should eat a specific diet. But if you were already training for such an event you would have already been on a diet. Eat and drink what you do normally, just don't over-do it. Personally I just try to avoid really greasy foods and I normally don't drink much pop. If you are going to compete you need to be focused on your shooting, not all of the other little things that can only cause a train wreck in your head. Just go and have fun, stay relaxed and you'll do just fine. Good luck.

 

[Bushkey]

I have heard that Magnesium capsules have a calming effect if used prior to shooting. Have any of u guys used calming medication and/or is it legal.

 

[Ausie]

As a field shooter I personally like a breakfast that will keep me going all day with nibbling as I go so I start with Bacon and eggs fried tomato toast decaff and a quiver full of muesli bars lots of water. Needless to say I am not suffering from anorexia and don’t intend to, for people I train who resemble athletes I suggest a lo Gi diet with constant top ups to maintain a constant blood sugar level. Fluid intake is the main area to watch as dehydration will cause loss of concentration, poor motor function and a variety of other complaints including Hart failure in high temperatures
Cheers
Peter

 

[AlChick]

I'm a diabetic and if I eat before a competition my blood sugar gets too high and I get the jitters. I usually drink one of those low carb (Adkins) shakes about an hour before I compete and another about a half hour later. That usually sustains me until I'm done and can eat what I want. For an all day field shoot I take another shake and a banana in between rounds.

Actually, I shoot best if I feel a bit hungry and a bit tired.

 

[jmcginnis]

I used to wing it but i found out over the years that some guidelines do help. You should eat breakfast to wake up your system and get it evened out before the shoot. I stay away from caffeine but if u drink it regularly that may not be a good idea, drink lots of water, pop makes you sweat like a pig, and have a little snack to carry around with you just to keep everything even. I find if I do that than what I eat for lunch has less of an effect since my body is already dealing with food. Also, get LOTS of sleep and have a fair amount of time to get your eyes opn before you have to start.

 

[Dave]

My 2 cents

Not that i'm the greatest coach in the world but I know a few things. I wouldn't change a thing. If you change the chemical balance in your body your body will react to it. The more you keep things the same the more your mind and body will be the same. You're going to have a few differences in your mental state becaue of pre contast jitters. Eat what you normally eat and drink what you normaly drink.If you think you're just going to shoot at the range then that's how your body and mind will react.

Dave:darkbeer:

 

[Daniel Boone]

I like the advice from Lanny Bassham

Dont change your eating habits. Your use to practicing/shooting on your normal routine. Why change the day of the shoot.

I agree with this. I keep it as normal as any other day.

 

[Christopher Lee]

My diet on shoot day is exactly the same as every other day. I'm a breakfast guy so I religiously stick to what I usually have for BF everyday, which is normally a rice dish, stewed vegetables, a light protein and an egg.

The only thing that's different is I always bring along a pack of mixed nuts (natural) as well as a large pack of fried noodles to nibble on. This lasts throughout the day as we almost always do not get to have lunch or our next meal till at least 2 - 4 pm (the latest I've ever seen was close to 7.30pm!!!).

Hydration is the major problem as we're constantly between 30 - 35 deg and always above 85% humidity. I normally carry along a total of about 3 liters of cold water, 1.25 liters of isotonic drink as well as about 500 ml of iced coffee. This usually gets my by the entire day.