Golf is a mentally and physically draining game, so it should go without saying that players – whether amateur or pro – have to be fuelled properly before hitting the course. Professional players are likely to have a nutritionist, or even a travelling personal cook, to ensure that they are getting exactly what their body needs, but amateur players don’t have that same luxury.
The correct nutrition can be the difference between shaving down your handicap and struggling to reach the next level of your game. Without the proper planning in place before your round, even the night before, you could be set for some difficult and frustrating holes.
Lean Protein The Night Before
Lean protein, such as chicken or fish, help to fight against hunger in between meals. This means that you will feel fuller for longer and less likely to want to snack on unhealthy, sugary treats that will slow you down. Add in a side of fibre, such as spinach or sweet potato, and you have yourself the perfect meal for the evening before a round.
With the prospect of slugging it around the golf course for a few hours, you may believe that pasta meals are the best choice. After all, marathon runners routinely load up on carbohydrates for a week before a race to store up as many calories that they can call upon when they hit those hard miles. However, the truth is that a pasta meal, which is high in starch, can have the adverse effect of making you feel sluggish in the morning which, if you have an early tee time, is the last thing you want.
Needless to say, we also recommend abstaining from alcohol in the evening before a round. You want to feel as fresh as a daisy in the morning and even if you ration yourself to just a couple of drinks, sticking to water will ensure that you have a better night’s sleep.
Breakfast
Who doesn’t love a hearty full English breakfast in the morning? There is little more satisfying than the sight of a packed plate with all the trimmings, but the reality is that a high-fat fry-up is only going to sit heavy on you as your walk around the course. Your body won’t have enough time to turn all that food into energy.
Try to eat a meal rich in fibre at least an hour before tee time. Some good options include cereal (not the kind that is loaded with sugar), porridge or scrambled eggs and wholemeal toast, as this will slowly release energy that will keep you going and feeling satisfied (i.e. not rummaging through the shop for a chocolatey snack).
You were always told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it’s true! Don’t skip breakfast before hitting the course (no matter how big a meal you ate the evening before) as you will soon feel fatigued, which won’t help your concentration levels.
Snacking
Snacking is good for you as it helps to top up your energy levels in between meals, but that doesn’t mean you are permitted to eat junk. Eating a banana just before teeing off is a good move to top up your magnesium and potassium levels, and will do you a lot more good than a sausage or bacon bap from the clubhouse.
Keep an eye out for healthy options at the halfway house, providing the perfect opportunity to refuel mid-round. If you are playing with others, let them have their fatty and sugary snacks while you stick to a healthy yoghurt and/or cereal bar with a bottle of water. You’ll have the last laugh when you are taking home the overall winner’s golf trophy at the end of the day.
Taking Every Advantage
Golf is a game of fine margins, especially the higher the standard you play at. To top the leaderboard, why wouldn’t you want to take any advantage that you can take?
Eating and drinking clean before your round will only make that treat all the sweeter, especially if you have a shiny new trophy to enjoy it with. You didn’t think that Tiger Woods won all those majors by eating cheeseburgers, did you?
For more information on the range of golf trophies that you can buy from Fen Regis Trophies, please get in contact with a member of our team today and we will be more than happy to help.