Q.Discuss the importance of diet in sports by explaining the pre-competition, during-competition and post-competition nutritional requirements of an athlete. Mention the goal, the key nutrients and the timing for each phase.
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →An athlete’s diet must be periodised around competition — pre-event to top up energy, during-event to sustain performance, and post-event to recover and rebuild — with specific timing, nutrient focus, and goals for each phase.
Why Pre-Competition Meal Timing Matters
The pre-competition meal is not just about eating — it is about timing. Eat too close to the event and blood shunts to the gut for digestion, leaving working muscles short of oxygen. Eat too early and blood sugar may dip before the start. The goal is a full stomach that is empty of food but full of glycogen by game time.
The ideal window is 3–4 hours before competition. This allows the meal to leave the stomach and small intestine, with glucose entering the bloodstream steadily. The meal should be high in complex carbohydrates (pasta, brown rice, oats, whole-grain bread), moderate in protein (lean chicken, fish, eggs, tofu), and low in fat and fibre — fat and fibre slow gastric emptying and can cause bloating or cramp.
A sample pre-competition meal: a bowl of oatmeal with banana and a poached egg, eaten 3.5 hours before the event. Avoid sugary drinks or sweets in the last hour — they cause a reactive hypoglycaemia (sugar crash) just as the event starts.
Hydration is equally critical. The athlete should drink 500–600 mL of water 2–3 hours before, and another 200–300 mL 15–20 minutes before the start. This ensures they begin well-hydrated without needing a mid-event toilet break.
During-Competition Nutrition: Fuel on the Move
Once the event begins, the body relies on stored glycogen and circulating glucose. For events lasting under 60 minutes, plain water is usually sufficient — the body’s glycogen stores can handle the demand. But for endurance events (marathons, long cycling, football matches, tennis tournaments) lasting over an hour, the athlete must supplement glucose to prevent bonking (sudden glycogen depletion).
The goal during competition is to maintain blood glucose levels and delay fatigue. The key nutrients are simple carbohydrates — glucose, sucrose, or maltodextrin — which are rapidly absorbed. These come in the form of sports drinks (6–8% carbohydrate concentration), energy gels, chews, or even bananas and dried fruit.
Never try a new food or drink on competition day. The gut is under stress, and unfamiliar items can cause nausea, cramping, or diarrhoea. Always practise the during-event nutrition plan in training.
Timing is every 15–20 minutes for endurance events, taking in about 30–60 grams of carbohydrate per hour. For a 70 kg athlete, that is roughly one gel or 200–250 mL of sports drink every 20 minutes. Water should be sipped alongside to aid absorption — plain water without carbohydrate can dilute blood sodium if taken in large volumes, risking hyponatraemia.
| Event Duration | Nutrition Strategy |
|----------------|-------------------|
| < 60 min | Water only |
| 60–90 min | Water + carbohydrate mouth rinse (swish and spit) or small sips of sports drink |
| > 90 min | 30–60 g carbohydrate per hour via drinks, gels, or solid food |
Post-Competition Nutrition: The Recovery Window
The moment the event ends, the body enters a critical recovery phase. Muscles are depleted of glycogen, muscle fibres have micro-tears, and fluids and electrolytes have been lost. The goal of the post-competition meal is to replenish glycogen stores, repair muscle tissue, and rehydrate.
The first 30–60 minutes after exercise is the “glycogen window” — muscles are most receptive to glucose uptake due to increased insulin sensitivity and GLUT4 transporter activity. Delaying carbohydrate intake by even two hours can reduce glycogen resynthesis by up to 50%.
The ideal post-competition meal combines carbohydrates and protein in a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio. For a 70 kg athlete, that means roughly 1.0–1.2 g of carbohydrate per kg body weight (70–84 g) and 0.3–0.4 g of protein per kg (21–28 g) within the first hour. Good choices include a banana with a glass of milk, a chicken sandwich on whole-grain bread, or a recovery shake with whey protein and maltodextrin.
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