Nutrition

Batchwood HPC is able to provide guidelines on what your child should eat before, during and after training and matches. Parent education sessions will be held during the year to provide simple guidelines for you to adopt to give your child the best preparation for their busy schedules. 

What should my child eat before a match?

Body fuel levels are created by food eaten 24-48 hours before a match. The pre-match meal is more psychological regarding energy levels, prevents hunger and keeps glucose levels up. In and around competition a general guide would be:

• high carbohydrate
• low protein and fat
• low to moderate fibre intake - extra during training
• plenty of fluid

Two hours prior to match it is good to snack on carbohydrate rich foods.

If the match is then delayed or if there is a rain break:

• less than 1hr - drink only
• between 1 and 2hr delay - snack bar / fruit
• if delay is going to be over 2hrs then the player can eat 'normal' food.

What Should My Child Eat During a Match?

Studies have shown that it can be a good idea to take on carbohydrate during a match. A 75kg male uses 50g of carbohydrate every hour so it makes sense to replace some of this.

How much the player eats and in what form is down to personal preference. If the player feels they benefit, then go ahead.

Examples of carbohydrate snacks suitable to eat during a match:

• bananas
• rice cakes
• cereal bars

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