A great nutrition is vital for peak performance. Athletes cannot take the chance of eating fatty, “heavy” foods prior to a game. More specifically, basketball is a game of constant motion. Your running, jumping, dribbling, etc. throughout the contest. In order to have maximum energy you need to be rested and eating well. I’ve experienced my game suffer when I don’t eat the right foods or am pressed for time so I eat a candy bar. This article will shed some light on what to eat prior to a game.
Consume Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates are chains of three or more single sugar molecules linked together. Long chains of sugar molecules called starches serve as a storage form of energy in plants and when you eat those plants, your body breaks down the carbohydrates for your own energy needs. – source: About.com
Complex carbs are essential for your bodies energy and should supply 50% of the calories in your diet. Examples of foods in this group are: pasta, cereal, bagels, veggies, peanut butter, bread, potatoes, beans and rice. You should have a solid meal of 2 or 3 of these items the night before game day and also a couple the day of.
Eat 1 to 2 hours prior to tip-off
Eating 1 to 2 hours prior to a basketball game allows the food to breakdown in your body so you can use it as energy. If you eat right before the game, you will feel sluggish due to the food just sitting in your stomach. If you eat prior to two hours, you may feel hungry which will cause you to feel weak. A well tested amount of to eat before a basketball game or workout is between 1 and 2 hours.
Drink water but don’t overdue it
In addition to eating well, you need to drink well. This means drinking 8 cups of water per day and about 14 oz. of water 1 to 2 
hours prior to the game. Keeping hydrated is very important in order for your body and mind to be at its peak. Many athletes don’t realize this but you can overdue it when it comes to drinking water. For more on this, check out the Wikipedia page on water intoxication.
Don’t consume too much sugar
Eating sugar will cause a sudden boost in energy but then, in most cases, a sudden crash. If you want to end the game on a high note and be the 4th quarter hero, I suggest staying away from sugar on game days.
Here is a list of foods I suggest you eat to maximize your performance on game day
- Pasta
- Beans
- Rice
- Bagels
- Bananas
- Fresh Fruit
- Baked Potato
- Cereal w/ milk
- Yogurt
- Almonds
