Nutrition That Can "Round" Out Your Game

A common question often posed by those who golf is "…what should I eat before, during, and after a round of golf? Golf can be categorized as a low-intensity sport of long duration. This means that the fuel your body needs during your first hour or so of play is supplied equally by the carbohydrates stored in your muscles and liver (called glycogen) and the fats found in your blood and muscles. As your glycogen stores become depleted, your body depends primarily on fat for fuel. While this may appear to be a good thing, the reality is that you don’t use as many overall calories or fat as you would in a more intense sport like basketball. But, then again, you’re interested in playing golf, not basketball. So, below are some suggestions specific for golf.

You never want to go out on the course hungry, but you certainly don’t want to have a full stomach either. Carbohydrates you eat prior to exercise are broken down into simple sugar, glucose, in your blood that is converted to quick energy. If it is not needed, glucose gets stored as glycogen or fat. Certain carbs cause a dramatic increase in blood glucose. These are considered high-glycemic carbs. But, as they say, what goes up must come down. A dramatic rise in blood glucose causes a series of responses that quickly shuttle the glucose out of the blood. Carbohydrates considered to be low-glycemic sustain blood glucose levels for a longer period of time – almost like a time-release effect. Due to the long duration of a round of golf, it makes total sense that ingesting a low-glycemic carbohydrate food prior to starting would be a good choice. If you were to combine the carb with a small amount of protein and fat, you will keep your energies even more level throughout the round. This concept is why you see "balanced" nutrition bars everywhere. These bars are typically around 200 calories and contain equal amounts of carbs, protein and fat. A high-quality nutrition bar is a good choice to eat approximately one or two hours before playing. Other "real" food options are a non-fat yogurt with a tablespoon of nuts or seeds stirred into it; ½ c. non-fat cottage cheese with 2 tablespoons of raisins mixed into it; a peanut butter sandwich and glass of 1% milk; a half-a-turkey sandwich and an apple; and so on.

Since golf is a low-intensity activity, therefore is typically no reason why you should need to eat a snack in the middle of your round as long as you’ve eaten a substantial snack prior to starting. A more important issue is proper hydration. Proper hydration is extremely important for all active people, but it becomes even more important when you’re golfing for three to five hours on a really hot day. I suggest you periodically sip on one of the popular sports drinks throughout your round. A 10% glucose sports drink supplies needed fluids and electrolytes that you may be losing through sweat. If you didn’t take time to eat a snack before starting, I suggest throwing a balanced nutrition bar in your bag (Be sure to pack it in an insulated part of your bag or you’ll reach into your bag and find "soup"). If you don’t like the nutrition bars, a banana will suffice.

After you’re done playing, your first priority should be to drink plenty of water and eat a well-balanced meal. Eating after golf is not important because you just finished exercising, but more because you haven’t eaten for 5-6 hours. Even a sedentary person should eat every 3-4 hours. If you aren’t able to eat within the next hour because of your schedule or because you lose your appetite after golfing, take a protein-carb drink. Liquid is much easier to get down and it’s kind to the digestive tract. If you take a protein-carb drink, then there’s no a big rush to eat a full-meal. Just put the powder into a plastic "shaker" bottle and throw it in the car before you leave the house. Some manufacturers have created a powdered meal replacer packet that contains both protein and carbs. You can also purchase protein powder in bulk and add milk or juice to it when it’s time to take it.

The four key points I’d like to leave with you are:

Take a small, balanced snack 1-2 hours prior
Sip on a 10% glucose sports drink during
Take a protein-carb drink (or a well-balanced meal) within 1 hour post
WATER, WATER, WATER!

Christine Karpinski, MA, RD At NutritionEdge.net, West Chester, PA
“Building the Athlete through Nutrition”
January 18, 2000

Source: www.totalbodygolf.com/nutrition1.html