Athletes need to stay energized and up to speed, and need to eat the right food. They need to make sure they have the energy to perform at a high level. Game-day is the day where they need to make sure they are eating the right foods and getting enough liquids in their bodies.
A sophomore international business major, and soccer player Dav Conigliaro, is always making sure he is putting the right foods in his body. He usually will eat his choice of pasta the night before a game to get a good amount of carbohydrates into his body.
“I always want to make sure I can do anything for my body to be physically ready for the game,” Conigliaro said.
Conigliaro does not eat anything three hours prior to the start time of his game. But he does like to get one last intake of protein and source of energy and eats a granola bar before he leaves the locker room to go out on to the field.
He wants to make sure nothing is stopping him from giving his all when he is on the field, playing in a game.
Lindsey Pozaic, a sophomore computer information systems major and field hockey player, has a very strict routine when it comes to her eating habits on gameday.
In the morning she eats a cheese stick and granola bar to get her awake and ready for the day. For lunch, she will eat pasta or salad with chicken for protein so she has a sufficient about of every fro the game.
After the game, Pozaic makes sure she refuels and replaces the electrolytes she lost while playing and drinks sports drinks like Gatorade or Body Armor.
“I think healthy foods are a must with bring a student-athlete if you just ate fast foods every day you would eventually see the effects and become out of shape and not have enough energy to play a sport, “Pozaic said.
She really likes to make sure she is putting the right foods into her body so she is able to properly push herself in games and not be tired or worn out because she did not drink enough water or eat the wrong foods.
She does not want to feel fatigued at all during a game because she did not drink enough water or eat the right foods. When she hits the field she is all in and ready to go all out!
Zach Garcia, a sophomore marketing major and soccer player, has a little bit different diet on games days than most other athletes.
Garcia eats a banana on the day of the game to get a good amount of potassium in his body to prevent him from having any cramps during the game.
Garcia likes to be very excited and hyper for gameday. To do that he always eats a Cosmic brownie.
“Ever since high school I have eaten a Cosmic brownie prior to having a game, they are delicious and it gets me extremely excited and ready to play,” Garcia said.
He does not have a very big meal on game day because he prefers to play on a somewhat empty stomach on the days he has a game.
All these athletes have different eating habits and choices when it comes to game day. They all make sure they are drinking enough water and eat what foods are right for them to be able to play well on the field.
They make sure they get the proper amount of nutrients so their bodies can perform the way they want them to.
