HOW TO EAT IN TOUR HOTELS

HAVE A MIX OF LOW AND HIGH GI CARBOHYDRATES

DO Keep hydrated Take foil so you can take food away to snack on later DON’T Eat red meat on the eve of a match

IF YOU’RE ever lucky enough to go on tour or regularly head away over weekends to play, you will come in contact with the hotel buffet system.

Elite players have everything catered for them, and the temptation can sometimes be too much and people will fi ll their boots at every sitting. However, nutritionist James Morehen, of Liverpool John Moores University, has some tips to help you manage your intake when staying in a hotel before a match. First, you should have a mix of low and high GI carbohydrates during your stay. This will maximally saturate muscle glycogen, ensuring you have enough energy in the stores. You must also stay hydrated, so drink water throughout the day. Regular readers will know that snacking is important during the day too. There’ll be plenty of food at meal times to take away – our recipe below is put together from food you can grab at breakfast – and most professional tours will have the hotel put out foil so players can wrap up food to take away and eat later. As strange as it sounds, it may be a good idea to bring your own foil as well!

Of course, comfort is important. So lay off the hotel coffees later in the evening – they can alter your sleep pattern. Taper down your fi bre intake later in the week, so as not to ‘pass’ so often. And avoid red meat the day before a game because it can sit in the stomach as it takes longer to break down.