Fit for Play
Getting a Grip on Nutrition
Sports dietician Deanna Busteed offers meal-planning tips and nutritional advice to improve your game by DAVE POND
ROUND PERFORMANCE
The food and drink you consume is crucial to performance — before , during and after your round .
“ The nutrients that provide energy ( calories ) are carbohydrates , protein and fat ,” said Deanna Busteed , a sports dietician at George Mason University . “ Since golf is not a high-calorie burning sport , it ’ s important to choose nutrient-rich food and drinks with moderate calorie levels — ones that will fuel performance without leading to weight gain .”
Before getting into specific meal planning around your summer tee times , we ’ ll look at the types of food you should seek out , as well as what to avoid :
GAME DAY
Busteed , who has more than 16 years of experience developing health and wellness programs , offers these nutritional tips for every part of your day spent on the course .
GET OFF TO A GREAT START “ Eat a solid meal two to three hours before golfing ,” she said . “ This will give you enough time to fuel up , and allow time for your body to digest your meal .”
These meals should be low fat , and include around 200 grams of carbohydrates and 30 grams of lean protein . Depending on your tee time , here are a few pre-golf menu suggestions :
• Breakfast : A scrambled egg with toast and a side of fruit .
• Lunch : Grilled chicken wrap on a flour tortilla with pretzels and fruit juice .
If you ’ re in a time crunch and can ’ t get a full meal in , grab a quick bite , containing around 25 grams of carbohydrates , about 15-30 minutes before you start play .
• Examples : Mini bagel , a cereal bar , carbohydrate chews or gels , a banana or six ounces of yogurt .
36 V IRGINIA G OLFER | J ULY / A UGUST 2017 vsga . org