Game-day meal plan.

What specific foods should my players eat the day of the game? And what foods should they stay away from to enhance their productivity in the game?

Coach Ed Smart, Football Coach, McClean County High School, Calhoun, KY

Before addressing the specifics of the game-day diet, we would like to touch on the history of "eating for peak performance."

The game-day meal has a gimmicky history. After all kinds of unscientific twists and turns, our coaches and trainers, particularly in football, settled on what became the traditional "pre-game meal" - a steak, baked potato, perhaps a vegetable, and a cup of weak tea.

World War II ushered in a revolution in nutrition. Under government sponsorship, our nutritional scientists evolved the "four basic food groups" and advocated an intelligent selection of foods from all four groups in the three daily meals.

After the war, "health foods" became a billion-dollar industry and flooded the universe with all kinds of half-truths, no-truths, and a dollop of meaningful information for coaches, trainers, and athletes involved with training regimens.

The carbohydrates replaced the proteins and fats as the primary staples of the diet. The red meats were out and the pasta, cereals, and salads were in.

EATING PATTERNS

Over the years, we have learned that probably the best formula for "eating right" is not a lot of strictures on health or energy foods but on a balanced choice of foods from the five basic groups presented in our Power Line last March.

Every athlete develops an eating pattern that works for him, regardless of its theoretical justification. We have had athletes who ate little or nothing before a game, others who ate as though there would be no tomorrow, some who consumed a meal high in carbohydrates and others who gorged on food high in fat.

We have to doubt whether their "pre-game meal" did anything special for them - anything they weren't getting from their regular diet throughout the week.

The important thing to remember is that athletes who believe that the food they are eating is going to help them play better will very likely play better. Call it psychology, call it nonsense, but it usually happens.

For example, we once had an outstanding veteran who honestly thought that the two chocolate milkshakes he was taking as a pregame meal made him play better. He had done this throughout college and with another pro team before coming to the Redskins.

Crazy, right? But he was one of the best tackles in the NFL. Mentally and physically, he had become accustomed to his atypical regimen, and we had to believe that his digestive system had adjusted to it.

We decided that it was our professional duty to change this strange practice. We provided our player with some sound literature, discussed the benefits of modifying his routine, and got him to try a simple but highly recommended meal high in carbs and low in fats.

It made a huge difference in his pre-game readiness. He threw up. The moral of this story is this: You want your athletes to eat all the "right foods" in the right quantities at the right time.

But you cannot regiment them, force them to go against their natural instincts and habits.

What we eventually did was allow him to continue with his normal pre-game routine, but to try to compensate for it in the most important meal of the competition day - which we will go into a little later on.

Most of the colleges and pro teams offer a sort of buffet-style meal consisting of a wide variety of foods and beverages such as steak, bacon, cereals, pasta, French toast, fruit, butter, jelly, honey, milk, tea, coffee, Gatorade, water.

Since high school kids take their meals at home, it is difficult to control their diets. They are going to eat what they are served.

What the high school coach can do is educate them on the preferred foods and the necessity of well-balanced meals. He may suggest the constituents of such meals and even send some nutritional literature home to the parents.

To get back to Coach Ed Smart's request for specific foods to eat on the day of the game, I would start with a don't: Make sure to avoid foods that will cause bloating, constipation, gas, or that will irritate the digestive and excretory systems. I would also make sure to avoid experimenting with new foods and drinks.

The athlete should eat enough food to satisfy his hunger and prepare him for the rigorous competition.

The whole question of the pregame meal has been over-hyped. There are no magic foods or food combinations that will enable the athlete to play better.

POST-GAME MEAL

Actually, the most important meal of the competition day is the post-game meal. We want to immediately begin repairing the metabolic and soft-tissue damage caused by the game. If possible, we'd like the player to consume 75 grams (300 calories) of complex carbohydrates immediately after the game.

We also want him to eat a well-balanced meal before going to bed, with 60% of the calories coming from carbohydrates, 25% from fat, and 15% from protein. Carbohydrate-rich foods include pasta, grains, cereals, breads, rice (a cereal), fruit, and vegetables.

What happens if the athletes get hungry at half-time or, say, during a long-distance endurance kind of sport? There are several excellent energy bars and carbohydrate gels that can appease hunger and help energize the athlete.

Perhaps even more important than the nutrition on game day is the players' hydration. Many athletes go into a game underhydrated, and that can be more serious than the athletes' nutritional state.

Remember, the body is made up of approximately 60% water and muscle (that is approximately 75% water). Any reduction in the body's water supply can wreak havoc on the body's ability to perform effectively.

Some athletes are always looking for super foods to enhance their performance. You can do them a favor by hyping the importance value of water and carefully checking their daily water intake.

To repeat: Water has more impact on performance than any of the food the athletes eat.

How can your athletes know if they are properly hydrated? By checking their urine. It should always be clear in color. Whenever it is bright yellow, the athlete has to beware.

A final word on the pre-game meal: It is not as important as the athlete's other meals. The coach should focus on creating a sound and consistent eating pattern that will enhance the quality of the athletes' lives both while they are playing and for the rest of their lives.

Whenever you are in doubt and in need of some good advice on nutrition, look around for a Registered Dietitian. The R.D. after the person's name is your assurance. of reliability and fact.

Quote from the July 1998 Environmental Nutrition Newsletter: "Don't assume that every dietitian or nutritionist is equally qualified. In some states, anyone can use the title without regard to education or experience." (Reference: Environmental Nutrition, The Newsletter of Food, Nutrition, and Health, July 1998, Vol. 21, No. 7.)

May the Power Be With You!

THE GOOD HABITS TEST

Basic Concepts to Stress With Your Players

Do You . . .

1. Drink at least two quarts of water (8 8-oz. servings) daily?

2. Eat at least three meals a day?

3. Eat some kind of breakfast seven days a week?

4. Derive at least 25% of your daily caloric requirements at breakfast from breakfast?

5. Eat at least one vegetable every day?

6. Eat three to five pieces of fruit daily?

7. Consume 20 to 30 grams of fiber a day?

8. Select foods from all food groups?

9. Derive 60% of your calories from carbohydrates and only 25% from fat?

10. Eat small but frequent meals when trying to lose weight? (Never diet or fast or try to lose more than two lbs. per week.)

SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO: Dan Riley/Jason Arapoff, The Power Line c/o Washington Redskins 21300 Redskins Park Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147