Advanced Nutrition for Competitive Play

It’s never too late to begin using the concepts of good nutrition. Most competitive golfers have already learned a few of the basics like eating a small meal or snack every few hours, trying to combine proteins and carbohydrates at each meal and drinking lots of water. However, few competitive golfers have the information they need to take their nutrition to the next level.

A golf conditioning program should always be accompanied by a solid golf nutrition plan. What and when you eat can often have a significant effect on how you play.

So, which foods produce champions and which foods can hinder play? Let me introduce you to a familiar concept in advanced golf nutrition called “the glycemic index”. The glycemic index refers to the relative degree to which your blood sugar increases after the consumption of food. The majority of carbohydrates are categorized by the rate at which they release sugar into your blood stream. The foods are then measured and categorized as a high (quick) release, mid release (medium) or low (slow) release.

Take a guess as to which category of foods are best for golf and especially during a competitive round. If you guessed slow release carbohydrates, you’re right! Mentally your brain needs to stay conditioned to tell your body what to do, not to mention calculating distances, producing consistent levels of swing strength and maintaining focus. There is enough pressure and stress as part of the normal and natural process of competitive play. By using slow release foods prior to and throughout your round you have the best opportunity to optimize your performance by keeping a steady supply of energy and maintaining mental focus.

Inconsistent energy levels can produce inconsistent play. At the elite level of golf, nothing is left to chance. Here’s a look at some slow and quick release foods that can have an impact on how you play.

                          Low (Slow) release                     High (Quick) release
                          Oatmeal                                         Cream of Wheat
                          Apples, Oranges, Pears             Watermelon, Pineapple
                          Multi grain bread                          Bagel, white
                          Cashew nuts                                Raisins
                          Apple juice                                    Cranberry juice cocktail
                          All bran cereal                              Grapenuts cereal
                          Yogurt                                             Fruit bars
                          Raw carrots                                   Potatoes

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