Young athletes often travel outside their hometown for competitions. With travel come a lot of challenges such as organising meals, staying on track with the diet, decreased water intake and stress. Whether you’re travelling interstate or out of the country, your aim is to arrive ready to give your best and it’s important to meet your nutrient needs for training and competitions.
Follow these few tips or hacks while travelling for the best results
- Never depend on hotels or dhabas for your food, always ensure you pack your own food and healthy snacks that your child can munch on the way. Relying on foods from outside might lead to digestive distress and in turn affect overall performance.
- Always start your travel by planning your meals. For example, this is what your child will have pre, during and post-match. This will save you from unnecessary stress and aid in proper recovery.
- Ensure to carry a bottle of water everywhere you go.
- Also chalk out your entire route and study their menu, this helps you be prepared for what you can have at that hotel which will keep your child on top of their game.
- Make sure to stock up on nuts, seeds, fruits, as being natural foods, these will provide your child’s body with good nutrition as compared to packaged foods like chips and biscuits
- Most airlines serve rice, pasta or bread based items for main meals, so if your child has a match in 4 hours, this can serve as a good energy meal to keep the energy levels stable.
- While travelling, the most common complaint is constipation, drinking plenty of fluids and eating fibre-rich foods to keep constipation at bay.
- Limit intake of caffeinated beverages such as cola, coffee and tea. However tempting these may be, they can affect sleep and the body’s clock.
Try and use these simple hacks while travelling to ensure your child gives her/his best for the upcoming match