Is the 19th Hole Ruining Your Game? CardioGolf

Why worry about what you eat before, during and after your round of golf? Because what you eat, can determine if you play a mediocre round of golf or a great round of golf. It may not be the norm for golfers to follow special diets like other elite athletes, but it will become so soon. In the last couple of weeks, I have presented a variety of examples of pre and post round meals to optimize your nutrition to help you play your best golf. Your nutrition determines your endurance and stamina, which are critical to help you play with consistency and power throughout your entire round.

Is the 19th Hole Ruining Your Game?

Don’t let the 19th hole buffet ruin your golf performance

Everyone looks forward to the famous 19^th hole. Even if you shoot poorly in the previous 18, the 19th hole is one that not many people miss.

But loading up on the wrong foods will not only prevent you from recovering properly, but it could ultimately affect your waistline and health.

Even though you are expending energy on the golf course, it doesn’t take much food or drink to put a lot of calories right back in. When you eat high calorie foods, you end up with excess calories and the potential to store fat.

Hopefully, you ate a healthy snack and drank plenty of water or sports beverages while you were on the course to keep you hydrated and fueled. After a round of golf, you should be hungry, thirsty, and ready to eat a solid meal. The best way to get optimal recovery from a round of golf is to eat a nutrient-rich mix of foods within an hour after finishing.

Important Components of Post Game Fuel

1. Hydration

Even if you drank while on the course, it is likely you are still at least slightly dehydrated from the sun, sweat and exertion. Alcohol and caffeine both act as diuretics (dehydrating), so neither are a good choice after a round of golf. The best choice is water. However, since iced tea and soft drinks don’t have very much caffeine, you could also choose those in addition to a glass of water. Be aware of the calories if you choose sweet tea or regular soda. If you have a beer, mixed drink or glass of wine, simply order a tall glass of water along with it for hydration.

2. Antioxidants

Even though you used sunscreen (right?), that sun can still have damaging affects. Sun exposure causes our body to create free radicals in large quantities. Heavy exercise and pollution also have the same effect. The best defense against these free radicals are antioxidants! Load up on fresh fruits like berries, apples and plums; vegetables such as artichokes, beans, broccoli, spinach, and potatoes; as well as whole grains, and nuts such as pecans or walnuts.

3. Carbohydrates

You just worked really hard out there on the course, using a lot of energy. Your body’s preferred source of energy is carbohydrate. The energy you have stored for short-term use is called glycogen. While on the course for so many hours, you dipped into that glycogen, and now that you are finished you need to replenish it. Eat complex carbohydrates like bread, potatoes, rice, beans or pasta within an hour after you finish, for optimal replenishment of glycogen.

4. Protein

Protein is vital to building and repairing all of those muscles you just used during the game. Protein is rich in amino acids, which replenish muscles to prevent injury. Protein-rich foods include beef, poultry, pork, eggs, cheese, milk, soy and beans.

5. Omega-3’s

Many golfers suffer from various levels of inflammation, and omega-3 rich foods can help reduce inflammation. Omega-3 rich foods include fatty fishes such as salmon, sardines, rainbow trout, herring, flounder, and ahi tuna. You can also get omega-3’s from flax, walnuts and canola oil, but they are not as powerful as the fish-based omega-3’s. If you don’t like fish, get a fish oil based omega-3 supplement.

Example of Good 19^th Hole Meals

Post-Round Snack

8 oz yogurt (for protein, complex carbohydrates)

2 T chopped walnuts (for antioxidants, omega-3, protein)

1 cup fresh berries (for antioxidants, complex carbohydrates, hydration)

16 oz unsweet tea (for hydration, antioxidants)

Post-Round Lunch

2 cups spinach and other green salad with artichokes, tomatoes, peppers ( for antioxidants)

5 oz grilled salmon (for omega-3, protein)

2 T light Italian dressing

whole-wheat roll (for complex carbohydrates)

16 oz water (for hydration)