Game Day Nutrition Guide

An often overlooked and underappreciated aspect of a hockey training program is a player nutrition guide. Coaches will often put the majority of their focus on strength training, skill development and implementing systems, but don’t provide players with the knowledge or the tools to improve their nutrition. Hard work and training can pay big dividends during the offseason, but if you aren’t eating enough of the right foods, you could be seriously selling yourself short.

In order to be the best, you can’t eat like the rest.

Over the last several years, the importance of player nutrition has become increasingly apparent. Gone are the days of Mario Lemieux, who used to smoke a half a pack of cigarettes a day and still dominate the competition. Now, every NHL team has a nutritionist that helps players get the most out of their workouts by educating them on not only what to eat, but when to eat.

Our pro stock products help you get the most out of your equipment, but are you doing everything possible to get the most out of yourself? At Pro Stock Hockey, we strive to help our customers perform to the best of their abilities … that’s why we’ve put together a hockey nutrition guide to help you live up to your full potential.

Everyday Eating

Just because you don’t have a game, practice or off-ice workout scheduled doesn’t mean you can chow down on candy, fried foods and soda. These are “empty foods” that contain A LOT of sugar and fat. While having some fat in your diet is very important, more often than not you can count on getting this nutrient from just about anything else you eat. On off days, you’re refueling your body with energy needed for your next practice or game.

Carbohydrates are your fuel. Foods rich in carbohydrates are crucial for young, growing and active bodies. Fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads, milk and legumes (peas, beans, peanuts, etc.) are all good options.

Proteins help build and repair muscle tissue — they are the building blocks for your muscles! One or two servings of protein with every meal will allow you to get the most out of your workout. For best results, eat foods with a little protein before working out and follow with foods high in protein to help your muscles rebuild. Be careful not to fall into a high-protein diet thinking you’re strengthening your muscles. Too much protein may substantially reduce your energy and cause dehydration — and won’t improve athletic performance.

Water is absolutely essential to keep your body functioning properly. In fact, it’s been found that you can survive for about three weeks without food, but only three to four days without water. In order for your body to perform at its best, it’s important to stay hydrated. Don’t wait until you “feel thirsty” to start drinking water — that usually means you’re already dehydrated! Try to consume two liters (roughly four bottles) of water each day.

In order to meet the energy demands of a hockey player’s active lifestyle, as well as to meet growth and development needs, we recommend that players eat three nutritionally balanced meals, have three to four healthy snacks, and drink plenty of fluids EVERY day.

Game Day

Showing up on game day without properly fueling on the right foods is like showing up to take a test you didn’t study for — it’s great that you’re there, but you likely aren’t going to do very well. Take the proper steps to ensure that you’ll be able to bring your best on game day by following Pro Stock Hockey’s Game Day Nutrition Guide:

Check out the complete guide by clicking here.