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Maintaining hydration and blood sugar


Peplow530

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On a slightly different note, I've often thought that what I really need at a match is something with a bit more protein. While looking on line for information about protein bars that don't include a lot of calories that I really don't need, I ran across a reference to Tanka Bars, made mainly of buffalo and cranberries and similar to a low fat version of pemmican.

I located some Tanka Bites on Amazon and while the price seemed a bit high (roughly $2.14 per ounce), it's cheaper than jerky and is relatively low in sodium by comparison. What the heck, worth a try.

Got the package today and the box contained 6 - 3oz packets. The sealed packets are shelf stable and have a "best by date" of Oct 2016. Opened one and had a taste - interesting. Light pepper, a bit sweet and tart from the cranberries, and a smoky beef taste from the buffalo.

They are made in SD on the Pine Ridge Reservation by a Lakota Sioux company. There are no nitrites and the buffalo are raised with no antibiotics or hormones.

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Protein, protein, and more protein. EAS Protein drinks are convenient and work well to maintain focus throughout the entire match.

EAS makes a couple different ready to drink products: Myoplex, Complete Protein, and Advantedge Carb Control. Which one do you like?

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Protein, protein, and more protein. EAS Protein drinks are convenient and work well to maintain focus throughout the entire match.

EAS makes a couple different ready to drink products: Myoplex, Complete Protein, and Advantedge Carb Control. Which one do you like?

I use the Carb Control -- but, only out of thriftiness. Several men and women I shoot with use the bigger sizes that contain more protein. The Cafe Caramel is the best flavor in my opinion (no significant caffeine).

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  • 4 weeks later...

I see so Many shooters not drinking anything or eating at a Match I cant do It I have to have a snake at all day events I do not like to stop the entire match to make that happen an hour lunch break can be catastrophic for Me

Just east a granola bar or something between every few stages and Keep the water coming with a gator aid per day works pretty well.

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  • 3 months later...

Ditto on the sugar free electrolyte drinks. I cook up my concoction with crystal light packs, table salt and nosalt. It costs next to nothing to make and I laugh when i see how much Gatorade and Powerade cost. Interestingly it's almost like I can drink half a gallon of it, and not need to go (you know what I mean). A liter of perspiration on average, contains 900mg of sodium, and 200mg of potassium. So you lose a lot of electrolytes. imo, the common store bought drinks don't contain enough electrolytes. I don't feel sugar in drinks is a good idea at all. You aren't burning calories like crazy and going through your glucose stores, like say running, biking or any other strenuous aerobic activity.

Avoid caffeine, it's a diuretic so it will cause you to go more often and that's the last thing you want. Just like alcohol. So yeah, avoid that too :)

If I don't drink like this on a hot day, half way through I'll usually come down with a headache. Water alone is often not enough for me either.

I disagree on protein consumption. The order in which your body turns these three into energy is: carbohydrates, fat and finally protein. Protein consumption during strenuous activity really will do nothing and may be worse than just eating something with carbs, short of junk sugar. The consumption of protein is beneficial AFTER some form of muscle building activity. Muscle building actually causes micro tears in the muscle filaments and to compensate, your body builds up muscle mass afterwards which of course requires protein. Protein during is also pointless, imo vs. anything else you'd consume.

Edited by hceuterpe
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  • 8 months later...

https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2016/4/11/beat-the-mid-match-crash/

This seemed to work well for me.

Also I try to put the right things in the day before the match (bananas, maybe pasta) not just on match day.

That said, I think if a match is the hottest & most taxing thing you do then you are pretty much screwed even if you are eating mana from heaven and drinking holy water.

I'm not as good as this guy "I just stay in shape. I don't really mind shooting in 100 degree weather. I've raced mountain bikes in that plenty of times. Shooting has more shade." , but I do try to make sure that I tax myself in the heat more than just going to a match.

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I learned from triathlon that I need electrolytes. (hyponatremia in not your friend!!!!) My wife and I use Skratch drinks. Green tea flavor is my favorite. I drink a bottle of that for every bottle of water. Sure helps!!!

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Peanut butter and Nutella bagels. Unbeatable. All the sugar, salt, fat, protein, and carbohydrates you need. Make sure to pack them in a ziploc cause they get MESSY in the summer heat.

As an aside, I won't bring anything that is exposed to the air (camelbak valves) or requires touching with my hands (e.g. eating an apple). There's no way to wash my hands, the air is full of dust and lead, and I'm not interested in getting lead poisoning.

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I struggled to manage hydration for a long time. In AZ the heat, wind, and altitude depending on the range can really sneak up on you. Sometimes you never know you are losing moisture.

My trick for long matches is to try to pee once per stage. It helps me to know I am on top of it. Otherwise I would never know until performance already dropped.

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  • 4 months later...
On Friday, May 15, 2015 at 1:29 PM, jeremy kemlo said:

I like to eat small snacks ( apple, banana, trail mix, almonds, dark chocolate). My lunch is on the lighter side (turkey sandwich, sun chip). I usually just drink water, and will some times bring a poweraid. I try not to get to the point where I am very hungry, very full, or thirsty.

I do a combination of this and oral Iv 

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I find my self almost not caring towards the end of the day at a long match and I find a small Snickers bar will bring life back in my game mentally and physically as well.  Thanks 

 

Edited by a matt
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  • 5 months later...

I "try" to down a bottle of pedialyte cut with 1:1 water the day before a match and a good fruit breakfast before a match. With protein and energy drinks like gatorade/powerade during the match. Might use Glucose tabs/gummies to raise my sugar levels if I think its coming to a point where I feel sluggish. Seems to work well for me so far. Except I have to take a leak often but at least I am hydrated.

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your brain's sole fuel is glucose, aka a sugar. if you're not doing anything to keep your blood glucose level stable you're not going to be at your best.

 

if you care about 1/10th of a second in your shooting you should care about what you eat and drink in a match as well.

 

yep, people may do well on coffee, energy drinks or nothing at all but they're also not at their best, they're shortchanging themselves

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51 minutes ago, rowdyb said:

your brain's sole fuel is glucose, aka a sugar. if you're not doing anything to keep your blood glucose level stable you're not going to be at your best.

 

if you care about 1/10th of a second in your shooting you should care about what you eat and drink in a match as well.

 

yep, people may do well on coffee, energy drinks or nothing at all but they're also not at their best, they're shortchanging themselves

 

You also have the option of going full blown keto. In my experience energy levels stay way more consistent throughout the course of a long match when you're burning fat for fuel rather than sugar. The mental clarity is also much better than if I'm consuming a bunch of carbs. Some jerky, nuts, and water while making sure to get some salts is ideal for me if I've spent a month or so preparing my body for it. I've gone all day at matches a few times with nothing past breakfast other than water and have been just fine energy wise running off my fat stores.

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  • 1 year later...

I shoot at a large club so matches can last a few hours. I've noticed that if I allow myself to get busy r.o.ing and such I'll forget to eat and keep my blood sugar up. Suddenly you feel that weak shaky feeling coming on just as you are called to shoot. My shooting dops drastically when I allow that blood sugar to drop. When I bring snacks and something to drink they don't do me any good in the cooler. If you want to keep your scores up, keep your your blood sugar up. Stay ahead of it and don't wait until you feel it to eat something.

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You also have the option of going full blown keto. In my experience energy levels stay way more consistent throughout the course of a long match when you're burning fat for fuel rather than sugar. The mental clarity is also much better than if I'm consuming a bunch of carbs. Some jerky, nuts, and water while making sure to get some salts is ideal for me if I've spent a month or so preparing my body for it. I've gone all day at matches a few times with nothing past breakfast other than water and have been just fine energy wise running off my fat stores.

Read all the way through and didn’t think anyone was going to mention this. Switched about a year ago and have lost almost 80lbs to date. That’s with powerlifting and cardio (fasted) and doing the ketosis diet. It’s amazing and as others have said, zero sugar crashes. I can go 12-14 hours and never feel like I’m starving due to not having insulin levels going nuts. It’s prescribed by doctors to lots of diabetes patients for this reason and works miracles for mental health and numerous other things. Check out “The Magic Pill” on Netflix for more info but that’s enough for my rant lol. Just love how it changed my life and want to share all the time! For snacks, beef jerky with no sugar, lunch meat, cheese, nuts, etc. I’ll bring some grilled steak or chicken and eat it cold with some cheese also if need be. Lots of water and your good to go!!


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I am shooting a CA state USPSA match tomorrow and was wondering what I should consume throughout the day to keep my energy up.
What does everyone out there like to do on the range to keep your mind and body sharp?
I was thinking plenty of water obviously with an assortment of different fruits and nuts throughout the day.
I was also curious how many people drink coffee or some sort of caffeine before a pistol match?



I would consume what you consume on a regular day. If you pump caffeine most days and don’t on match day, you’re going to have a bad time.


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  • 2 months later...

I don't change from my everyday diet all that much for a match. Most days I have a couple snacks, a light lunch, and some caffeine throughout.

 

What I do have to change is hydration to combat excessive heat, and I try not to booze it up the day before (save that for after the match).

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  • 3 months later...

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