Episode 47 – Nutrition For A Powerlifting Meet Day

Key Topics Covered

Avoid doing things that make you feel worse

Focus on foods you know and tolerate well and have practiced before around training
Nailing your nutrition can mean that you perform the best you can on the day, maybe even adding an extra few kilos to your total
BUT not fueling correctly can mean absolutely tanking on the day and running out of gas far too early – if you are going to pull a max deadlift at the end of a 5-8 hour day of lifting, you want to be well fueled and hydrated throughout

Focus on foods to fuel performance:

These are usually:

High carb – Best source of energy
Low fiber – Makes it easier to digest, which means less food sitting in your stomach
Low/moderate protein – Try to keep it similar to your usual intake
Low/moderate fat intake – Makes it easier to digest

So it is probably going to look a little different from your day to day nutrition

Consider low-FODMAP foods

If GI distress is risk – low FODMAP foods on the day (and the day before) could help reduce the risk of this in some cases
This is obviously not relevant for everybody but can be useful if you tend to have a bit of a nervous belly or are worried about an IBS flare up on the day
This could look like going for:
- low FODMAP grains – rice and oats over bread products
- No onion, garlic
- Low FODMAP fruits and avoiding dried fruit, fruit juice
- Low lactose dairy products only etc.
- But don’t just reduce your carb intake! You still want a focus on high carb foods pre comp day and on comp day – might be best to consult with a sports dietitian

Caffeine

5-7mg/kg of caffeine per day is evidence based range prior to a 1RM
It literally improves power production – the research shows as much as 3-4% improvement in 1RM
5-7mg would be 500-700mg for a 100kg athlete. This is a lot.
- 1x 500ml Monster is 160mg.
- 1x serve (usually 2x scoops) of pre-workout is often 300mg.
- 1x shot of coffee is ~80mg (but super variable)
- 1x NoDoz is 100mg.
But a meet is typically 3-6 hours long which presents logistical challenges. Do you go higher than this? Are there downsides to going higher and drawing it out for longer?
Caffeine peaks in your system after 30–60 minutes normally (quicker if using some techniques e.g. gum). If you have a multiple comps and feel tired later on, potentially “top it up”.
This is a personal preference thing. Most people at some stage should probably try going this high to see if it helps. But it can be detrimental for some people.

Hydration

Losing just 2% of your bodyweight through dehydration can lead to significant decreases in performance & cognitive function as well as increased perception of effort (hello warm ups and openers feeling harder than they should – leading to lack of confidence)
So being hydrated is a no-brainer
It becomes more complex if a weight cut has been done, since we want to then be factoring in fluid, electrolytes and carbohydrates
This would probably be too in-depth for this podcast, but it was covered in Episode 16 on Nutrition for Making Weight
General recommendations would be to have adequate fluid intake in the days leading up (unless actively doing a weight cut), hydrate well after weigh in, the morning of and sip on fluids throughout the day

Timing of food

Timing of food can be based mostly on how you feel throughout the day since it is so variable
But ideally breakfast is planned at time that suits the schedule e.g. maybe 2 hours before lifting (if it is a morning start)
The first lot of caffeine 15 min before squat openers
Snacks throughout squats, and then throughout the day.
Top-up caffeine throughout the day.
Then an easily digestible meal directly post bench press.

Common Snacks We Recommend

Useful Links/ Resources

Studies Mentioned