5 Foods to Avoid for Tournament Day

What you eat or don’t eat can play a role in your readiness for a tournament, but nutrition should not just be for tournament day only; it starts long before. Let’s address what foods to avoid leading up to and the day of a tournament. It is ideal to see food as an energy source for any athletic performance.

Make smart choices for your nutrition so your body can function at its best.

We spoke to Professor Lucas Rubbo, a nutritionist by education and the Head Instructor at GB Ocotillo, AZ, to dive further into nutrition. Professor Lucas grew up in Campinas, Brazil; he tried many different sports before settling on Jiu-Jitsu at thirteen. He discovered his love for competing early in his Jiu-Jitsu career and has competed throughout each belt for the past seventeen years. His tournament accomplishments include the Brazilian State Championships (2x), American National Grappling Association Championship (2x), and American National Championship. Professor Lucas received a degree in nutrition and went on to study nutrition in sports, always focusing on his passion for Jiu-Jitsu. He moved to the US five years ago and received his black belt in March 2020, something he says was one of the proudest days of his life. 

PROFESSOR LUCAS OFFERED SOME EXPERT ADVICE ON FOODS TO AVOID PUTTING IN YOUR BODY THE DAYS LEADING UP TO AND INCLUDING TOURNAMENT DAY.

We have broken it down into five major categories:

1. New Foods
2. High-Fat Foods
3. High Glycemic Foods
4. High Fiber Foods
5. Alcohol

1. Foods new to you

Tournament day is not the day to try new foods. We don’t know how foods we haven’t eaten before will impact us. Let’s not find out on tournament day. Professor Lucas adds some thoughts to this: 

“Different people will react and will adapt differently to different types of foods. What works for one does not always work for everyone. One of the biggest mistakes people make is trying to implement something new into their diet on performance day because someone else told them it worked for them.”  

He says that he has seen that go wrong several times, and it is best to avoid new foods.

2. High-Fat Foods

High-fat foods are hard to digest and can slow you down. Professor Lucas said, 

“You should eat something easy to digest, something that your body won’t think about. On a nervous day, like tournament day, feed your body foods it simply can digest, not something highly processed or high in fat.” 

These foods don’t have readily available energy and won’t serve you well in athletic performance.

3. High Glycemic Foods

You want to avoid having a sugar crash. Professor Lucas explains that 

“High sugar content leads to high insulin release. Eating high glycemic foods leads to a rush of energy, followed by a crash.” 

It’s OK to eat carbs, as long as they are healthy. Avoid carbs like white bread, white rice, sweets, and pre-packaged snack foods.

4. High Fiber Foods

High fiber foods can produce gas and bloating, making for a very uncomfortable feeling in your stomach. Combined with nerves, this can make for a disaster on tournament day. Professor Lucas states, 

“You are already going to be in an uncomfortable place when you are competing. Whether you like it or not, it is best not to add to your discomfort.”  

He says how crucial it is to know your body and avoid foods that cause intestinal discomfort.

5. Alcohol

Alcohol should be avoided leading into a tournament for many reasons. Alcohol is a potent diuretic, which means it can dehydrate your body and cause electrolyte imbalances. Alcohol has zero nutritional value, can not be converted into an energy source, and perhaps the worst inhibits critical nutrients from being absorbed. And to top it off, alcohol slows your reaction time and memory functions, neither of which would be a benefit in a tournament.  

Professor Lucas had a closing message: 

“We should, when we are competing, do exactly what we do in our daily routine. The competition is already stressful, so it does not change much going into a tournament.” 

And last, of all, be sure to stay hydrated!  

Stay tuned for upcoming CompNet Tournaments in your region. 

Blog Written by Dawn Korsen - Gracie Barra Purple Belt