How much carbohydrate should I eat before a match?

Sports-nutrition guidelines suggest 1 to 4 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight in the 1 to 4 hours before competition, with larger amounts taken earlier to allow digestion. This planner uses about 2 grams per kilogram at the 3-hour pre-match meal for most sports.

Do I need fuel at half-time?

For events over about 60 to 90 minutes, in-game carbohydrate of 30 to 60 grams per hour helps maintain blood glucose and performance. Half-time is the natural window — fast carbohydrate like a gel, banana, or sports drink works well for team sports.

Why does the post-match meal matter so much?

The first hour or two after exercise is when muscle is most receptive to refuelling glycogen and starting repair. Combining about 1 gram of carbohydrate per kilogram with 20 to 40 grams of protein speeds recovery, especially if you compete or train again soon.

Should I try new foods on game day?

Never. Game day is for foods and timing you have already rehearsed in training. New foods, gels, or large fibre loads can cause gut distress at the worst moment. Treat this plan as a template to practise, not a first-time experiment.

Does this cover hydration?

It focuses on carbohydrate and protein timing. Pair it with a hydration strategy — drink to thirst, include electrolytes for longer or hot games, and aim to start the match well hydrated rather than over-drinking just before.

Game Day Nutrition Planner

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What and when you eat on game day shapes how you perform in the final minutes and how fast you recover. This planner places carbohydrate loading, the pre-match meal, half-time fuel, and recovery nutrition on the clock around your kick-off so nothing is left to chance.

How it works

Carbohydrate targets scale with your body weight and the event’s demand:

pre-match meal (~3 h out)  ≈ 2 g carb / kg body weight
top-up (~1 h out)          ≈ 1 g carb / kg (lighter, easy to digest)
in-game / half-time        ≈ 30-60 g carb per playing hour
post-match (within ~1 h)   ≈ 1 g carb / kg + 20-40 g protein

Each window is then anchored to your kick-off time by counting backward (for pre-match fuelling) and forward (for recovery), so you see exact clock times.

Notes

Only use foods and timing you have rehearsed in training — game day is no place for experiments. Pair this with a hydration plan: start well hydrated, include electrolytes for long or hot matches, and drink to thirst rather than over-drinking.