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Preparation for competition should aim to match the body’s carbohydrate stores of liver and muscle glycogen to the anticipated fuel needs of the event. Normalized glycogen stores can be achieved by a high carbohydrate intake, in conjunction with a reduction in exercise volume and intensity for the 24-36 hours pre-event. This is considered sufficient for most sports events, particularly events lasting less than 60 minutes. Athletes who compete in events longer than this (particularly events longer than 90 minutes) may try to maximize their muscle glycogen stores by undertaking a exercise-diet programme known as glycogen (or carbohydrate) loading. The original CHO loading protocol, as described by Scandinavian researchers in the late 1960s, used extremes of diet and exercise to first deplete the supercompensate glycogen stores.

Recent work has demonstrated that trained athletes do not need to undertake the severe depletion phase to subsequently achieve an increase in glycogen stores. Instead they need only to taper their training and ensure a high (8-10g/kg BM/day) carbohydrate intake over the 72 hours prior to and event to achieve similar increases in muscle glycogen to those reported by the more extreme regimens. Some studies have reported that athletes do not have sufficient practical nutrition knowledge to achieve such carbohydrate intakes and may require dietary counseling.  The pre-event meal offers a last chance to fine-tune fluid and fuel levels prior to the event, as well as to ensure gastrointestinal comfort.

An athlete who is well-tapered and has been consuming high carbohydrate meals over the last 2-3 days may already have optimized muscle CHO stores. In this case, the major concern is to top-up liver glycogen stores after an overnight fast should the event be early in the day. Conversely, if preparation for the event has been less than optimal due to inadequate recovery from the last exercise session, food eaten in the pre-event meal (1-4 hours pre-event) may significantly contribute to muscle fuel availability. In summary, the optimal pre-event meal obviously varies between individual athletes, and is influenced by factors such as the time of day of competition and the degree to which the athlete has prepared or recovered fluid and fuel status since the last exercise session. The menu recommended for pre-event eating should include high-carbohydrate, low-fat foods, with reduced fibre and protein content being an additional recommendation for those who experience gastrointestinal discomfort. Fluid intake is also important, especially in preparation for events carried out in hot conditions. While some athletes may be able to comfortably consume a larger meal or snack 3-4 hours prior to competition, those involved in early morning events may prefer to consume a smaller snack 1-2 hours prior. Liquid meals such as commercially available supplements or fruit smoothies provide a practical alternative for athletes who find it difficult to consume solid foods prior to exercise. The athlete is advised to experiment with various pre-event routines during training to define the optimal strategy.