There is sometimes a misconception where golfers aren’t considered to be athletes who are participating in a sport. Food is fuel for your body and therefore what goes in contributes to its output, in this case performance on the golf course.
A good diet can help with a golfers energy levels on the course, their mental focus, muscle recovery as well as their general health and fitness levels.
Having a good nutritional plan is great for on the golf course but it is also important that this start off the course, from home.
The Facts
Society is more sedentary than ever, we have less need to move. At more people are working from home following the lockdown and so they aren’t even needing to leave their home. This means we are also in close proximity to the fridge and this is a genuine threat to our waistlines. (And no, walking to the fridge every 12 minutes in an attempt to hit 10,000 steps a day is not beneficial!)
We are likely to want to comfort eat and use food to cheer the mood, particularly now we’ve moved past the original Masters date and closer to being qualified primary school teachers. This will likely include alcohol.
Here is a maths equation to bear in mind: If we eat more calories than we burn over a period of time, we will gain weight. If we eat less than we burn, we will lose weight. Controlling our intake in a time of reduced movement is the key. We need to have some awareness, some discipline and a gameplan. A weekly menu helps control our intake and minimises shopping trips.
What can we do to improve our nutrition?
Planning meals is a great way of tracking what is going into your body and helping you stay on track. If you know your tee time in advance you will be able to plan out what you’re going to have beforehand. Eating around an hour to an hour and a half before your round is a great way of setting you up, to avoid feeling sluggish and sustain energy.
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Planning what you’re going to eat on the golf course is also very beneficial. Many professional golfers will know which hole they’re going to have a snack on to maintain energy. For amateur golfers this will be a great way of saving money rather than just grabbing a chocolate bar at the half way house.
Nutrition off the course can help golfers who in season might looking to maintaining their strength. This is achieved by regular protein intake as the body does not store this macronutrient. Examples of this are scrambled eggs for breakfast, milk-based smoothies, fish for lunch (tinned is great and cost effective), cottage cheese with rye crackers, chicken for dinner, Greek yoghurt as a supper.
Young golfers are still growing and must focus on calcium. Their skeletons will still be developing, hence the importance of online exercise classes, along with smart calcium sources such as milk, yoghurt, cheese, nuts, tofu, wholemeal bread and fortified cereals such as Weetabix.
Eat fruit and/or vegetables with every meal. Drink water. Opt for wholesome carbohydrates and restrict white, sugary ones. You’ll feel fuller for longer, snack less and then just maybe have enough room for a post-teaching glass of wine should your nerves demand it.
Conclusion
Golf nutrition doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy your favourite meals and snacks, it just refers to being more mindful about how your food can affect your performance. Maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle allows a golfer to get the most out of their round.
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If you have any golf nutrition questions for Phil you can get in touch via his website or follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
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