Competitions and Food

Daniel Flory · December 31, 2002, 04:33 PM

Chris Rhines and I were chatting the other day about eating before competitions. I normally don't eat anything and I drink plenty of water. I shoot better when I'm hungry. This might be a stretch, but I believe that it may have something to do with animal instincts. A bear is not a good hunter when it has a full belly.

So what does everyone eat before the big match? How does it affect your shooting? And if you pack in greasy food in the AM: 40 Hail Brownings and 2 miles on the treadmill for you!

Navy joe · December 31, 2002, 05:18 PM

Hardees and lots of coffee. I figure USPSA you don't need to worry about caffeine as not much emphasis is placed on staying still. Might have to go to de-caf if I do Highpower. I can't see how being hungry helps. Dehydrated and hungry will eventually equal slow thought, slow reaction, slow shooting. I agree with you when hunting to some extent, I eat very light, but enough to keep my energy up.

piccolo · December 31, 2002, 09:43 PM

I have to eat before a match, lest I tend to get shaky.
I probably eat too much, though.

Steve Smith · January 1, 2003, 09:14 PM

Highpower is a long hard day in the sun. I eat a good hearty breakfast, with no coffee (I am not a coffee-holic anyway) about 1.5 hours before I have to shoot. I usually try to snack when I'm in the pits, with maybe a bananna. Towards 11:30 or whenever I can, I'll cook up an MRE meal and wolf it down.

PUMC_TomG · January 2, 2003, 02:17 AM

I think we grabbed snack food at Wal-Mart while on the ammo run...

Personally... I eat alot of food every day... High metabolism...

If I don't eat... then I get cranky and stuff... but it is generally my routine that I avoid caffeine for a few days before a match. Otherwise if it's just for fun shooting I'll drink Iced Tea as usual...

But I always have snack food around the range with me, and some type of Powerade/Gatorade isn't a bad idea.

stans · January 2, 2003, 08:22 AM

I usually eat well before a match, but not junk food. Orange juice and coffee for instant energy, cereal and complex carbs and protein for long duration energy. If the match is running long, some peanut butter crackers and a Coke or some iced tea for a quick pick-me-up.

Correia · January 2, 2003, 03:18 PM

I usually eat a good breakfast before a match. If not I get shakey.

I shot a match yesterday. Stayed up way to late on New Years, got up way to early. Did not eat any breakfast.

On my first stage my front sight just would not hold still. It was pretty darn bad. Couldn't hit jack squat. Went back to my car, ate my lunch early and did pretty good the rest of the day.

Andrew Wyatt · January 2, 2003, 06:01 PM

I usually kill a lizard or something on the way to the match. they taste good raw.

I usually go and eat a decent sized breakfast, but i don't stuff myself to the gunnels or anything.

in vegas, we get up early enough that dinner is the last thing i eat before going to the range, so that's usually sushi or brazillian food.

Chris Rhines · January 3, 2003, 02:42 PM

I find that I need to keep my blood sugar up during matches, otherwise I get shaky.

I also like coffee, tea, and other forms of liquid flinch. So I have to be careful.

I usually have a normal breakfast before a match (something along the lines of an English Muffin with peanut butter and jelly,) and I bring along some power bars or granola bars if I get hungry during the event. No caffeine for 48 hours before a bullseye match, although I don't worry about it when shooting IDPA or steel. I also bring tons of water and drink constantly.

BTW, Tom, you are going to be around for IDPA this season, right? The club might be putting together a practical team this year...

- Chris

PUMC_TomG · January 3, 2003, 02:59 PM

Chris... I'd like to participate as much as possible... however I will be attending OCS this summer unless something horrible happens... in which case I'll be IDPA crazy since I'll want to shoot something...

Just keep me informed... IDPA is my fav. I'm also going to either build an AR this Spring or just buy an SAR-1 or the like to get started in 3 gun.... either way... I'll be getting more practical shooting in.

December 31, 2002, 04:33 PM	#1
Daniel Flory Member Join Date: December 25, 2002 Posts: 3,741	Competitions and Food Chris Rhines and I were chatting the other day about eating before competitions. I normally don't eat anything and I drink plenty of water. I shoot better when I'm hungry. This might be a stretch, but I believe that it may have something to do with animal instincts. A bear is not a good hunter when it has a full belly. So what does everyone eat before the big match? How does it affect your shooting? And if you pack in greasy food in the AM: 40 Hail Brownings and 2 miles on the treadmill for you! __________________ A major source of objection to a free economy is precisely that it ... gives people what they want instead of what a particular group thinks they ought to want. Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. -Milton Friedman

December 31, 2002, 05:18 PM	#2
Navy joe Member Join Date: December 24, 2002 Location: VA Posts: 2,363	Hardees and lots of coffee. I figure USPSA you don't need to worry about caffeine as not much emphasis is placed on staying still. Might have to go to de-caf if I do Highpower. I can't see how being hungry helps. Dehydrated and hungry will eventually equal slow thought, slow reaction, slow shooting. I agree with you when hunting to some extent, I eat very light, but enough to keep my energy up. __________________ FY47012 , Shut up and shoot. USPSA, NRA, VCDL

December 31, 2002, 09:43 PM	#3
piccolo Member Join Date: December 25, 2002 Location: PA Posts: 46	I have to eat before a match, lest I tend to get shaky. I probably eat too much, though. __________________ other than that, Mrs Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?

January 1, 2003, 09:14 PM	#4
Steve Smith Moderator Emeritus Join Date: December 21, 2002 Location: Southeastern US Posts: 4,402	Highpower is a long hard day in the sun. I eat a good hearty breakfast, with no coffee (I am not a coffee-holic anyway) about 1.5 hours before I have to shoot. I usually try to snack when I'm in the pits, with maybe a bananna. Towards 11:30 or whenever I can, I'll cook up an MRE meal and wolf it down. __________________ I'm strapped like a car seat. TFL Alumnus, THR Plankowner, NRA Life Member

January 2, 2003, 02:17 AM	#5
PUMC_TomG Member Join Date: December 29, 2002 Location: FL Posts: 208	Well last time I shot with Chris.... I think we grabbed snack food at Wal-Mart while on the ammo run... Personally... I eat alot of food every day... High metabolism... If I don't eat... then I get cranky and stuff... but it is generally my routine that I avoid caffeine for a few days before a match. Otherwise if it's just for fun shooting I'll drink Iced Tea as usual... But I always have snack food around the range with me, and some type of Powerade/Gatorade isn't a bad idea. __________________ TFL Alumnus MOLON LABE!

January 2, 2003, 08:22 AM	#6
stans Member Join Date: December 27, 2002 Location: central Virginia Posts: 2,426	I usually eat well before a match, but not junk food. Orange juice and coffee for instant energy, cereal and complex carbs and protein for long duration energy. If the match is running long, some peanut butter crackers and a Coke or some iced tea for a quick pick-me-up.

January 2, 2003, 03:18 PM	#7
Correia Moderator Emeritus Join Date: December 20, 2002 Location: SLC Posts: 10,346	I usually eat a good breakfast before a match. If not I get shakey. I shot a match yesterday. Stayed up way to late on New Years, got up way to early. Did not eat any breakfast. On my first stage my front sight just would not hold still. It was pretty darn bad. Couldn't hit jack squat. Went back to my car, ate my lunch early and did pretty good the rest of the day.

January 2, 2003, 06:01 PM	#8
Andrew Wyatt Member Join Date: December 25, 2002 Location: Bakersfield, California Posts: 3,546	I usually kill a lizard or something on the way to the match. they taste good raw. I usually go and eat a decent sized breakfast, but i don't stuff myself to the gunnels or anything. in vegas, we get up early enough that dinner is the last thing i eat before going to the range, so that's usually sushi or brazillian food.

January 3, 2003, 02:42 PM	#9
Chris Rhines Member Join Date: December 22, 2002 Location: Potomac, Maryland - Behind enemy lines!! Posts: 3,309	I find that I need to keep my blood sugar up during matches, otherwise I get shaky. I also like coffee, tea, and other forms of liquid flinch. So I have to be careful. I usually have a normal breakfast before a match (something along the lines of an English Muffin with peanut butter and jelly,) and I bring along some power bars or granola bars if I get hungry during the event. No caffeine for 48 hours before a bullseye match, although I don't worry about it when shooting IDPA or steel. I also bring tons of water and drink constantly. BTW, Tom, you are going to be around for IDPA this season, right? The club might be putting together a practical team this year... - Chris __________________ http://multigun.wordpress.com

January 3, 2003, 02:59 PM	#10
PUMC_TomG Member Join Date: December 29, 2002 Location: FL Posts: 208	Chris... I'd like to participate as much as possible... however I will be attending OCS this summer unless something horrible happens... in which case I'll be IDPA crazy since I'll want to shoot something... Just keep me informed... IDPA is my fav. I'm also going to either build an AR this Spring or just buy an SAR-1 or the like to get started in 3 gun.... either way... I'll be getting more practical shooting in. __________________ TFL Alumnus MOLON LABE!

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