Yeah, eat a light, balanced meal. And keep a cliff bar, power bar, or tigers milk bar in your range bag. Some of the other ones(like nature valley, most nutri-grain varieties, and any bars you find in the kiddie isle next to the pop-tarts) are high in sugars and low on complex carbs. Might as well have a candy bar.
Basically, get your energy bars at a good sporting goods store, like REI, instead of the grocery store. With thier customer base they usually carry stuff that works. Stuff that doesn't work ends up not stocked quickly.
The key is you want foods that release glucose slowly but steadily. Lightly salted peanuts or cashews are also an excellent snack.
It's also better to take a bite here and there, rather than eat your snack all at once. That way your body doesn't try to re-route your blood supply to your digestive tract, and you avoid glucose and insulin spiking.
For us average types gatorade diluted down between 3 or 4 to one is a perfect drink on a hot sweaty day. The way it's packaged by the mfg. is WAY too high in sugars for a smooth release in the body. You're a shooter out for an all day match, NOT a defensive line man that needs 10 more minutes of brutally powerful major muscle movement from head to toe. BIG difference in energy requirements.
