How an athlete prepares for games directly impacts gameday performance. Fueling your body properly before big games allows you to perform better, recover faster, and minimize unnecessary inflammation in the body. Treat your body well and we’re certain you’ll reap the benefits. Here’s how Tom prepares for football games — this routine can easily be applied or adapted for race days or game days for any sport. Let's go!
The Night Before
Tom follows the 80/20 rule: Fill 80% of your plate with plant-based food (such as vegetables and grains) and the remaining 20% with a lean protein like wild-caught fish or organic chicken. Eating whole foods is paramount before games—additives and artificial ingredients can lead to inflammation so Tom is careful to eat foods that are grown rather than manufactured.
Tom also makes sure to drink plenty of water the night leading up to games. Hydration is key—muscles that are dehydrated are tense and brittle, making them incapable of 100% muscle pump function and putting you at elevated risk of injury. By keeping your muscles hydrated, you increase your performance potential and decrease your risk of injury. We generally advise drinking ½ your bodyweight in fluid ounces of water per day as a baseline, but on days that you are especially active you may find that your thirst levels are higher and you need more water
Wake Up & Hydrate
On game days, Tom wakes up around 6am. As soon as he wakes up, he drinks 20oz of water. With his water, he takes a variety of supplements—most notably the TB12 Multivitamin and TB12 Perform to help him stay balanced, focused, and energized throughout the day. Tom continues to hydrate throughout the morning to ensure he has sufficient electrolyte levels in his body leading up to kickoff.
Breakfast
Tom starts his day with, the aptly named, Tom’s Favorite Smoothie which is loaded with blueberries, banana, seeds, nuts, and TB12 Whey Protein.
On later gamedays, Tom will have another meal full of protein and healthy fats before heading to the stadium—his favorite is avocado and eggs. Eggs are rich in protein and vitamins which help prepare his body for performance and healthy fats help support the heart, cholesterol, and overall health.
Fuel Up!
Before the game, Tom continues to sip on electrolyte-infused water, eats a plant-based kale caesar salad with crunchy chickpeas, and drinks a pre-game protein shake.
Recover
Right after the game, Tom drinks a post-game shake with TB12 Plant-Based Protein and almond milk to help quickstart muscle recovery.
The 80/20 guideline still applies for dinner and Tom’s favorite post-game meal is roasted wild salmon with lentils and veggies. With his dinner, Tom takes TB12 Recover and continues to hydrate in order to replenish the electrolytes he lost throughout the game. As a treat, Tom often enjoys a few squares of antioxidant rich dark chocolate.
