What Should Cricketers Eat on Match Days?

Diet Chart for Cricketers – Know What Fuels Them on Field

Meta Description: Cricket, just like any other game or sport, requires energy, strength, and stamina for optimum performance. Know what a player should eat during match days.

Intensity of a cricketer’s schedule depends on whether he is playing or training, and on his role on the field. Based on these factors, the player needs to plan for recovery between sessions to ensure flawless performance. This, in turn, impacts the timing and type of meals that he needs to consume. Not to miss, heavier training days require extra snacks for the additional load.

Fluid Intake
The amount of fluid a body needs depends on the role of the player, style of play, and weather conditions. Develop an understanding of exact water intake required by monitoring fluid loss changes under varied scenarios during training time. Also, this is the same time to establish hydration habits that aid performance.

Getting the Pre-game
Meal Right Before going on the field, a cricketer needs to be well hydrated. In addition, fuel up with a heavy meal 2-4 hours before you are likely to go out on field. Giving this much time gap allows the food to digest, preventing you from a blotted stomach.

Some examples of food options that you can consume include:

• 2 cups (or a large bowl) of breakfast cereal coupled with milk
•  1 large (or 2 small) cereal bars along with carton fruit-flavoured yoghurt of 200g
• 220g can of baked beans with 2 toast slices
• 1 large banana and 1 bread roll filled with meat or cheese
• A bowl (300g) of fruit salad along with carton fruit-flavoured yoghurt of 200g
• 2 crumpets having a thick spread of peanut butter coupled with a glass of 250ml milk
• Large (300g) baked potato along with cottage cheese filling and a glass of milk

After this, top up with a snack with high carbohydrate content, 1-2 hours before the
estimated start time. One can opt for a jam sandwich, a muesli bar with a banana, or a liquid meal replacement. These options can also be considered within sessions or when waiting for turn to play.

Note: Keep the fat content low in these snacks. High fat might lead to stomach upsets during the playtime as it slows down stomach’s food emptying process. Also, keep the meal quantity to comfortable one and avoid going overfull while using the training period to experiment with food varieties.

Eating During Training or Match
While prolonged sessions can be tiring and stressful, players are given breaks to relax and revitalize. Players should take advantage of the time to top up with some light food or fluid intake. Food choices should include low fat and high carbohydrate content such as:

• Low fat ice cream or yoghurt
• Low fat smoothies
• Fruit salad or jelly & fruit
• Rice or pasta with plain sauce
• Cumpets or muffins with jam/honey
• A banana sandwich

However, you should replace fluid losses with water or sports drink during the breaks.

Post Match Recovery
Gameplay can be exhausting for players, after which, players need carbohydrate and
protein rich snacks to maximise the recovering ability of their muscles. However, if a player has made many runs or bowled many overs, it is important to plan a recovery meal.

50-100g of carbohydrate content is ideal after finishing the match or training, for which one can consume smoothies, muesli bars, sandwiches, sports drink, or fruit and soups. This should follow a nutrition-rich meal containing food choices that are high on protein and carbohydrates along with those consumed before the match.

In short, performance on the day of match depends on diet as much as on playing style and skill. Also, excessive intake of alcohol lowers performance and must be avoided during match days and should be taken moderately otherwise.

While diet is a vital parameter for on-field performance, having the right cricket gear is another important factor. Connect with your trainer for a tailor-made diet for you and visit Monarch Sports to get the best cricket gear for your next big day.