What do Cricket Players Eat and Drink?

Diet of a Cricket Player – Know the Essentials

Meta Description: Cricket is not just a game of strength & skill but about health as well. Know what cricketers eat and drink to keep themselves fit & energetic on field.

Cricket is a game that requires extraordinary strength and sharp reflexes. It demands a lot of energy, power, & strength for swinging, throwing, and running along with agility and recovery speed.

We all know that food is fuel to the body and for a player, the choice of what he eats determines performance. Let’s dig deep into an ideal diet for cricketers and what should one consume to stay firm on the field.

Everything that a cricketer should eat can be jotted down to 7 broad points:

• No matter what, one should eat every 2-3 hours
• The player should consume lean protein with each meal
• Eat vegetables and/or fruits with each meal
• Ensure that you intake carbohydrates with those fruits and vegetables
• Make sure that 25-35% of energy comes from the fat intake
• Drink only non-calorie beverages like water and green tea
• Eat whole foods most of the time except workout and post-workout drinks

Now we know the ideal nutrition composition of a cricket player. Let’s move a step ahead to know what their drinks shall include.

An ideal cricket drink should:

• Have water for hydration
• Must be able to sit in the sunshine and not go off
• Have fast acting carbohydrates for faster recovery and endurance
• Obviously, taste good or one will drink it
• Have fast acting protein for better recovery, retention of power, and hence,
• performance

For Hydration, a player should

• Intake 500ml of water, half an hour before the game
• Sip 150-200ml of water every 15-20 minutes during the game
• Intake a carbo-protein drink after an hour of the gameplay

Now, after the drinks, let’s move to what to eat on the match day

•  Mixed Nuts: Nuts taste exceptionally good and are a source of healthy fats. Those could be snacked easily, and there are plenty of ways to cook them.
• Cottage Cheese: It is a great source of protein and can be used in plenty of ways
• Broccoli: These are rich in antioxidants and can make one feel fresh
• Tuna: It is extremely rich in good omega-3 fats and proteins. A player needs a high protein amount to play well in field and Tuna seems to be the tastiest source.
• Spinach: It strengthens your immune system.
• Bananas: The best snack with a power-packed amount of energy and potassium

A health- and performance-concerned player shall always keep his diet in mind. Even during the tea break, one should know what to consume.

One can grab:

•  Raisins
•  Oatcakes
• Dates
• Carrots
• Bananas
• Chilled Melon
• Grapes

Supplements

Supplements are used to enhance the impact of the whole food. If you are not taking whole food, supplements would do no good. On the contrary, these can prove to be more harmful.

Supplements, considered good to go with whole food, include:

•  Vitamin C
•  Copper Supplements
•  Zinc Related Foods
•  Iron Supplements
•  Calcium
•  Vitamin A
•  Vitamin E
•  Selenium

Note: The food choices explained above is a general plan for players. However, one should always consult his/her trainer for a better diet plan and follow it religiously.

Closing Thoughts
Cricket is not just a game of skills and practice. To stay long on the field, one should be healthy inside as well. Take care of what you eat and drink. Those inputs weigh much high on the quality of output. Add more to your performance with the right cricket gear for your style & skill type from Monarch Sports.