Let’s start by busting a myth about eating before training and pre-training snacks for high school athletes. Many athletes have said to me “Steph, I can’t eat before practice, I feel so sick” My question back is always, “What are you eating?” Often the answer is, a full meal or something larger than what I would recommend.

Every athlete needs to eat before practice. This is your last chance to energize your muscles. Instead of a larger meal an hour or two before practice, choose a simple, carbohydrate based snack.

Meals that are higher in protein, fat, or fiber take more time to digest. With a longer digestion time, your food may make you feel more uncomfortable during practice. Save these foods for meals that are three or four hours before practice. This would be lunch for an after school practice. You will have plenty of time to digest.

Key Considerations For Pre-Training Snacks For High School Students

Simple carbohydrates are your best choice for pre-training snacks. These carbohydrates are lower in fiber which means that the energy is quickly digested and shuttled to your muscles.

Great simple carbohydrate choices for athletes include: apple sauce, a plain bagel, animal crackers, fruit leather, fruit snacks, dry cereal, or a granola bar. Check out my Ultimate Athlete Snack list for more pre-training snacks for high school athletes!

Timing matters. One of the most important parts of eating before practice is the timing. Ideally you are having this snack 20 to 60 minutes before practice. It can take time to find the snack that works best for you. I call this “Training your gut” which I talk about in my podcast episode breaking down the basics of snacks for athletes before practice.