What should a young athlete eat before a game?
It's one of the most common questions we hear from parents, especially when you're trying to find something that's quick, tastes good and your teenager will actually eat.
While protein gets a lot of attention in sports nutrition, carbohydrates are particularly important before exercisebecause they provide fuel for working muscles.
That's why our DYVAL Banana Energy Protein Shake isn't just a protein shake.
It combines carbohydrate-rich banana, oats and honey with milk and DYVAL Protein Powder to create an easy pre-game option for young athletes.
Why are carbohydrates important before sport?
If your teen has football, netball, basketball, athletics or another high-intensity sport ahead of them, they need energy to perform.
Carbohydrate is an important fuel source during moderate and high-intensity exercise.
Foods such as:
- bananas
- oats
- rice
- pasta
- bread
- potatoes
- fruit
can all form part of a young athlete's pre-game nutrition.
This is also why pre-game nutrition shouldn't be all about protein.
Protein is important for growing and active bodies, but before a game we also want to make sure an athlete is getting enough carbohydrate to help fuel the work they're about to do.
DYVAL Banana Energy Protein Shake
Best for: PRE-GAME OR PRE-TRAINING
Ingredients
- ½ serve (15g) DYVAL Chocolate Protein Powder
- 1 medium banana
- 30g rolled oats
- 1 tbsp honey
- 250ml milk
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- Handful of ice
Method
Add all ingredients to a blender.
Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
Pour into a glass and serve immediately.
Approximate nutrition per shake:
Calories: ~440 calories
Protein: ~25g
Carbohydrates: ~64g
Fat: ~13g
Nutrition will vary depending on the milk and ingredient brands used.
What makes this a good pre-game shake?
We've deliberately made this shake different from a traditional high-protein smoothie.
Banana
Bananas provide carbohydrate and are an incredibly easy ingredient to add to a pre-game meal or snack. They also give the shake its creamy texture and natural sweetness.
Oats
Oats provide additional carbohydrate and make the shake more substantial, which is useful when you're having it a few hours before exercise rather than immediately before a game.
Honey
Honey provides a simple source of carbohydrate and a little extra sweetness - something most teenagers aren't going to complain about!
DYVAL Protein Powder
Half a serve of DYVAL Chocolate Protein Powder adds approximately 11.35g of protein to the shake.
A full 30g serve of DYVAL contains 22.7g protein, 1.6g carbohydrate, 2.9g fat and just 0.3g sugar.
Milk
Milk adds additional protein and carbohydrate, as well as helping create a smooth, creamy shake.
Together, these ingredients create a shake containing both carbohydrate and protein, rather than focusing on protein alone.
When should a young athlete have this shake?
Because this shake contains oats, milk, protein and a reasonable amount of food, we'd position it as a pre-game meal or substantial snack rather than something to drink immediately before kick-off.
As a general guide, aim to have it around 2-3 hours before a game or hard training session.
That gives the athlete time to digest it before they start exercising.
If they're eating much closer to game time, a smaller, carbohydrate-rich snack may be more appropriate.
Individual tolerance matters too. Game day is not the time to suddenly introduce a completely new pre-game routine.
Do young athletes actually need protein powder?
Protein powder isn't essential for young athletes.
A well-balanced diet should always be the foundation of sports nutrition, and protein can come from everyday foods including eggs, dairy, meat, fish, legumes, tofu, nuts and seeds.
Where a protein powder can be useful is convenience.
Teenagers can have incredibly busy schedules. Between school, travel, homework and training, there are days when preparing a full meal isn't practical.
A smoothie can be an easy way to combine several foods into one convenient pre-training option.
DYVAL Protein Powder is an organic pea protein with a complete amino acid profile. The finished DYVAL Chocolate Protein Powder provides 22.7g of protein per 30g serve and is low in sugar.
Don't forget hydration
Food is only one part of preparing for sport.
Young athletes should also arrive at training and games well hydrated, rather than trying to catch up by drinking a huge amount immediately before they start.
Encourage regular fluid intake across the day, particularly on hot days or when your athlete has a long or intense training session ahead.
The best pre-game nutrition doesn't need to be complicated.
For many young athletes, the goal is simply to arrive at their game or training session:
Fuelled. Hydrated. Ready to perform.
This DYVAL Banana Energy Protein Shake combines banana, oats and honey for carbohydrate with milk and DYVAL Protein Powder for protein, making it a simple option when you need something quick before sport.
Because ultimately, young athletes don't just need protein.
They need fuel to do the work.