Nutrition has a direct impact on your performance, especially on the day of competition. While it is possible to will yourself through being improperly or under-fueled, it is not a sustainable approach in the long term. Everyone responds differently to various types of food, so you have to find what works for you based on your regular food intake. You do not want to introduce your body to something that you do not typically eat a few hours before you are going to be competing. You just never know. There are always certain things that we can and can not control daily, especially on the day of a powerlifting competition, but the food we consume is one of those things we can control. 

No Excuses

Bring a cooler with pre-packed food and fluids. If you are worried you may not be able to find a microwave, bring thermoses filled with meals. There is no excuse not to be prepared with your fuel on the day of the competition.

I have read a handful of articles and listened to podcasts of athletes sharing how they fuel themselves on the day of their competition. I found a lot of similarities between these various sources in terms of sharing their methods. From there, I devised a plan based on things others were doing that I knew would work well for me, and I have run with it for my powerlifting and strongman competitions ever since. Here is typically how I approach powerlifting meet day fuel up until the competition is over:

Meet Day Fuel Up

*Disclaimer: The 'typical meet day' layout will be in the context of a powerlifting competition. But everything I consume stays the same for the strongman competitors out there. Throughout the event, I am focused on pushing fluids with carb powder and electrolytes and snacking on fruit and a light carb source like rice cakes or crackers in between events. The flow of strongman is different from powerlifting, so the importance of hydration and carbohydrate consumption between events should be where you focus. 

Breakfast

Upon waking, I like to have a bottle of water, maybe two, with a pinch of salt to start my electrolyte consumption for the day right away. I then get in a decent-sized cup of black coffee and immediately get some steps in, aiming for around 1,000 steps within 30 minutes of waking. Afterward, my go-to breakfast is a bowl of oatmeal with some peanut butter, honey, and a scoop of protein or beef and rice. Something simple with proteins, carbs, and fats that my body is used to consuming. Remember, you do not want to introduce your body to something you are not regularly used to, like a gas station burrito or some crappy drive-thru eggs and bacon. I also like to throw in a glass of OJ and a piece of fruit for extra carbohydrates that do not leave me feeling overly full.

Right Before the Powerlifting Meet

This is a good time to start consuming water with electrolytes. You do not want to overdo it before you even get to the venue to avoid peeing all morning, but you do not want to get dehydrated, either. Once I get to the meet, I typically start having some fruit and continue to sip on electrolyte water frequently. I recommend adding powdered Gatorade or water-flavoring packets to make this more enjoyable throughout the day. When the rules meeting starts, I pull out a full-sized Powerade and ensure that I have it gone before I head back for squat warmups. 

Once the Meet Starts

List of optional foods to consume once you arrive:

  • Fruit (My go-to's: berries, bananas, oranges, apples, watermelon)
  • Peanut butter / PB&J
  • Bagels
  • Ritz crackers
  • Beef Jerky
  • Fruit Bars
  • Applesauce
  • Rice Krispies
  • Rice Cakes

I like to keep it simple when it comes to the food I consume once I get to the venue and the squats are over. Throughout the day, you want to ensure that you consume adequate water with electrolytes to prevent dehydration and cramping. I like to have a full gallon with the equivalent of 3000 mg of sodium and 1500-2000 mg of potassium. Also, I like to have a shaker bottle with  LMNT or equivalent electrolyte levels, with a scoop of carb powder (60g of carbs). I will usually consume this immediately after squats due to the quick absorption of the carbs and electrolytes to stay on top of things.

Then I snack as the day goes on whether I am hungry or not (I am always hungry; sometimes, I just do not want to chew and eat food) to ensure that I stay fueled and ready to go. You do not want to overconsume food to the point you feel like shit, and you do not want to drink so much that you pee every five minutes (you will pee a lot. However, you do not want to be pissing this frequently). I typically avoid candy because I never really eat it and do not think it does much for me.

Caffeine

I typically wait for an energy drink after bench before heading back to warm up for deadlift. I am not a pre-workout guy; I have seen plenty of guys take multiple scoops of pre before each lift and slam multiple energy drinks throughout the course of the meet. You do what you want with caffeine consumption on this day. I am good to go after my cup of coffee, and I do not feel like I need a pick-me-up until after bench time. Meet day is not an excuse to act irresponsibly with stimulant consumption. If you need that much pre or caffeine to execute your lifts or finish the day, you probably have some underlying issues you are not tackling. You are lifting maximally and will feel a bit fatigued, especially as the day wears on.

Be wary of relying on caffeine consumption to get you through the day. Stick with basic foods you are familiar with, ensure proper electrolyte consumption, and have some fun. If you feel like you need caffeine but do not want the jitters of pre-workout or an energy drink, caffeine capsules can also be a great option. 

After the Powerlifting Meet

Go hard. Eat everything you can. That is all I have to say about this.

Drink electrolytes after the meeting as well to help with recovery. 

Conclusion

Learning your body and how it functions is an important part of being an athlete. Knowing what to fuel yourself with to help maximize performance should be highly important if you want to progress consistently in the long term. I wanted to develop a nutritional system for myself that I knew I could rely on and not have to ever think twice about during competition so that I could perform at my highest level every time I competed. This guide may not work for everyone based on preferences or allergies. Still, it was drawn from an accumulation of top-level competitors that shared many similarities in their approach to fueling for performance that I then plugged in for myself and experimented with for several competitions with which I have had success.

I know what works for me, and I do not deviate from my plan leading up to and on the day of the event. It may take some time, but I highly encourage you to experiment and find what a typical meet day looks like from a fueling standpoint so you can put yourself in a better position to maximize your performance.

Jackson Abe is a strength and conditioning coach who competes in powerlifting and is looking to start competing in strongman in the next year. Originally from Bellevue, NE, he now lives in Fairbury, NE. He played collegiate football at Doane University in Nebraska. Currently, he works as a personal trainer at Hilltop Fitness & Performance in Crete, NE, and serves as the strength coach for Crete High's football team, where he is also a member of the varsity coaching staff. He holds a BA in Health and Physical Education and is a Certified Specialist in Strength and Conditioning (SSC).