The CrossFit Open is nearly here. Don’t be one of those folks who start off strong, then fizzle near the end because your nutrition was whack! Here are some things to consider to make it your best Open yet.
General tips:
A calorie deficit doesn’t support best performance or recovery. Unless you have good reason to cut, eat at maintenance or even a slight surplus
Eat all the carbs. Carbs replenish glycogen which is what you’ll be burning to get through those AMRAPS
Get 7-9 hours of QUALITY sleep per night
Stay hydrated. 0.5* bodyweight in lbs + 20 = ounces of H2O you drink
Relax daily and make sure to take 1-2 full rest days per week
Fueling tips:
Eat 50-100g more carbs than your average the day prior. Shoot for the higher end of carbs if you were in a deficit leading up to the Open, currently in a deficit or you’re repeating workouts.
Eat mostly starches and grains like rice, potato, quinoa, oats, whole grain pasta or breads. 1-3 servings/day of fruit is ok.
Don’t try new foods and get a case of the disaster pants during the WOD in front your gym bae.
Pre-workout meals depend on the WOD and when you train but aim for 50-75g of carbs 1.5-2 hours prior. If a full stomach bothers you, give yourself more time or eat less. If you attempt the workouts first thing the morning then eat plenty of carbs the night before.
Post-workout: make sure to cool down and crush a protein + carb shake immediately after the workout. Aim for a 2-3:1 carb:protein ratio. Ex: 25g pro + 50-75g carbs. Shake carbs include cyclic dextrin or dextrose. Also eat a post workout meal with protein and carbs similar to the pre-workout meal.
If you’re repeating a workout, eat more carbs the day before. Go light or rest before a repeat and crush carbs to ensure glycogen stores are topped off.
Performance supplements to consider:
Creatine - for the heavy lifting. 5g/day
Carbs - cyclic dextrin or dextrose
Caffeine: for those painful WODS i.e. anything involving thrusters
Final note:
Don’t get too caught up in the leaderboard or whether you had to scale. Give your all and use your performance to learn where you need to improve. Have fun finishing a brutal WOD each week with your friends. That’s what the Open is all about for 99% of us.
Leave any questions in the comments!
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