Graphic by Tula Winton
By Norah Lubeck and Saul Janiak-Stein
A dozen donuts, a Costco pizza, a handful of almonds, a glass of water, or nothing at all.
As Riverside’s lacrosse players described what they eat before games, it quickly became clear that their choices vary widely.
“I have a peanut butter and Nutella sandwich with bananas in it,” senior Nathan Martin said.
“Almonds are one of my go-tos. [They’re] good for both short and long-term energy,” senior Ziyad Jenkins said. “And some fruit.”
“[I eat] Cheez-Its on the bus,” junior Hazel Baumgart said.
“[I eat] a dozen donuts from Harris Teeter,” senior John Mader said.
“I like a white Monster,” sophomore Zakariyya El-Genk said.
“[My favorite pregame meal is] probably pasta, then I feel really energized,” sophomore Rose Mills said.
Erin Samuels, Riverside’s athletic trainer, said athletes should keep a few things in mind when eating meals before a game.
“We know that athletes should be eating a decent amount of carbs because carbs are what the body needs for energy,” she said, “About 20-30 grams of protein is also important pre-game just to make sure your body has pre-game energy as well as stored energy that you can use as the game progresses.”
Some of the players focus on eating things that will prevent muscle cramps. Senior Jonah Morgan and others say that they like to enjoy bananas.
“A glass of water, and maybe a banana,” Morgan said. “The potassium is good for cramps.”
Samuels pointed out some flaws in this pregame meal.
“[It’s] definitely not enough calories, so they’re going to [have] increased chance of cramping,” she said. “If it’s hot outside, [they can get] heat exhaustion, just because there’s not enough calories in that pregame meal.”
Samuels debunked a common myth that bananas contain a lot of potassium.
“Potassium is part of our five electrolytes. The problem is that bananas are very low in potassium. [Bananas] do not have a lot of potassium; that is a very commonly accepted myth.”
Other players, like sophomore Noah Larkins, agree that cramps are one thing to look out for when choosing what to eat before a game.
“I would probably say a Costco protein bar and some fruit snacks, and then some water. I think it gives me energy and makes it so I don’t cramp,” says Larkins.
Samuels gave some advice to athletes to get in all of the necessary electrolytes.
“Surprisingly, kiwi has a lot of potassium compared to bananas, but just making sure you eat a well-balanced diet,” she said. “In the States, we have a lot of additives in our foods, so they’re gonna add your electrolytes into your food groups. And even just making sure instead of water you’re doing a liquid IV or any other electrolytes is a great option.”
The athletes believe some of their pre-game food options affect their performance. While eating Costco pizza before a game might be enjoyable in the moment, players feel the effect during the game. When asked how it affects their performance, multiple players, such as Sebastian Cruz, responded similarly.
“Definitely negatively,” Sebastian said.
Other players like junior Keenan Craft had the same experience with different foods. Craft said one good pre-game meal would be to eat tacos, but mid-game feels differently. “Negative. Doesn’t help, but it’s good.”
Whether or not Nutrition is really on the minds of our players before and after games, what we put in our bodies via drinking might be a larger problem than eating. Energy drinks are widespread and popular among all students, especially athletes. Players like Zach El-Genk, Georgie Armstrong, and Nora Heffernan, for example, all enjoy different energy drinks such as Alani and Monster.
“We need an Alani before a game.” A group of members on the women’s lacrosse team agreed.
Junior Norah Heffernan drinks a Red Bull before her games.
“[I have] a red bull, that’s my meal. She said,
“[It has] a negative effect.”
Coach Samuel doesn’t like energy drinks.
“Energy drinks are not great. Most sports that were playing involve a lot of cardiovascular aspects too, so with that, if you just think about it in general, caffeine and energy is going to make your heart rate spike already, so now you’re already starting close to your max heart rate.” She noted on the effects of energy drinks on game performance.
“Then when you start exercising, it’s a lot easier to go over your maximum heart rate. And there is actually a ban for it within the NCHSAA (North Carolina High School Athletic Association), so if you ever have your energy drinks on the sidelines, understand all of our games are now videoed so you could actually get fined and everything from the state and pulled if caught drinking energy drinks during of before the game.”
Whether the diet of the Riverside lacrosse athletes is correlated to their performance is still not fully known. The men’s lacrosse team is currently undefeated at 7-0, with a winning streak. The women’s loss team record is 1-8.
(Top) Nora Heffernan protects the ball during a game versus Chapel Hill. (Bottom) Men’s lacrosse players practice the day before a game against Cary High School. Photos by Norah Lubeck and Saul Janiak Stein
