Travelling

Travelling often brings its own set of challenges. Good eating while travelling requires planning and preparation. Here are some hints to help ensure you are ready to perform at your best.

• Be aware of foods available at your hotel or other accommodation.  Before you leave, find out what carbohydrate foods are available. You may need to take supplement foods such as powdered liquid meals.
• Acclimatise before you leave home (if possible). When you travel from a cool to a warm climate, it may take up to ten days for your body to get used to the warmer weather. You can speed up this process by training in warmer conditions before you leave (e.g. train in the warmest part of the day or in a gym with the heater turned on). Don’t forget to drink additional fluid when training in the heat.
• If you are flying:
  • Contact your airline at least one week prior to departure if you wish to order a special meal. Enquire if they have special meals for athletes.
  • Drink lots of fluids and eat fibre-rich foods such as fresh fruit and wholemeal bread to avoid constipation, which often occurs from long hours of travel. The humidity in the aircraft can also cause dehydration so drink plenty of non-alcoholic beverages such as water, sports drinks, fruit juice and milk drinks.
  • Take nutritious snacks on the flight with you.  Dispose of any unused food before clearing customs. Convenient, nutritious snacks include:
    • Fresh and dried fruit.
    • Cereal and muesli bars (lower fat versions).
    • Nuts or a trail mix.
    • Rice crackers or cracker biscuits.