As golfers, we spend so much time working on our swings and buying new equipment to lower our handicaps and improve our game. However, we never associate improving our nutrition with having an impact on playing better golf. Adequate nutrition not only plays an important role in your everyday health but also has a big impact on your performance out on the course as well.
I bet like most golfers your typical on course nutrition (if any) is a bacon sarnie with a fizzy drink and possibly a pint after 9. Well, making some simple changes to the snacks you carry in your bag can have a huge impact on your performance and help you shoot lower scores!
Firstly, it’s about removing the sugary foods that spike blood sugar levels in the wrong way…
Now, I know this looks like a scary diagram but it’s really just an basic representation of what’s happening in our body when we consume sugar. The green line is optimum blood sugar levels – nice and steady, limited deviation one way or the other. The high red triangles represent high blood sugar levels, and the low red triangles represent low blood sugar levels.
Simple sugars like chocolate bars, certain cereal bars, sports drinks/fizzy drinks and sweets, when digested run through the bloodstream as glucose. Glucose floating around the blood is dangerous for the body and must be taken elsewhere (high red triangle). When we consume high carbohydrate or sugary foods the hormone Insulin is released to start this process. Insulin removes the glucose from the bloodstream and pushes any excess into fat cells (encouraging the body to store excess fat, which we don’t want!). This then leaves blood sugar levels low (low red triangles) which causes us to lose concentration and feel fatigued and sleepy. Once blood glucose levels are low your body then craves sugar and carbohydrate to replenish them and the cycle starts all over again!
Do you ever find yourself making more mistakes on the back 9 or flagging after 14 holes?! This instability of energy levels is what can contribute to your feeling tired losing concentration on the course! So, what’s the solution?
We need to replace the sugary foods with wholesome foods that stabilise energy levels for 18 holes…
Eating more protein based food and non-insulin effecting carbohydrate (not as scary as it sounds!) can really make the difference. It doesn’t mean you need a sirloin steak in your golf bag but just a few quick and easy snack options such as: protein bars, low sugar health bars, apples, bananas and nuts to name a few. We have made things even easier for you and come up with a simple snack you can make very quickly at home. Take a look at this protein ball recipe which even the kids can make!
INGREDIENTS:
1 & 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup nut butter of your choice (almond, peanut, cashew)
1/4 cup honey
2 scoops of protein powder (vanilla or chocolate)
RECIPE:
- Place oats, nut butter, honey & protein powder into large bowl. Stir to combine. If the mixture is too dry add more honey and if too wet add more oats.
- Roll into golf ball sized balls
- Leave in the fridge overnight and pack in your bag ready for your next round!
We are all so health conscious these days and extending that to your Saturday morning round of golf, not only will help you play better but will also have you feeling stronger for 18 holes as well. It’s the small 1% changes that make a massive difference over time!
Another 1% difference you can make to your game is trialling one of our coaching plans. You can get a free trial on week one of each of our plans right here FREE TRIAL Don’t forget you can also join our COMMUNITY where we have a channel to discuss all things golf and answer any questions you may have! Click the links above to take a look!
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Love the education about healthy eating and also the recipe. Excited to try it out and take it to the course for my next round!
Let us know how you get on with the recipe!