How to Pack a Cooler for an Away Game or Competition

Here’s a question for parents: are you packing the cooler with the right fuel to support your young athlete’s performance?

In this video, I unpack the essentials you should pack for away games and competitions.

If you’re tired of relying on what snacks the team is providing, or end up grabbing a bag of chips on the way home, it’s time to put your cooler to work for you. It can be your young athlete’s biggest ally for their performance!

It’s essential to have food on hand before, in between, and immediately after their event, for proper pre-fueling, maintaining energy, and muscle repair and recovery afterwards.

Watch my video as I unpack the absolute essentials that every cooler needs to have to feed your young athlete. They include:

Water – since it makes up 70% of our bodies, sweating it out will lead to dehydration quickly, which can affect performance. Learn more about this in my blogs: Hydration Needs for Young Athletes and Staying Hydrated: A Step-By-Step Approach to Calculating Sweat Rate.
Electrolytes – high-sodium foods.
Carbohydrates – slow-digesting and/or quick-digesting depending on the factors I discuss in the video.
Protein – watch my tip on combining it for a steady flow of energy.
Packaged Meals – with carbohydrates with some protein.