Besides being physically and mentally ready for the game, a professional golfer should not let slip his guard on the importance of eating well, especially nutritionally speaking, before an all-important competition.

It is easy to think that nutrition is not important as golf, unlike other sports, is much less physically demanding and strenuous. Well you are so wrong as in all very demanding sports, playing a competitive round of golf does burn a lot of calories and your body system, like the engine of a car, needs to be fine tuned and filled with the right fuel mix before it can perform at its optimal best.

The key to a eating well before a game is to load up with complex carbohydrate, the night before the game – a meal that consists of potatoes, rice, pasta and for breakfast, porridge, and low-sugared cereal. Just before you began to feel the in-between strokes pangs, you may also want to stock up with a muesli bar and plenty of fluids to keep it at bay.

For a pre-round meal, consider food types that are high in carbohydrates, low in fats and a moderate amount of protein (about 400 to 500 calories). This may include in your elaborate menu bran flakes, a glass of juice, banana, and a piece of bread spread thinly with your low-sugared jam. During the round, a high- carb snack bar that is low in fat and protein would suffice. Bananas, pretzels, raisins are some examples. Finally, for post-round, high-carb, moderate-protein snack like unsalted almonds and a chicken sandwich make are some favorites that you may consider.

The most important meal for golfers is undoubtedly breakfast. So, even if you are teeing off after lunch, one should not miss breakfast, as it can be a very good source of vitamins and energy. Some of these include cereals that have been fortified with minerals and vitamins. Cereal (low in sugar), with non-fat milk, or low-fat yoghurt, fresh fruits or juice, and a piece of break with jam, makes an ideal breakfast meal for the golfer. This is because while the carbohydrates provide energy quickly, help to maintain blood-sugar level s, it also reduces the feeling of fullness and bloated-ness.

Finally, dehydration is also a big concern for golfers, especially this part of the world. At all cost, alcohol should be avoided before a game because of the diuretic effect. Water, is, the best choice, before and after a game, to replenish the fluid that was lost during a game. What about sports drinks? They are fine as a replacement for lost electrolytes (sodium and potassium) through perspiration. As a rule of a thumb, drink at least 16 ounces of water ( a typical bottle) two hours before a game, and at least 32 ounces of water or sports drink during game. Ideally it should be 16 ounces per hour of activity.

Lincoln Chua, adapted from Golf Asia, Nov 2007