• Golf Fitness Exercises and Programs to Benefit Your Game
• Golf Fitness Exercises to Build a Better Golf Swing
• Nutrition for Golf
• Flexibility is Critical
• Pre-Season Golf Fitness Training
• Links to other useful websites

Nutrition for Golf

This article gives you some basic guidelines about nutrition and some food recommendations to help maintain your optimum performance levels. A poor diet leads to weak muscles and an increase in body fat, resulting in a lack of focus, poor concentration and fatigue. If you notice that your performance fades as the game goes on then this may be due to poor nutrition. Golfers should understand that every meal has an impact on their game regardless of when it was eaten and good nutrition can equal improved performance.

EATING CORRECTLY HELPS TO:

• Improve body composition by reducing stored body fat and increasing your lean body mass e.g. muscle mass.
• Enhances recovery by building strength and endurance therefore reducing the risk of injury.
• Improves concentration and focus by reducing tension, anxiety, anger, fatigue and confusion.
• Improved overall health by enhancing your immune system provides a healthy production of digestive enzymes, reduces levels of inflammation within the body and enhances energy levels.
• Improves practice sessions and performance by avoiding energy crashes and dehydration.

PRIOR TO PLAY

• Enhance your metabolism by eating smaller amounts of food every 3 hours.
• Eat good carbohydrates. Protein intake should be about half of your body weight in grams.
• DO NOT skip breakfast.
• Fats are a necessary part of your diet - preferably unsaturated. Fat is required to produce energy.
• You should not allow your body to be hungry so eating late is ok!
• The more colourful your meal, the better (vegetables/ fruits).

WHAT TO EAT

• Good Fats include almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts.
• Good Proteins include fish and seafood, chicken, turkey breast, egg whites.
• Good Carbohydrates brown rice, and most fruits and vegetables.
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Both cause fluid loss, dehydration, over stimulate your muscles and affect your co-ordination.
• Avoid eating large meals and foods/drinks high in sugar prior to and during golf.
• Drink plenty water before and during play. Do NOT get to the point of feeling thirsty.

ON COURSE SNACKS

• A good protein bar will have 15-30 grams of protein, 8-20 grams of carbohydrate and a little fat.
• Water and sports water are the best hydration options. Drink often, 2 litres a day is recommended.

KEY POINTS TO BETTER GOLF NUTRITION

• Apply the ‘eat every 3 hours’ rule.
• Breakfast should have a good mix of the right proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
• You should be eating fruit or a protein bar by the second hole, the tenth and the sixteenth.
• You should drink regularly, that intake can vary when temperatures are more extreme. Apply these basic nutritional principles and see an improvement in your game.

We do not make any apologies for plagiarising much of this material – it is in the benefit of the wider Golfing community.