Stay Fueled. Stay Stoked: Pre-Surf Nutrition
If your car were low on gas, you’d start making plans to stop and fuel your car, right? It’s the same thing with your body when you’re preparing to surf, especially a dawn patrol session: you want to fuel up before you paddle out so that you don’t run out of fuel mid-session! I’m going to give you my tips for fueling up before you paddle out for that morning surf session.
HYDRATE! This is non-negotiable. When you wake up, you’re generally dehydrated from sleep. Try to have about 8oz of water before your coffee and then 20oz before you head out to your spot. If you’re going to have a smoothie for breakfast, you can forgo the full 20oz but try to sip it on your way to the break. We don’t want you to feel super full and have a lot sloshing around in your stomach as you paddle out.
Fuel = Calories Having some amount of calories in your system before you head out will keep you energized as you paddle to the lineup. If you have about 90 minutes or so before you head out, try having a substantial breakfast. My go-to is avocado toast with two eggs scrambled with cottage cheese. If you don’t have as much time, you can have a smoothie that’s made with fruit, protein, healthy fats, and veggies! I’ll put my go-to smoothie below for some inspiration. Because it’s liquid it’ll digest a bit faster since your stomach doesn’t have to work as much to break down the food.
Coffee: I couldn’t function in the morning without coffee. Caffeine increases our awareness of what’s going on around us. We’ve all experienced how quickly the ocean can change, so being alert and ready for anything is important. Enjoy your coffee and maybe journal about your goals for your session as you sip. I know some people like tea and if that floats your boat, go for it.
Berry Swell Smoothie:
4 oz of unsweetened oat milk
1 HEALTHY handful of spinach
4 oz frozen banana (1 banana)
5 oz frozen blueberries (or mixed berries)
85g frozen riced cauliflower (acts as a substitute for ice and provides more veggies and fiber!)
1 scoop of protein powder or 20g of Greek yogurt
60-80g or 1/2 avocado
Blend the oat milk and spinach until combined. Add in the other ingredients and blend until smooth. I like my smoothies THICC but if you want them thinner, you can add more liquid. You can also use half of a banana if that’s going to be too much for you.
Next week I’ll talk about post-surf nutrition, so make sure you check back!