From Rice Bowl to Podium Part 2

Fuelling considerations for Asian Athletes - The practical stuff

Welcome to part 2 of “Fuelling considerations for Asian athletes”. In Part 1, we explored why fuelling matters and the challenges Asian athletes face when it comes to nutrition. If you missed it, you can catch up here. Now, let’s move from theory to practice—here’s how you can confidently fuel your training with familiar foods and smart strategies.

Practical strategies

Before Training

Eat a meal 3-4 hours prior to your session to maximise your body’s glycogen stores.

Make carbohydrates the star of your meal to fill up your energy tank. Think rice, noodles, congee or mantou (plain steamed bun). Complement it with protein - lightly stir fried meat or chicken, tofu or eggs. Then top it off with some colourful vegetables to balance out the meal. Keep the flavours simple and light; cook your meal with a little bit of oil as this all helps to minimise that sluggish feeling.

Some meal inspirations below. (I’ll have recipes for these down the track!)

• Three-cup chicken with choy sum and rice

• Preserved duck egg and pork congee

• Stir fried tomato with eggs over rice

• Soy braised tofu with mixed mushrooms over rice

• Wheat noodles with pork dumplings and bok choy in a light broth

Stir-fried tomatoes with eggs and rice; Preserved duck egg and pork congee - both suitable for fuelling!

Have less than the 3-4 hours and need a light snack? Try a small bowl of congee with shredded chicken, onigiri with furikake or dried mangoes with a sachet cereal drink. These are gentle on the stomach and provide fast energy.

Onigiri, dried mangoes and sachet cereal drink (make it up with water or milk)

During Training

My table tennis athletes have long table sessions that can last 2-3 hours, with a few short breaks in between. Most don’t eat because they’re not hungry, but tend to fade towards the end. That’s probably when you notice the exponential increase in frustration too, with more errors!

For sessions longer than 90 minutes, you may notice fatigue settling in during the last 30-45 minutes of the session.

The purpose of in-training fuelling is simply to top up energy to get you just a bit further. You know that sensation of tired limbs, dizziness or a drop in focus? That’s your body running low in fuel and requesting a top up!

If you’ve got a 5 minute break, take this opportunity to not only rehydrate, but to top up your energy. This could be: a bite of a banana, few pieces of dried mango, a mochi or a few rice crackers. Sweetened tea beverages or sports drink work perfectly well too, if you prefer liquids.

Honey Jasmine Tea

After Training

Eat within 30–60 minutes to refuel your body’s glycogen stores and to support muscle recovery.