How to plan food and hydration before a trial
Eating for a trial is mostly about avoiding mistakes. There is no meal that will make you faster tomorrow, but there are several that will make you slower, cramp you, or send you looking for a toilet at the wrong moment.
This is a simple 24-hour plan built around normal Indian home food, with nothing exotic and nothing that needs buying from a supplement shop.
The 24 hours before
| When | Eat | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lunch, day before | Rice or roti, dal, vegetables, curd, a little paneer/egg/chicken | Tops up carbohydrate stores with familiar food |
| Evening, day before | Fruit and a handful of nuts, plenty of water | Steady energy without a heavy stomach |
| Dinner, day before | Carbohydrate-led, light on oil and chilli, modest protein | Digestible; protects sleep |
| Before bed | A glass of water or milk if you normally drink it | Hydration without waking up thirsty |
Spread water across the whole day rather than drinking a lot in the evening. Urine that is pale straw-coloured is the simplest hydration check there is.
Trial morning
- 1Three hours before: a proper carbohydrate meal you eat regularly — poha, upma, idli, paratha with curd, or bread and banana.
- 2Two hours before: 400–500 ml of water, sipped.
- 345–60 minutes before: a banana or a small snack if you are hungry; stop solid food here.
- 4During: water every 15–20 minutes; add an electrolyte sachet or a pinch of salt and lemon if it is hot or the day is long.
- 5Immediately after: carbohydrate plus protein — rice and dal, a roll, or milk and a banana within about an hour.
What to avoid
- Anything you have never eaten before, including a new supplement, gel or energy drink.
- Heavy fried food and very spicy food the night before.
- Large amounts of caffeine, and any caffeine after mid-afternoon the day before.
- Skipping breakfast to feel light — it reliably costs you in the last third of the session.
- Fasting on trial day for any reason other than a medical instruction.
This is general information, not individual dietary advice. If you have a medical condition, are managing weight for a weight-category sport, or take medication, speak to a doctor or a registered sports dietitian.
Hot-weather trials
Outdoor trials in Indian summers are as much a heat test as a skill test. Start hydrated rather than trying to catch up mid-session, take fluid at every available break, use shade between turns, and add salt to your food the day before if you are a heavy, salty sweater. Cramping late in a session is usually a fluid and sodium problem, not a fitness problem.
Frequently asked questions
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