Chess Nutrition Do's and Dont's

Does anybody have any personal experience with food/drink that hindered or helped their chess?

Some general guidelines

NO atkins diets or very low carb diets while in competition(there may be some situations where these types of diets are okay.  But, carbohydrates are the only fuel source for the brain.  If we aren't getting enough from our diet then our bodies will produce them from other sources-which uses up extra energy which we could use for other things like calculating tactics )

Eat lots of small meals throughout the day.  This maintains a more sustained energy level. 

Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.  Its good for you and they keep on finding new reasons why they are good for you.  If you don't like them learn to like them. 

Don't eat to large a meal immediately prior to competition as you may get tired. 

Drink lots of water all the time.  It is good for you. 

good stuff erikido23! The reason I got to thinking about this is recently a teacher told me that red dye in foods is bad for brain function. I don't know if this is true or not. He said it gives him and his daughter headaches. I haven't noticed a difference and became curious about this in my opinion under-discussed subject. I seem to play well when I eat fish, and I play poorly when I eat heavy meals before play like you mentioned.

I am not sure about the red dye thing.  But, I would not be surprised.  But, the fact that he says it gives him and his daughter headaches makes me suspicious.  It would be very hard to pinpoint headaches down to a something so small.  How do you control all the variables?  Other than maybe drinking red dye.  And that just sounds like something that would give anyone a headache in the right dose.

Fish is great for you in general.  Healthy fats, quality protein etc (and another benefit is it generally isn't to heavy).

Another subject to investigate is caffeine.  It is one of the few proven ergogenic aids(improves athletic performance without training).  But, it also has been shown to improve concentration.  However, I believe this was pure caffeine.  I am not sure if the other stimulants in coffee would have a negative effect.  The other questions which would need to be answered would be things like how long does the effect maintain? 

I've always thought juices enhanced my concentration.

I like nuts and granola bars (not the sugary kind, the healthy kind) myself. You can munch while you play, and they provide both protein (the nuts) and carbs (the granola) without the sugar crash.

 definitely a good suggestion.

Even carbohydrates can hinder mental cognition. Eg a high starch meal, loading up on pasta for lunch will hinder, not help. Avoid turkey or anything else with tryptophan in it, so you don't sleep at the board. Even table sugar, aka Sucrose, will tire you. First because it must be converted to the form of sugar usable by the brain, and after the energy burst wears off, there may be a rebound into grogginess. The true "brain food" is glucose, aka Dextrose, being the form of sugar which the brain can metabolize directly without needing conversion to be usable. So naturally, the answer for tournament play is a slow drip Dextrose IV, available from the pharmacy department of your local hospital or ambulatory surgery unit . . .

Or you may wish to eat a meal of high protein, some fat, and low carbs about 4 hours before play and carry a few packs of Sweet & Low, just in case . I have been told that protein meals are helpful to stabilize blood sugars in a diabetic.

FYI, I've read that the sugar "Fructose", as found in fruits for instance, may be the best form for heavy muscular exertion.

Of course, who can say there is not a great "placebo effect" involved !? ~! hohoho

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tryptophan

Yes it is wiki.  But....

CHeck out the sources of tryptophan. 

In addition, if this post was directed towards me then notice when you say a high starch meal will hinder you that I already stated to avoid large meals and eat lots of smaller meals throughout the day to maintain a steady energy level. 

 Fixed

For those aged 21+ alcohol can have a settling effect for short term concentration, over a longer period or if taken too excess can sometimes impair judgement. Foods I've not noticed any effects.

>:)

Don't drink alcohol it doesn't help ... lol

Caffine in low steady amounts increases brain function but in high short doses shuts down brain function. (Something I read in "Wired")

yep sounds about right .....

I went to Trader Joe's and got their Vanilla Almond Crunch granola bars. They have 8 grams of sugar per bar. Is that good? What brand do you eat and how low in sugar are they?

well it may be a little off  topic but i have found if you make love before chess you do better, just thinking outloud..........do you see where i'm coming from here??? get my gist? no offense intended.....

i never ate much during tournaments, just little snacks of vegetables or fruits, because i always believed that digestion takes bloodflow away from the brain (if thats true or not i dont really know).  but after the tournament i would freakin munch hardcore to replace all the energy i used thinking ( i once ate 12 taco's from taco hell after a tournament and paid the price the next day! dont suggest that at all).  if you have to eat i suggest carrot sticks, celery sclices, yogurt, or fruits.  if you need something substancial, tuna salad sandwiches and pasta salad would be my choice.

it is getting serious now ... I like it