Top IRFU nutritionist on the best meals to eat before a match

Beans on toast before bed-time? Only your body would thank you for something like that.

As we have noted on these pages before, rugby players need a lot of calories and carbohydrates in their system to get through a match. Food is fuel and selecting the right meal could provide that extra couple of per cent. IRFU performance nutritionist Nora Ní Fhlannagain has offered some great tips as part of the In Touch series. This month, Ní Fhlannagain tackles a question that has caused many a player pause for thought - What time should rugby players stop eating before bed? She answers:

"There is really no [set] time you should stop eating before bed. In fact, having a high protein bed-time snack - like beans on toast or yoghurt with berries - will help young players get the calories they need to fuel their training, as well as protein to help their muscles grow and repair into the night."

Ní Fhlannagain has also given an insight into the pre-match meals preferred by Ireland's senior stars. She says:

"The best pre-match meal is one you are really familiar with and sits well in your stomach. "Two favourite options of the Irish team are spaghetti bolognese and chicken with sweet potatoes. Some players find it difficult to take on a big meal so they prefer to have a selection of small snacks, like porridge and pancakes. "A pre-match meal should focus on healthy carbohydrates and you should eat it about three hours before kick-off."