Earlier this year, you most likely heard the back-and-forth with Brandel Chamblee and Rory McIlroy over his fitness regime. Rory defended his gym time, while Brandel wondered if it could lead to injury and hurt his game. While I can certainly see both sides, it is a common occurrence for members of the media, players and everyday golfers to look at PGA Tour players and marvel at their physique and say, ”What do these guys do in the gym?”

The exercises tour players do have been highly publicized through various organizations and trainers. The more I learned, the more I began to wonder, ““OK, but what do these guys eat?” Strangely, we hardly hear any details about what tour players are eating before, during and after the round. That’s why over the course of the past year, I have spent a lot of time speaking to fitness and nutrition experts, both in and out of the golf world, to gain some insight into the important role nutrition plays in athletic performance.

Look at this post from McIlroy’s Instagram. He only had In-N-Out Burger ONCE during the Northern Trust Open, and it was after the event.

How many times have you been deep into a round and felt your mind begin to fog? Have you ever stood over the ball and thought of something else besides the shot at hand? Well, what if I told you that through research, it has been determined that the mind can lose mental focus and sharpness based on quantity, timing and the quality of the food you are eating that day, and quite possibly the day before? It may sound silly, because most of us are scarfing down hot dogs and light beers while playing, but what you eat and when you eat it are immensely important to maintaining mental and physical sharpness during a round of golf. So if you seriously want to play your best golf, you need to eat the right things at the right time.

First, let’s talk about some specifics as it pertains to the caloric burn during a round of golf. For much of this article I have included information from Dr. Greg Wells (http://drgregwells.com/), Andrew Aussem (http://www.thebarefootgolfer.com/) and Aleah DeBoer (https://www.facebook.com/groups/424296304421788/).

1. During an 18-hole round, the average golfer will burn between 800-1,200 calories riding in a golf cart and approximately 1,500-2,000 while walking. These numbers can vary based on the weight of the golf bag, walking speed, climate and the difficulty (hills) of walking the course.
2. The golf swing is an anaerobic exercise, which is an exercise where the body does not require oxygen and takes less than 60 seconds, including practice swings and setting up. Walking on the golf course is an aerobic exercise that the body needs oxygen to complete. Overall, a round of golf can be considered as low-intensity exercise with intermittent bursts of high-intensity movements where the body uses fats, proteins and carbohydrates for energy and other physiological processes.
3. Primarily, your body will utilize the carbohydrates and fats while it “fuels” your performance. Complex carbohydrates are preferred, as they contain more fiber than simple carbs, digest slowly, and have minimal effects on your blood sugar levels. Simple carbohydrates are quickly moved into your blood, which causes insulin levels to increase. The insulin stimulates your muscles and liver to absorb the blood sugar and leads to an energy crash shortly afterward.

Before a round

Let’s assume a 10 a.m. tee time. Before your round, you need to be eating at two different stages: three-to-four hours before and one hour before.

7 a.m. Three-to-four hours before your round, you should eat a well-rounded meal of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. For example, you could eat scrambled eggs, whole grain toast and some avocado. You would want about 50 percent complex carbohydrate, 25 percent lean protein and 25 percent healthy fats (avocado, coconut, organic nut butter). Healthy smoothies are also great (http://www.precisionnutrition.com/super-shake-creation).

9 a.m. One hour before your round, you should eat a much smaller meal or snack. This could be a banana and nuts, yogurt or an apple. This meal is meant to maintain your blood sugar and make sure you are not hungry by the time you get to the first tee.

During a round

According to Dr. Greg Wells, the best way to approach the round of golf is to separate it into two parts (front and back nine) or even three parts (first six holes, second six holes, third six holes). This way, you can plan accordingly as to what you are going to eat and when you’re going to eat. During the round, you will want to have a mix of proper nutrients, but err on the side of lean protein (edamame, hard-boiled egg, oatmeal, chickpeas, Greek yogurt), organic nut butter on whole grain toast, wheat crackers with hummus, celery with hummus, unroasted almonds, kefir, tuna packs or even a sweet potato mash. We have famously witnessed Rickie Fowler eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches which have a mix of carbohydrate, healthy fat and protein.

• First Six Holes: Eat a banana with a handful of nuts and a few whole grain crackers on No. 4.
• Second Six Holes: Berries and protein on No. 11.
• Third Six Holes: One small apple with peanut butter on No. 16.

Tiger Woods eating some Kingmade Beef Jerky (protein) during a round.

After a round

Due to the fact your body expends so much of your carbohydrate and protein stores during a round, it is important to eat as healthy a meal as you can following your round. According to Dr. Well, a meal similar to the first meal of the day (3-4 hours before your round) in nutrients can be a great way to recover. Grilled chicken with green beans and a baked potato, whole-grain crust pizza with vegetables or even a lean hamburger on a whole grain bun are all good choices.

Hydration

We need water to live, right? According to Aleah DeBoer, dehydration symptoms occur when the body is 1 percent dehydrated. Once these symptoms occur, mental and physical performance has already been compromised. “Mental fog, anxiety, irritability, muscle fatigue, headaches, muscle cramps, chills, and dry mouth are few symptoms of dehydration,” DeBoer says. When you feel thirsty, it could potentially be too late.

During a round of golf, the average golfer can lose 2-5 pounds. Every pound lost equates to a 16-ounce loss of water. At a minimum, you should be consuming approximately 60 ounces of water per round, if not more. Due to climate and different body types, the amount of water loss can vary. In order to figure out how much you should drink, the best thing is to weigh yourself before a round, play 9-18 holes without drinking any water, followed by another weigh in. The scale will tell you the number of pounds you have lost, thus giving you a benchmark for how much water to drink.

A good rule of thumb is to drink plenty of water before your round followed by 16 ounces of water every 3-5 holes. This will provide you with enough water to keep you hydrated during a normal round. If you are in a much hotter climate and walking, you will want to drink even more (20 ounces every three holes). Late in rounds, you may substitute in a sports drink, which contains some essential electrolytes, but due to the ingredients (mostly sugar) sports drinks should be consumed sparingly. Any beverage consumed containing alcohol or caffeine does not count toward the ounces goal, as these beverages are diuretics and cause the body to lose more water that it gains.

1. Upon waking, drink 12-16 ounces of water. This will jumpstart your mind and body for activity.
2. Drink another 12-16 ounces of water with breakfast.
3. During your warmup, drink another 12-16 ounces of water.
4. During your round, drink 16-20 ounces of water every 3-5 holes.

These recommendations are a minimum and you should adjust based on the climate. Most people will need more than this on any given day.

Conclusion

What you eat during a day of playing golf is critical to your performance and well-being. This may seem complicated and difficult to do (it is not for everyone), but it takes proper planning and preparation. If you’re striving to play your best golf possible, start planning out your day with each thing you will eat and when you will eat it. Then, be sure you stock on those foods before you get the course unless your course has the high-quality food items you need.

The opinions expressed by Adam Scott through this article are published for educational and information purposes only, and are not intended as a diagnosis, treatment, or as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis and treatment. Please consult your physician or other health care professional for your specific health care and/or medical needs or concerns.

It is important to talk to your doctor so you can gather all of the information about your health to determine your current status and if you have any food allergies. The information provided in this article are not intended to substitute for consultations with your doctor, nor medical advice specific to your health condition.