Setting Up Your Kids for Tournament Success

If your child is playing soccer, baseball, lacrosse, or running track on a hot tournament day, a smart carbohydrate loading and electrolyte strategy can help ensure they perform well throughout the day and feel good while they’re doing it.

Setting them up for success begins before game day with adequate carbohydrate consumption and electrolyte balancing.

Night Before (Hot Tournament or Multi-Game Day)

  • Ensure dinner includes adequate carbohydrates (rice, pasta, potatoes, fruit)
  • Consider 2 packs of OptiCharge mixed in water in the evening to support glycogen repletion and hydration

Why the night before?

A study in trained athletes showed muscle glycogen can significantly increase within 24 hours with high carbohydrate intake (Bussau et al., European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2002).

Even though that study was in adults, the glycogen biology applies similarly in youth athletes.

2 Hours Before First Game

  • Light breakfast (toast, fruit, yogurt)
  • 1 additional pack of OptiCharge
  • Avoid heavy, high-fat meals

This timing allows:

  • Gastric emptying
  • Stable glucose availability
  • Reduced risk of GI discomfort

Between Games

  • Continue fluids
  • Include easy carbohydrates (fruit, pretzels, sports drink)
  • Avoid only water if sweating heavily

Important Safety Notes for Parents

  1. Always trial nutrition strategies during practice before tournament day.
  2. Avoid excessive dosing—follow label guidance.
  3. Children with medical conditions (e.g., diabetes) should consult a clinician.
  4. This is not a substitute for balanced meals.

When Carb + Electrolyte Strategy Makes the Biggest Difference

This approach is most helpful when:

  • It’s hot (over ~80°F / 27°C)
  • The athlete plays multiple events
  • The athlete struggles to eat due to nerves
  • Performance fades late
  • Cramping occurs
  • The athlete appears mentally fatigued

What This Is NOT

It’s not:

  • A stimulant
  • A caffeine product
  • A shortcut to conditioning

It’s fuel.

Just like a car runs differently when the tank is full, so does a young athlete.

The Bottom Line for Parents

If your child fades in heat, it may not be toughness.

It may be:

  • Glycogen depletion
  • Inadequate carbohydrate intake
  • Sodium loss
  • Mild dehydration

Evidence supports that:

  • Higher glycogen availability delays fatigue
  • Heat increases carbohydrate use
  • Even mild dehydration impairs performance

A structured approach using balanced carbohydrate and electrolytes—like the Endurance Pack protocol (2 packs night before, 1 pack 2 hours before)—can provide a simple, evidence-aligned strategy for hot tournament days.

Fuel matters.
Hydration matters.
Preparation matters.

And as a parent, those are variables you can actually control.

Endurance Pack - $19.99

References 

  1. Bussau VA, Fairchild TJ, Rao A, Steele P, Fournier PA. Carbohydrate loading in human muscle: an improved 1-day protocol. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2002;87(3):290–295.
  2. Febbraio MA. Alterations in energy metabolism during exercise and heat stress. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2001;91(3):1189–1197.
  3. Sawka MN, Burke LM, Eichner ER, et al. American College of Sports Medicine position stand: Exercise and fluid replacement. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2007;39(2):377–390.