Kelsey HigginsonSports Nutrition Coach and Founder at Clutch Day Coaching

Rice or Pasta for athletes

7 Feb 2026 · 1 min

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0:37

In this short nutrition segment, the speaker explains that both pasta and rice are effective carbohydrate sources for pre‑game energy, helping athletes avoid hitting a performance “wall.” He cautions that pairing pasta with a high‑fat sauce such as Alfredo can be problematic if the meal is consumed 3–4 hours before competition, because the fat slows digestion and may cause sluggishness. Consequently, he suggests opting for rice when a fatty sauce is used, or keeping pasta simple with a lighter marinara or red sauce. The overall recommendation is to keep pre‑game meals plain, focusing on carbs and low‑fat sauces to ensure quick digestion and optimal performance.

Chapters

Should athletes eat pasta or rice before their game? Both pasta and rice are going to give you great energy for your game. They are both full of carbohydrates, which is what your body needs in order to not hit a wall during the game. Now, if you took pasta and threw it into a super fatty Alfredo sauce, I'd probably opt for rice because Alfredo is amazing, but it is very high in fat. And so if you're eating this meal 3 to 4 hours before you play, it's going to be hard for your body to digest that Alfredo before game time, which leads to you feeling sluggish and gross. So instead, for pasta sauce, you can just do some type of marinara or red sauce. Keep it pretty plain when it comes to pregame fueling.