Curling Nutrition and Supplements: What Curlers Need

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Seventh end of a Sunday-morning bonspiel game. Your skip is staring at the house for a long time, and you realize you skipped breakfast and haven’t touched your water bottle since Saturday’s banquet. Curling isn’t a calorie-burning sport, but it is a focus sport: draw weight, line calls and sweeping decisions all suffer when you’re hungry, thirsty or cold. This short page covers curling nutrition for every level, from junior programs to league nights to national championships, and which supplements, if any, make sense.

General information, not personal advice. Prices change often; the prices below are what we saw in October 2026. Back to the curling hub.

How much energy curling uses

The Compendium of Physical Activities lists curling at 4.0 METs, a moderate level similar to brisk walking. In a 2024 study of club curlers, a 90- to 120-minute game averaged about 36 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity. Hard sweeping is intense, but in short bursts. So most curlers don’t need special fueling; they need regular, balanced meals and to avoid playing hungry. Elite curlers who also train hard in the gym need more, like any strength-trained athlete.

Everyday eating for curlers

• Balanced plates: carbohydrate (bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, oats, fruit), a protein source (eggs, dairy, meat, fish, beans, tofu) and vegetables at most meals.
• Protein for strength work: the joint position of the American College of Sports Medicine, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Dietitians of Canada puts athletes’ needs at about 1.2 to 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight a day, spread across meals. Food covers this for most people. Older curlers in particular benefit from a real protein source at every meal; see our protein for older athletes guide.
• Before a game: a familiar meal one to four hours ahead, lower in fat and fiber. Late league draws? Have a snack around dinner time rather than playing on empty and eating at 10 p.m.
• Fluids: cold rinks dull thirst, but sweepers still sweat under their layers. Drink to thirst, and bring a bottle onto the ice. Warm drinks count.

Bonspiel-day eating, warm drinks and the broomstacking question are covered on our game day and bonspiel day page.

Supplements for curlers: what’s worth knowing

• Most curlers don’t need any. The IOC’s consensus statement on supplements puts food first, and says supplements make sense only for a specific reason.
• Electrolyte tablets: handy on long, sweaty bonspiel days, not needed for a league game.
• Protein powder: a convenience if you lift and struggle to get protein from meals.
• Caffeine: a 2023 study of 22 elite national-level curlers in Turkey found that caffeine combined with L-theanine improved shot scores and reaction-time tests compared with a placebo. The doses were high (6 mg per kilogram of each), it was a single small study, and caffeine can cause jitters, an upset stomach and poor sleep, which a steady hand doesn’t need. Your usual coffee is fine; a supplement isn’t necessary. Caffeine isn’t for teens, and anyone with a heart condition or who is pregnant should ask a doctor first.
• Vitamin D, iron and others: get a blood test through your doctor before taking them, rather than guessing.

Drug testing and third-party certification

Curling is an Olympic and Paralympic sport, and its competitive curlers are covered by the World Anti-Doping Code. USA Curling’s anti-doping page explains that some US athletes may be put in a testing pool by USADA or World Curling and tested out of competition, and points athletes to Global DRO to check medications. Supplements can contain banned substances that aren’t on the label, so if you ever compete where testing happens, use products certified by NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport/Choice, which lowers (but doesn’t remove) that risk.

Product	In one serving	Certification	About (Oct 2026)	Per serving
Nuun Sport	300 mg sodium, 1 g sugar	Informed Choice (maker)	$21 / 40 tablets	about $0.53
Thorne Whey Protein Isolate	21 g protein	NSF Certified for Sport	$65 / 30 scoops	about $2.17

Follow the label for how much to take. Full comparisons are in our best electrolyte powders and best protein powder for athletes guides.

Talk to a professional. Before starting any supplement, check with your doctor or a registered sports dietitian, especially for curlers under 18 and anyone who is pregnant, takes medication or has a heart, kidney or other medical condition. See also curling recovery and, for another precision sport, bowling nutrition.

Curling nutrition: FAQs

How many calories does curling burn?

Curling is rated 4.0 METs, a moderate activity. As a rough guide, that’s about 4 calories per kilogram of body weight per hour, so roughly 270 calories an hour for a 150-lb (68 kg) person, more for active sweepers and less for skips.

What should I eat before curling?

A familiar meal one to four hours before, with carbohydrate and some protein and not too much fat or fiber. For a late draw, a snack around dinner time works well.

Do curlers get drug tested?

Competitive and elite curlers can be. Curling follows the World Anti-Doping Code, and USADA or World Curling can test US athletes in and out of competition. Club league players aren’t normally tested.

Does caffeine help curling?

One small study in elite curlers found caffeine plus L-theanine improved shot scores, but at high doses. Responses vary and side effects can hurt your touch and sleep. Your normal coffee is plenty for most people.