Lacrosse Game Day: Fuel, Hydration, Heat and Tournament Weekends

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Six a.m. in a hotel parking lot, the trunk full of sticks, pads, a cooler and folding chairs. The first game of a summer club tournament starts at eight, the last one somewhere around three, and by noon the turf is giving off heat you can see. High school playoff nights and college Saturdays are shorter, but the same things decide them: what you ate, how much you drank, how you handle the heat in a helmet and pads, and how well you reset between games. Here’s a simple lacrosse game day plan built on guidance from sports-medicine and sports-nutrition organizations.

General guidance for healthy players. Players with diabetes, heart conditions or other medical needs, and anyone with special diet needs, should follow their doctor’s or a registered dietitian’s plan. For the overview of the sport, see our lacrosse hub.

The pre-game meal

The joint position statement on nutrition and athletic performance from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Dietitians of Canada says that before exercise lasting over an hour, athletes do well with a carbohydrate-based meal or snack 1 to 4 hours before. Foods high in fat, protein or fiber may need to be avoided right before, to lower the risk of an upset stomach.

• 3–4 hours out: a normal meal built on carbs: rice, pasta, potatoes, bread or oatmeal, with some lean protein and not much fat.
• 1–2 hours out (early games): something smaller and easy, like a bagel, banana, toast with honey or a cereal bar.
• Test it in practice, never on game day. The ACSM statement says choices should suit the individual and their experience.

Hydration in a helmet and pads

USA Lacrosse points out that hard exercise in hot, humid weather, and with pads on, increases how much fluid you lose. Boys’ players wear a helmet, gloves, shoulder and arm pads, and goalies wear the most gear of all.

• Before: the ACSM statement suggests about 5–10 mL per kg of body weight (roughly 2–4 mL per pound) in the 2–4 hours before, aiming for pale yellow urine. For a 60 kg (132 lb) player that’s about 300–600 mL.
• During: the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) advises avoiding a loss of more than 2% of body weight, and never drinking so much that you gain weight, which can lead to a dangerous low-sodium condition (hyponatremia). If you don’t know your sweat rate, drinking to thirst is a safe strategy.
• Learn your sweat rate: weigh yourself before and after practice. USA Lacrosse suggests this check too.
• Fuel: for 1–2.5 hours of stop-and-start sport, ACSM lists about 30–60 g of carbohydrate per hour. A sports drink, orange slices or a gel at the breaks cover it.

NATA says heavy, salty sweaters may benefit from extra sodium. That’s where electrolyte drinks fit on hot days and tournament weekends. Three picks from our best electrolyte powder guide: Nuun Sport tablets (light, low sugar, Informed Choice tested), Skratch Labs Hydration Sport Drink Mix (carbs for long days) and a big Nalgene 32 oz bottle for each player. Pack a spare mouthguard, like the Shock Doctor Gel Max: boys and girls both have to wear one, and they go missing on tournament days.

Electrolyte drinks are food products, not medicine. Follow the label, and check with a doctor or registered dietitian first if you have high blood pressure, kidney or heart problems, or are on a low-sodium diet.

Use every break

Lacrosse gives you built-in stops. College games, for example, are four 15-minute quarters with 2-minute breaks between quarters and a 10-minute halftime (NCAA women’s timing rules). Youth and high school games are shorter, and tournament games are often shortened further, so check your event’s rules.

• Quarter breaks: drink, helmet off if you’re allowed on the sideline, get in the shade.
• Halftime: fluids plus a small carb snack if you’re hungry, a dry shirt or socks if you can, then keep moving lightly before the restart.
• Substitutions: lacrosse lets midfielders rotate on the fly. Use every shift off the field to drink a few sips.

Heat: the biggest game-day danger in summer

Summer club lacrosse and early-fall ball often run in the hottest part of the year, on turf that heats up in the sun. Pads and helmets make it harder for the body to lose heat.

• Extra breaks help. In a lab study that copied the pattern of a men’s lacrosse game in full uniform in 35°C (95°F) heat, adding a 2-minute water break halfway through each quarter kept core temperature lower by the end of the game, with lower heart rate and effort.
• Arrive acclimatized. NATA says getting used to heat takes 7 to 14 days of gradual exposure. A player who hasn’t trained in the heat is at higher risk on a hot tournament weekend.
• Know the warning signs. Headache, nausea and dizziness can be early signs of heat illness. Confusion, odd behavior or collapse in the heat can mean exertional heat stroke, a medical emergency. Call 911. NATA says that when trained medical staff are on site, the player should be cooled first and transported second, and that cold-water immersion is the most effective cooling method.

Shade tents, cold water, ice towels and a coach who’s willing to call extra water breaks all make a difference.

Lightning

NATA’s lightning position statement is simple: “When thunder roars, go indoors.” If you can hear thunder, lightning is close enough to be a danger, and no place outside is safe. Safe places are substantial buildings with wiring and plumbing, or a fully enclosed metal vehicle like a car or bus. Play should wait until 30 minutes after the last lightning and the last thunder. Tournaments should have a lightning plan; ask to see it.

Tournament weekends: three games a day

Club tournaments can pack several games into each day. The time between games becomes your recovery window:

• Rehydrate first. With little time before the next game, NATA says to drink about 150% of the fluid you lost; ACSM puts it as 1.25–1.5 L for every kg of body weight lost. Include some salt from snacks or an electrolyte drink.
• Refuel early. Carbs soon after each game: sandwiches, fruit, pretzels, rice bowls, chocolate milk. With 1–2 hours between games, keep it light and familiar.
• Get out of the gear and out of the sun. Helmet and pads off, into the shade, feet up, dry socks.
• Pack the cooler the night before: water, electrolyte drink, sandwiches, fruit and salty snacks.
• Have an emergency plan. Know where the athletic trainer and the nearest AED are. Lacrosse has had cases of commotio cordis, cardiac arrest from a blow to the chest, and CPR plus an AED within minutes is what saves lives (see lacrosse injuries).

After the final whistle, the work moves to lacrosse recovery. For daily eating and supplements, see lacrosse nutrition, and for the same plan in another sport, our soccer game day page.

Lacrosse game day FAQs

What should I eat before a lacrosse game?

A carbohydrate-based meal 3–4 hours before (pasta, rice, potatoes, bread or oatmeal) with some lean protein, or a smaller easy snack 1–2 hours before for early games. Keep fat and fiber low right before, and stick to foods you’ve tried in practice.

How much should a lacrosse player drink during a game?

Enough to avoid losing more than 2% of body weight, without gaining weight. Pads and heat raise fluid losses, so weigh yourself before and after practice to learn your sweat rate. If you don’t know it, drinking to thirst is a safe approach.

What should I eat between games at a lacrosse tournament?

Familiar carbs soon after each game (a sandwich, fruit, pretzels, chocolate milk) plus fluids with some salt. With only an hour or two before the next game, keep it light.

How do I keep a player safe in the heat at a lacrosse tournament?

Arrive acclimatized, drink before and between games, use shade and every break, and take pads and helmet off between games. Watch for headache, nausea or dizziness, and call 911 for confusion or collapse.

How long after thunder can we play again?

NATA says to wait 30 minutes after the last lightning and the last thunder, so a new rumble restarts the clock.