• We'd like to take this opportunity to wish you a Happy Holidays and a very Merry Christmas from all at Golf Monthly. Thank you for sharing your 2025 with us!

Energy during the round

i carry water( 2 bottles citrus flavour) and a couple of those cereal bars (depends what the wife buys) i always have a breakfast and when i get to the club a cup of tea, dependant on the time i finish playing i will have a meal at the club before going home.
 
I just take what I would normally eat for that time of day plus some.

Couple of pieces of fruit (apple and banana)
Some nuts and raisins
A snickers Bar
1 Litre of Water 1 litre Hi-Five energy drink
Sandwich or pie

I try to eat a good breakfast before my round then every 3rd Hole have a snack, drink all the way round.

In an average round somebody carrying will burn in the region of 1500Cals, pushing or pulling (800). If you're not looking to lose weight you need to replace these.
 
Always eat breakfast,

usually carry:
2 x 500ml bottles of water.
Banana, Cereal Bar & Sesame Snaps (no idea why but have a fancy for them when playing)
 
A 6'3" man weighing 200lbs or 14 1/4 stone will burn just over 2200 calories during a 4 hr round carrying clubs.
You should try the weetabix before the round and perhaps whole meal sandwich during the round with a banana thrown in for good measure. Also drink plenty of water especially when it's warm.
The weetabix and whole meal bread will release energy slowly, the banana will give energy quite quickly. Chocolate bars are not great as they spike your blood sugar levels for a couple of holes then crash leaving you feeling worse than before you ate it.
Staying hydrated is important as it carries the energy from the food to your muscles, so you get tired physically, but also your brain is mostly water so when you get dehydrated your brain is also suffering which leads to mental tiredness.
Headaches are quite often due to dehydration.
Try to make a conscious effort to drink after each hole and work out yourself where you need to eat during your round to replace energy.
 
You've already got enough energy stored in your body to get thro' a round of golf but you will need the fluids to release that energy and to take the cwap out of your muscles that the exercise has produced.

If some drip of a lass can do 26+miles on a few mouthfuls of water and no food... c'mon guys, it's not Mt Everest.
 
If some drip of a lass can do 26+miles on a few mouthfuls of water and no food... c'mon guys, it's not Mt Everest.

No one is saying it is and everyone is differetn but if you feel hungry during your round then have something to eat.

If your blood sugar levels are low and you are dehydrated you simply wont be as good as you could be.

I also do a lot of mountain walking and did the 3 peaks this year and the principle is the same. Better to eat little and often than to have 1 big meal before you go out.
 
Chocolate bars and sports drinks are the worse things to take as they just inject high levels of sugar which spike your levels which means your body will crash quicker as they wear off making you feel worse.

Cereal bars are very good and normal home made squash, not sugar drinks. Nuts are very good and before you go out a cheese sandwich is excellent as its all about protein in-take.
 
a friend of mine suffers low blood sugar after 10 holes unless he eats something, don't know the exact name of the condition he has, myself being over weight i can manage fine, so long as i have plenty of water, as i normally don't eat breakfast, 2 liters of water over the 18 a few swigs every hole and im grand, starving by the end of it, but then its a good excuse to go into the club house for a prawn open sandwich :D
 
This subject comes up every now and again and it does make me chuckle each time.

I have to agree with the sentiments of Murph, Snelly and Hobbit here.

Keep hydrated if playing in warm weather and man up guys! ;)
 
A 6'3" man weighing 200lbs or 14 1/4 stone will burn just over 2200 calories during a 4 hr round carrying clubs.
You should try the weetabix before the round and perhaps whole meal sandwich during the round with a banana thrown in for good measure. Also drink plenty of water especially when it's warm.
The weetabix and whole meal bread will release energy slowly, the banana will give energy quite quickly. Chocolate bars are not great as they spike your blood sugar levels for a couple of holes then crash leaving you feeling worse than before you ate it.
Staying hydrated is important as it carries the energy from the food to your muscles, so you get tired physically, but also your brain is mostly water so when you get dehydrated your brain is also suffering which leads to mental tiredness.
Headaches are quite often due to dehydration.
Try to make a conscious effort to drink after each hole and work out yourself where you need to eat during your round to replace energy.

I am a sports nutritionist and a personal trainer. Technically speaking this is the most correct reply.
Having said that its all down to the individual. I see where people are coming from about the small lass running marathons but she is trained for that and can go for a time exercising without any additional help, most golfers however, cannot.

Sports drinks are not the answer though but some dried fruit & nuts and a water bottle will do most people.
 
I am a sports nutritionist and a personal trainer. Technically speaking this is the most correct reply.
Having said that its all down to the individual. I see where people are coming from about the small lass running marathons but she is trained for that and can go for a time exercising without any additional help, most golfers however, cannot.

Sports drinks are not the answer though but some dried fruit & nuts and a water bottle will do most people.

This subject comes up every now and again and it does make me chuckle each time.

I have to agree with the sentiments of Murph, Snelly and Hobbit here.

Keep hydrated if playing in warm weather and man up guys! ;)

Not questioning your qualifications to comment are greater than mine, however I'm with Whereditgo, Hobbit et al wrt the need to replace much energy during the round. Hydration seems to me the most important thing - as an aid to concentration rather than energy absorption.

Having had a decent breakfast, I'll only eat enough to prevent myself from feeling hungry - as that's distracting. It would only be if I was in 'energy debt' that food was actively required. However, I'll drink plenty, whether it's water or Lucozade (style).

Energy replacement, certainly helped by hops, yeast, etc can/will happen after the round! :whistle:

BTW. A couple of my best scoring rounds have been 2nd rounds after (more than) a couple of pints with lunch! Would seem that the benefits of being 'relaxed' overcomes the disadvantages of loss-of-concentration/co-ordination!
 
Last edited:
I'm diabetic so its important for me to keep the sugars up. I tend to have a banana at the start of the round, a weetabix cake or similar and plenty of water to keep hydrated. Since switching to a trolly I've more energy (whether the facts back this or not its how I feel). When I don't have enough supplies I can feel the drop as the sugar level drops. It does affect performance, particularly concentration initially
 
Not questioning your qualifications to comment are greater than mine, however I'm with Whereditgo, Hobbit et al wrt the need to replace much energy during the round. Hydration seems to me the most important thing - as an aid to concentration rather than energy absorption.

Having had a decent breakfast, I'll only eat enough to prevent myself from feeling hungry - as that's distracting. It would only be if I was in 'energy debt' that food was actively required. However, I'll drink plenty, whether it's water or Lucozade (style).

Energy replacement, certainly helped by hops, yeast, etc can/will happen after the round! :whistle:

BTW. A couple of my best scoring rounds have been 2nd rounds after (more than) a couple of pints with lunch! Would seem that the benefits of being 'relaxed' overcomes the disadvantages of loss-of-concentration/co-ordination!

Like I said, everyone is differrent. Some people need constant snacking, other don't need anything. Weather can play a part too, for instance boiling hot or freezing cold. I know some don't eat at all and if that suits them then its fine, I know for me personally I dont eat during a round but do drink lots.
 
A 6'3" man weighing 200lbs or 14 1/4 stone will burn just over 2200 calories during a 4 hr round carrying clubs.
You should try the weetabix before the round and perhaps whole meal sandwich during the round with a banana thrown in for good measure. Also drink plenty of water especially when it's warm.
The weetabix and whole meal bread will release energy slowly, the banana will give energy quite quickly. Chocolate bars are not great as they spike your blood sugar levels for a couple of holes then crash leaving you feeling worse than before you ate it.
Staying hydrated is important as it carries the energy from the food to your muscles, so you get tired physically, but also your brain is mostly water so when you get dehydrated your brain is also suffering which leads to mental tiredness.
Headaches are quite often due to dehydration.
Try to make a conscious effort to drink after each hole and work out yourself where you need to eat during your round to replace energy.
This sounds right to me, I'm 27 and fit but I have found if I make sure I eat and drink plenty of water during a round, it can save me about 2 shots! To says that your body doesn't need any food or drink during a round is ill informed in my opinion!
 
Top