Mental endurance

Hello gang!  I just finished an otb tournament with the time of 40 moves in 90 minutes with a sudden death of 30 minutes and a ten second delay from move one. 

I did better than I normally do.  I think it's because I don't play as well when I play fast.  I do tend to get mentally fatigued in these games, however.  This tournament I started to eat dark chocolate which maybe worked or maybe was placebo, although I felt like I didn't fatigue as much.

 Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone could recommended what to eat during a game to keep from mental fatigue.  Also, any other (non dietary) suggestions to prevent mental fatigue would be appreciated.  Thanks and Happy Holidays!

I think a banana would help, an *apple could be too noisy unless precut into slices.

Some people say only drinks should be allowed, so then you would preload any food & maybe a can of red bull or a caffeine free Purdey's if you were flagging during the match.

Other foods? Nuts☆, seeds☆, *grapes, cheese, it's a good idea to have some water available.

☆Eat more tryptophan-containing foods like chicken, seeds and walnuts.

Tryptophan is an amino acid the body converts into serotonin, your feel-good neurotransmitter.

In a meal include foods high in Omega-3 fats include fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, anchovies), grass-fed meat, seeds and leafy vegetables.

Omega 3 is an essential nutrient for brain function and may protect against anxiety.

Also vitamin D for anyone not getting much sunshine this time of year.

*prewash to remove any pesticides.

Thanks Brendan_UK!

You're welcome, I dont know if anyone else has got any useful advice?

I tend to drink a lot of diet soda (Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi) just before and during my long tournament games (I always stick to diet since regular has a ludicrous amount of sugar). It really helps give me a boost; the only bad "side effect" is that, if you overdo it, your trips to the bathroom will increase significantly. For those in doubt, I think I have seen images of Kramnik with a glass of Coke in hand during games...if it works for Kramnik, it works for me!

In between or just before games I tend to indulge in a protein bar or two. From what I have read, protein really helps the brain. However, I believe eating should be reserved for before or in between rounds; I once had a not-so-polite opponent who brought food into the tournament room and started eating it during the game, and the TD eventually came and took the food away. My opponent proceeded to give the TD a rather nasty look.

The top players avoid getting fatigued by staying in shape as they go along in life and eating a good healthy diet, rather than relying solely on energy drinks, coffee, etc....at the last minute.

I think Nakamura drinks Red Bull. 

Thanks everyone.  I appreciate it!  I have heard other people recommend staying in shape.  Does good physical shape translate to the ability to maintain mental concentration for longer?  Is this the theory?  Thanks again.

Wow, nice going FishEyedFools!  

Indeed it does. Mental and physical endurance (in chess, at least) are interconnected; staying in shape helps the brain, too. Many great chess players did all sorts of things to stay in shape--for instance, Bobby Fischer swam a lot.

Instead of coffee and energy drinks, chicken essence before a game is better. Another bottle during the game if necessary.

Where can you buy chicken essence?  That sounds quite interesting.

I would say dont eat something heavy but in your case it would be better if you are used to play standard games, if you play a lot of blitz games you are not going to be good at standard, I am giving a free lesson, if you want just message me.

@oregon In Taiwan, we can buy it in supermarts, drug stores and convenience stores. If it is not available in your area, buy online.

Sounds great, thank you everyone!