Short answer: A long contest is a physical task as much as a technical one, and what you eat and drink affects your accuracy and your rate. Plan simple meals in advance, drink water regularly, use caffeine with care, choose snacks that do not cause a sugar peak and a crash, and keep everything within arm’s reach. This article gives general ideas, not medical advice; if you have a health condition, follow your doctor’s guidance.
Why food belongs in the contest plan
Most operators prepare antennas, software and band plans carefully, and then improvise meals. The result is familiar: a late and heavy meal that makes the afternoon slow, a missed breakfast, a headache from too little water or a bag of sweets at midnight followed by a drop in energy. These are small things, but over 48 hours they affect your rate and your accuracy, and the effect shows in the log. The article on fatigue, hours and errors shows that errors tend to rise when the operator is tired.
Treat food like any other part of the station: plan it, test it and keep it simple. The best contest meal is one that is easy to prepare, easy to eat at the desk, does not need many dishes and does not make you sleepy.
Plan meals before the contest
A week before, write down the meals for the whole weekend. Choose dishes that you already know and like, and avoid new experiments. Prepare as much as possible in advance: soups, stews or pasta dishes that can be warmed up in minutes, sandwiches, cut vegetables and fruit. Put portions in containers in the fridge with the time of the meal on the lid. If somebody else will cook for you, agree on the times and on a short signal for when you are ready to eat.
Think about the time of the meals as well as their content. The rate is usually highest in the hours when the main bands are open, and it is wise to eat in the quieter hours. Your hourly statistics from last year will tell you when those are, and the article on band strategy by hour shows how to read them. A meal in the hour with the lowest rate costs very little; the same meal in the best hour costs a lot.
Water first
Dehydration is a quiet enemy. A mild lack of water can cause headaches, lower concentration and tiredness, and many people forget to drink when they are absorbed in a pile-up. Keep a bottle or a glass of water in reach, and drink a few sips every time you finish a run or change a band. A simple trick is to link drinking to a regular event: every new hour, drink some water.
Avoid putting the water in a place where it can be spilled on the equipment. A bottle with a lid, placed on the floor or on a side table, is safer than a glass on the desk. A towel and a plan for the case of a spill are sensible, as a spill into a keyboard or a transceiver at midnight can end a contest.
Caffeine with care
Coffee, tea and energy drinks are used by many contesters, and they can help, but they have limits. A moderate amount at a regular time can improve alertness. Too much can cause nervousness, a fast heartbeat and a crash later. The effect also lasts for hours, so a coffee late in the evening can make it harder to sleep during your rest. If you plan a rest at a given time, avoid caffeine in the hours before it, so that the rest is real.
Test your own reaction during the weeks before. Some people find that two cups spread through the day is the right amount, others do better with one cup in the morning and water for the rest of the time. Write the plan on the same card as the meals.
Snacks that keep a steady energy level
Snacks that are rich in sugar give a fast lift and a fast fall. Snacks that combine some protein, fibre and slow carbohydrates give a steadier energy level. Nuts, fruit, cheese, whole grain bread, yoghurt and cut vegetables are typical choices. Keep a few within reach and eat a small amount every hour or two, rather than waiting for a big hunger. Avoid foods that are messy, that need both hands or that leave crumbs in the keyboard.
If you operate CW with a paddle or an SSB with a microphone, think about your hands too. Greasy fingers on a paddle are unpleasant, and a sticky microphone is not nicer. A packet of wet wipes at the station is a small thing that makes eating at the desk easier.
If you operate with a team or a club, share the work. One person can be responsible for meals and drinks, so that operators can concentrate on the radio. Agree on a regular time for a short meal break for each operator, and make sure that somebody else covers the position. A multi-operator station that eats badly will make the same mistakes as a single operator, only in turns. The articles on rate sheets by operator and comparing two operators at the same station show how to see the effect of rest and food in the numbers.
Night food
The night is the hardest period. The body expects rest, and a heavy meal makes you sleepy. Eat light at night: a small portion of something warm, a piece of fruit, a few nuts. A warm drink, a short walk and cool air can help more than another cup of coffee. Remember that the most doubtful QSOs in a log often come from the night hours, as discussed in night hours and logging errors. Slow down when you eat, and do not work and eat at the same time during a busy run.
If your category allows breaks, plan the main rest for the hours with the lowest expected rate, and have a small meal before it, not a large one. Check the current official rules for how off time is counted in your category; the articles on off time and breaks and operator fatigue and breaks give the background.
Use the log to find your own pattern
The best way to learn what works for you is to look at your own data. Note in your notebook when you ate and drank, and compare it with the rate and the errors in your log after the contest. Contest Analyzer provides rates, QSOs by hour and band, breaks and off time, and its check of every callsign and every zone against official license databases and several independent reference sources shows the few QSOs worth a second look. If those QSOs cluster after a heavy meal or at the end of a long period without a break, you have a clue. Year-on-year comparison with your own logs then shows whether a change in your routine made a difference. The contests page lists the supported contests and their dates.
Keep the notes short and honest: “heavy lunch at 13:00, slow hour at 14:00”, “coffee at 03:00, restless rest”. After two or three contests, you have a personal guide that no general advice can replace.
A sample menu for the weekend
To make this concrete, here is an example, to be adapted to your taste and needs. For the Friday evening before the start, a normal, not too heavy dinner and an early night if the contest starts at 00:00 UTC in the morning of your local time. On the first day: a good breakfast with eggs, bread or porridge; a light lunch such as a sandwich or a salad with some protein during a quieter hour; fruit and nuts in the afternoon; and a warm dinner such as soup with bread at a time when the main bands are changing. During the first night: tea, small snacks and a piece of fruit; no large meal.
On the second day: breakfast again, as normal as possible; a few small meals instead of two big ones; more water than you think necessary; and a warm dish as a reward in the last quarter of the contest. After the end, a proper meal and a long sleep. The log can wait a few hours, as the deadline is days away, as the contests page shows for each contest. Do not make the mistake of working on the log with an empty stomach and a tired mind, as that is when careless corrections are made.
The menu is not a rule. Some people prefer to eat very little during a contest and some need regular meals. The point of writing it down is to decide in advance and to remove a small stress from the weekend.
A simple contest meal checklist
- Meals planned and prepared before the weekend, with times.
- Water within reach, with a lid, away from the electronics.
- Light snacks in a box: fruit, nuts, cheese, bread.
- Caffeine plan written down, with a cut-off time before the rest.
- Wet wipes, a towel and a rubbish bag at the station.
- A note of what you ate and when, for the review.
Related reading
- Headphones and Audio Fatigue in Long Contests
- Contest Station Ergonomics
- First Contest Checklist for Newcomers
The bottom line
A contest weekend is a long effort for the body. Plan simple meals, put water first, use caffeine sparingly, eat light at night and keep notes to learn from your own results. The effect on your rate and your accuracy is small in each hour but large over 48.
FAQ
Should I eat during a run?
Prefer a quiet moment between runs or a planned break. Light snacks that need no knife or fork are easier at the desk.
How much water should I drink?
Drink regularly in small amounts. Individual needs differ, so follow general health advice.
Is an energy drink a good idea?
Some operators use them, but the effects can include a later crash. Test your reaction before the contest.
Can food really affect my log accuracy?
Tiredness raises errors, and meals, water and rest all influence tiredness. Your own notes and log statistics will show your pattern.
