Nice reply Phil.samways! as a competing pro I would eat dark chocolate or dried sweet fruit (mango or dates) 20-30 minutes before a full round, but the balanced diet overall was much more important! Also, cross training (running, weights, wind-sprints, yoga etc) really made rounds easier. I 2nd the "no white bread" or processed flours in general rule. If you want your body to be an effective machine, feed it what it can process.

What it you don't like mangos or dates? What can you substitute instead? What kind of breads/starches would you recommend?

The Mango and Dates are a quick sugar fix... To take the place of a missed meal, like when I was in the army, our iron rations always included a bar of dark chocolate. Before dancing i think you will find by trial and error that a sandwhich made with white bread will see you through.One only portion of chocolate, thats one or two blocks, not the whole bar will help. If you want that energy the next day then wholemeal will probably do.

I found that ahi tuna about 4oz gave me enough energy for 3.5 hrs of squash. So I tired it before dancing and had a couple of ounces and a litre of water and I was good to dance all night.

Shawn

The problem with eating and dancing in a competition can be you might be on first thing in the morning say at nine, and then your next round maybe not till nine at night. I'm not familiar with some of the sports drinks that are available. Myself I would bring whatever I am going to eat with me. I believe that Professional competitors have a rule that there can only be 20 minutes in between there rounds. But that's not Amateurs

THe thought of 3.5 hours squash terrifies me!!
If you have a round in the morning, another one in the afternoon, and further rounds in the evening, i would have thought eating what you normally eat, except for smaller portions, would be best.
On the few occasions (awwww.....) when we've got through several rounds in an evening all the way to the final, i've found that
1) sports drinks are essential
2)chocolate snacks (such as 'jaffa cakes') are great
3)bananas are good too
4)something to keep me calm and relaxed is a great help.

I must admit, i've not done controlled experiments