Game Fuel

What do you eat when you're marathon gaming?  Whether it's a raid, a 6 hour grind, a 8 hour D&D session, or a Desert Bus fundraiser, odds are, you've considered what would help you achieve whatever monumental task before you.  As someone who has to pull a work-related all-nighter on little notice an estimated once a month, I've put a lot of thought into this.
Note that this article is not meant to represent either lifestyle or medical advice.  It's advice on adapting to a once-in-a-while occasion where you need to stay up.  If you're doing this to keep up with a raid schedule, or are not typical for an American adult, or on prescription medication (especially antidepressants), consult your physician -- especially when looking at the caffeine section.  I am not a doctor, physician, apothecary, or shaman.

Typical Food
If you're anything like I was before I really worked through this, you're probably ordering a pizza, stocking up on snack foods like chips and pretzels, and loading up on sodas.  That's certainly how I made it through college, between 12-hour marathon D&D sessions and exams and finals.  I was lethargic during a lot of that, though, and felt sick.


Easy Energy
To adapt to a rapid schedule change such as an all-nighter, whether it's a raid, a grind, or a marathon session, you need to give your body the energy to do so.  Carbohydrates including sugars would seem like an easy answer, but they're not -- they provide a crash as they wear off, while still leaving you feel extremely full and bloated, meaning there's a finite point at which they stop helping and start hurting.  On top of that, the crash nets you a lethargic feeling that leaves you droning on and craving sleep.  Rather than turning to carbohydrates, turn to proteins -- hot wings, meats, nuts, beans, tofu.  Try to eat like you're on the Atkins diet, and you'll end up with more energy and no bloating.  At the end of the day, if you're pulling an all-nighter, throw at least the equivalent of one meal over the course of the period -- 600+ calories.  I'd split it into smaller periodic bursts, tapering off about 2 hours before you intend to be done.  Last but not least, avoid alcohol, for its obvious tiring effect.

The Caffeine Issue

Caffeination Turtle

Binging on caffeine is also an easy way -- but caffeine doesn't quite work the way we want it to at all times.  Overdoing it on caffeine leaves you scrambling around like a jittery Methamphetamine addict, and most caffeinated drinks are paired with sugars, leaving you with a hard crash at the end of the cycle.  For your average adult, you'll feel the initial effect about 20 minutes in, and will complete initial absorption within 45 minutes.  This means you'll know exactly how "buzzed" you're going to feel about 45 minutes in.  Caffeine reaches its half life in an average adult within 4-5 hours, meaning it'll be out of your system by then.  You also never want to exceed 500-600mg in a single day, as that's the threshold for caffeine toxicity in the average adult's body.  This means that you've got the equivalent of 5 cups of coffee to spread out over 8 hours.

Now let's talk about source.  Coffee is around 100mg per cup, but can vary between 80 and 150.  A lot of people also tend to find coffee disgusting.  Cola's slightly more palatable, at 34mg per 12oz (or Mountain Dew's 54 per 12oz), but it also tends to be sugary, leading to crashes or diabetes.  I recommend you look to diet sodas to alleviate this.  Red Bull has about 80mg per 8oz.  Your poison may vary, but the effect should be about the same -- work up to 100mg in your system (alter for your particular tolerance).  Every 2 hours, continue ingesting about 100mg until about 4 hours prior to your intended "crash time."  Essentially, that means having a drink an hour before starting, leaving you "buzzed" constantly until you're headed toward your crash at 8 hours and safely in bed by the time the caffeine's gone.

Caffeine-based energy

Water
The biggest, most important factor in staying up is hydration.  Caffeine tends to dehydrate you significantly, and water has the side effect of making you periodically use the bathroom, keeping you alert more than you'd think.  Over the course of 8 hours, I drink about 120oz of water, right at the start and then at the 4 hour mark.  It means that I need to make more frequent trips at the beginning, but it's worth it.

Spicy
Spicy food tends to keep me up.  I love using wasabi and soy almonds to keep going, and they add a great burst -- I just down a handful before everything significant I tend to do.

Nap
If you have the notice to take a nap before you stay up, do it -- if you've only got an hour, eat something small and protein-filled like almonds, drink some caffeine, and then go down for it.  You'll be up in 45 minutes feeling rested and energetic, ready to go.  If you can sleep for 3 hours, do it.  Avoid alcohol or other sleep aids, as they'll bleed over into your energy level and make your marathon game a non-starter.