Many football players focus on properly preparing the pre-competition meal, giving less importance to their daily routine. In football, since competitions take place every week, sometimes more than 1 match, it is very important that the diet is tailored to the daily needs of training and match recovery, so it is not enough to eat properly before the match; appropriate strategies should be followed from the beginning of the week.
As we mentioned in the previous post, the main nutrient we must modulate is carbohydrate since glycogen being the main energy source in football, the greater the physical load, the higher the caloric expenditure, and its depletion is a factor that contributes to the fatigue observed as the end of a match or intense training approaches (1, 2)
If during the week, the training load is different, then the carbohydrate needs will have to be adjusted to that load.
Currently, carbohydrate recommendations vary between: 5-10 g CHO/kg/day (3)
That is to say, a soccer player weighing 70kg will need between 350-700g of CHO per day.
What is it going to depend on? As we have said before, the training load is the most important factor since it is the one that changes the most, as others like position on the field, body composition (as a goal), level of competition, and gender are almost always the same.
Regarding the training:
If the training is light or recovery, we will try not to exceed 5g HCO/kg on that day.
On the other hand, if they are intense training sessions, which usually occur in the middle of the week, we will approach 10g CHO/kg on those days. Also, the day before the match, the day of the match, and even the day after it, the CHO needs are high (today we will focus more on training days).
My experience in this field suggests to me that it is difficult for players to reach such high intakes of CHO, due to the high volume to be ingested and the large number of intakes required. In fact, there are recommendations that suggest that the intake of 6-10 g CHO/kg during the period of 24 hours before a match is enough to arrive with glycogen stores full (1). These same recommendations are the ones applied to recover glycogen stores between successive matches (2 matches in less than 72 hours).
Other factors to take into account:
Regarding the position on the field, goalkeepers have a lower caloric expenditure, so I would always try to adjust the load to the lower end of the HCO recommendations.
Forwards, midfielders, and wingers are the players who cover the most ground, so their carbohydrate needs are higher.
It is also not the same to play in the First Division as in a lower Division; normally, the higher the level, the greater the intensity, and therefore, the greater the expenditure, so the needs are higher. In the previous post, we talked about how the average energy expenditure for a match was estimated to be around 1106 kcals.
Also, depending on the football player's goal regarding body composition, we will adjust the carbohydrate load.
If the footballer’s goal is fat loss, it can be reduced by using a range of 3-4g CHO/kg on lighter days and around 5-6g CHO/kg on intense days. Performance on match day would not be compromised, so a good CHO refill is essential even if we are trying to reduce body fat, because after all, the match is the most important thing.
How can we put all of this on our plate?
The first thing is the distribution in the different meals.
On days with a higher workload, a greater number of intakes will be required. Major intakes can provide between 1,0-1,2g CHO/kg and less important intakes between 0,5-1g CHO/kg. I would try to have 3-4 main ones and 1-2 of lesser importance.
On the contrary, on days with a lower load, a smaller number of meals can be consumed. Main meals can provide between 0,5-1g CHO/kg, and less important meals can provide between 0-0,5g CHO/kg. I would try to make 1-2 important and 1-2 of lesser importance.
Main intakes
Therefore, the main meals, which in our culture are usually 2 (lunch and dinner), should have a plate distribution accordingly.
On intense days we must incorporate a considerable amount of carbohydrates into our plate whose absorption rate is high. Thus, it can represent 40-50% of the plate we are going to eat. The food groups that can best fit in this situation are:
- Grains such as pasta, couscous, and rice, tubers such as potato, sweet potato, cassava, and pseudocereals such as quinoa.
- Breads, pancakes, tortillas, pizza doughs, are another good choice for these moments, and even better if they are homemade.
To increase the absorption rate of these carbohydrates, the intake of vegetables and greens will be limited to approximately 25-30% of the plate, since at this time, these food groups barely provide us with energy (at this moment we need calories), being very high in fiber (they slow down intestinal emptying) and with great satiating power (they will limit intake), so we will favor their consumption at other times.
The rest of the plate will be made up of protein foods, which are of vital importance for proper protein synthesis and optimal muscle regeneration (4). Due to the high carbohydrate content, the chosen protein foods should also be low in fat, since this nutrient slows gastric emptying. So lean meats, white fish, and eggs would be the best options, among others. (We will talk about this nutrient in the following posts-)
An example of this distribution is the second dish (MEDIUM) and third dish (HIGH) in the image below, made by Aitor Viribay Morales.
My recommendation is to try to have the second course (MEDIUM) more during the week, leaving the third course (HIGH) for pre-game days and game days
On mild days, in addition to reducing the HCO load, we will choose those with a lower glycemic index. Thus, it can represent 25-30% of the plate we are going to eat. The groups of foods that are best suited for this situation are:
- The use of whole grains and tubers is also a good option if eaten cold, thus reducing their absorption rate.
More importance will be given to the group of vegetables and greens, representing 40-50% of the plate.
Protein foods will represent around 25-30%.
The example of this distribution is the first dish (LOW) of the previously shown image.
Other intakes
Now that we know how meals and dinners should be, we must know what to eat for breakfast, to start with optimal glycogen reserves for training. This intake can become crucial on days of high physical load.
Bread, oats, fruit are foods that are part of the daily routine to recharge muscle glycogen, but the use of other foods rich in sugars such as jams, honey, juices, gelatin will help us meet the needs on more intense training days (The examples shown below correspond to an intake between 1,0-1,2 g CHO/kg for a football player weighing 70kg):
- 100g Bread with 2 eggs omelet and 165g banana with 20g jam
- 250ml Yogurt with 60g oats, 40g raisins, and 20g honey
- 300ml of natural orange juice and 80g of whole wheat bread with 40g of Serrano ham and tomato
To continue providing CHO, snacks such as lunches or afternoon snacks will be used to meet the stipulated needs:
- Bread sandwiches with foods that continue providing carbohydrates like hummus, quince, fruit compotes.
- Cereal bars and rice/corn cakes
- Fruit shakes with milk and honey.
- Homemade cookies and cakes with dried fruits such as dates, raisins, and dried apricots.
If, on the other hand, our training is light, we lower the CHO load and give more importance to protein and fat foods (The examples presented below correspond to an intake of approximately 0-0,5g CHO/kg for a football player of 70kg):
Breakfasts:
- 50g Bread with 2 eggs omelet, 125g of pineapple and 3 nuts.
- 250ml Yogurt with 40g oats, 10 almonds and 165g chopped banana.
- 60g whole wheat bread with 10ml EVOO and tomato and 250g melon with 70g serrano ham
Snacks:
- Pieces of fruit
- Dairy products such as yogurts, fresh cheeses rich in protein
- Nuts, seeds
- Cans of mussels, tuna, cockles in brine
- Easy-to-prepare vegetables: carrots, cherry tomatoes, pickles, green onions, etc.
In the following posts, we will go into more detail about the intakes that surround (pre-, during, and post-) training sessions and matches.
- Anderson, L.; Orme, P.; Di Michele, R.; Close, G.L.; Morgans, R.; Drust, B.; Morton, J.P. Quantification of training load during one-, two- and three-game week schedules in professional soccer players from the English Premier League: Implications for carbohydrate periodisation. J. Sports Sci. 2016, 34, 1250–1259.
- Rampinini, E.; Impellizzeri, F.M.; Castagna, C.; Coutts, A.J.; Wisloff, U. Technical performance during soccer matches of the Italian Serie A league: effect of fatigue and competitive level. J. Sci. Med. Sport 2009, 12, 227–233.
- Burke, L.M.; Hawley, J.A.; Wong, S.H.; Jeukendrup, A.E. Carbohydrates for training and competition. J. Sports Sci. 2011, 29, S17–S27.
- Strudwick, A. Soccer Science; Human Kinetics Publishers: Champaign, IL, USA, 2016
AUTHOR:
Fernando García Oliveri
Sports Dietitian-Nutritionist of Real Valladolid Football Club S.A.D
Diploma in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from the Faculty of Medicine of the
University of Valladolid. Year 2007-2010.
-Internships carried out at the Rio Hortega University Hospital of
Valladolid.
Master in Sports Training and Nutrition from the School of Studies
Real Madrid University students from the European University of Madrid. Year 2010-2011.
-Internships carried out in the 1th Team of Real Valladolid Football Club
S.A.D. during the preseason of 2011 (200 hours)
-Master’s Thesis Project “Comparison of nutrient intake in a
group of elite football players during the beginning and end of
preseason.” (note 8/10)
Course of Supplementary Training for the attainment of the Degree in
Human Nutrition and Dietetics by the Faculty of Medicine of the University of
Valladolid. Year 2011-2012.
During the last few years I have combined studies with a private practice as
Sports Dietitian-Nutritionist, both with elite athletes, professionals and
amateur in endurance sports (especially duathlon, triathlon, marathon,
mountain trails, MTB, road cycling), crossfit and fitness like with
general population, with satisfactory results.
During the training with the 1th team of Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol S.A.D.,
I participated as a Dietitian-Nutritionist acting on the nutrition of the
players, taking into account their physiological and sports needs,
personal, socioeconomic, religious, and cultural preferences.
In the same way, I participated in menu planning and assessment of balance
nutritional of the food supply.
Since September 2013 I have been working as a Sports Dietitian-Nutritionist for Real
Valladolid Football Club S.A.D where I carry out dietetic-nutritional counseling,
menu preparation, supplementation strategies, diets
customized and a monitoring of the players' body composition
through an analysis of it through a cineanthropometric study. (3 years
in the First Division of the Spanish Professional Football League and 3 years in the Second
Division of the Spanish Professional Football League)
