Nutrition for football players: what is possible and what is not?
The correct physical development of a football player directly depends on his nutrition. Not only on the number and intensity of training, but also on what he feeds himself, allowing the body to recover from stress and progress in terms of the growth of any physical indicators.
We propose to talk about the nutrition of football players and find out what should be included in the athlete’s diet, what is better to exclude and what to pay more attention to when choosing products. For experienced football players playing at a high level, this article may not be as useful as for beginners, because their coaches / doctors monitor their nutrition or even have to eat at a training base, where all their food is prepared in advance. Therefore, we will focus on novice athletes who want to properly balance their diet. So let’s go!
Food composition
Let’s start with the calorie content of food. During the training period, a football player should consume about 60-67 kcal per kilo of his own weight. It is important to calculate the correct ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. In our case, the correct ratio will be 1: 0.8: 4.
Let’s now go through each nutrient. Let’s start with squirrel, which should be consumed daily in an amount of 2.3 grams per 1 kg of body weight. Here, as a rule, we are talking about a protein of animal origin, it is important to indicate what is better to include in the diet:
- eggs;
- poultry meat;
- beef;
- cheeses;
- dairy products;
- cottage cheese.
If we are talking about the proper nutrition of football players, then it should be noted that it is better to steam or boil / bake meat. It is recommended to completely / partially exclude fried foods. So, now about proteins of natural origin, which must also be in the diet of a football player:
- beans;
- potato;
- oatmeal;
- rice;
- buckwheat.
Fats… A terrible word, but you shouldn’t be afraid of it. It’s just that the worlds need to be dosed reasonably and in no case be excluded from the diet, since they are a concentrated source of energy, which is so necessary for high physical exertion. We will proceed from the following calculation: 1 gram of fat per 1 kg of body weight. We can get the fats we need in the following products:
- butter;
- fish fat;
- cheeses;
- sour cream;
- oil of various seeds;
- nuts.
Carbohydrates… Here the division takes place into simple and complex. At the same time, 70% of us give preference to complex carbohydrates, everything else is simple. We take complex carbohydrates from:
- brown rice;
- vegetables and fruits;
- various cereals;
- bread (whole grain);
- pasta.
What to exclude from the diet?
Now about the unpleasant – the prohibitions. Meals of football players does not accept:
- sweet soda;
- alcohol;
- fast food;
- crackers, chips and various snacks;
- creams;
- sweet pastries.
That was in general, but now the list of prohibited foods on the day of the game:
- fried meat;
- seasoned dishes;
- legumes;
- nuts / seeds;
- butter.
On the day of the game (before the game), the following are most welcomed:
- vegetable dishes / salads / side dishes;
- natural yoghurts;
- boiled poultry meat;
- eggs;
- compotes / jelly.
For quick recovery after games, it is recommended to use:
- fish cooked in any way;
- vegetable salads;
- stewed vegetables;
- a lot of fruits.
Amount of food
Of course, you need to eat in reasonable quantities, otherwise there will be no sense from the “right” products. Most often, the ration of football players is divided into four meals, so let’s distribute the load as a percentage: 20% for breakfast / afternoon tea / dinner, 40% for lunch.
What and when is it better to eat? Conditionally it will look like this:
- Breakfast: whole grains, eggs, cereals and juices.
- Lunch: More protein foods, soups, fruits / vegetables, baked goods.
- Afternoon snack: dairy products, fruits / vegetables.
- Dinner: more vegetables, pasta, juices (no sugar).
Something like this should look like the diet of football players, but it is better to adjust it either with your coach or with a doctor. It is important not to forget about the individual aspects inherent in each individual organism, therefore, the issue of nutrition must be approached rationally and taking into account your own needs. It is also important to take into account the coach’s attitude (weight gain or loss) to achieve optimal physical fitness. In this case, you need a personal consultation with a specialist who will advise which foods to include / exclude from the diet in order to achieve the desired result as quickly as possible and without harm to the body.