Nutrition Plan For Soccer Players

Armies march on their stomachs, the expression goes, and so too soccer players, that may burn 4,000 calories per day during the season, writes sports nutritionist Dan Bernardot. If you love to kick the ball around, you’ll need a nutrition plan that replenishes this burned-off energy and keeps you strong enough to compete well in the second half of the match without feeling half-starved.

Considerations

Carbohydrates form the cornerstone of a nutrition plan for a soccer player in training. You need to take in enough carbohydrates to provide fuel for practices and matches and to help your muscles recover their level of glycogen, a form of stored carbohydrates, between workouts. That is the finding of a panel of sports nutritionists in 2005 who compiled "F-MARC Nutrition for Football" for FIFA, soccer’s international governing body.

Features

You can estimate how many carbs you need based on your size and the demands of your training. In the four hours after exercise, take in 1 g per kilogram, or 3 oz. for someone who weights 150 lbs., of carbohydrate per hour, taken at frequent intervals. For daily recovery from a low- or moderate-intensity workout, take 5 to 7 g per kilogram of body weight per day, or 15 to 21 oz. for a 150-lb. player. Up the fuel intake to 7 to 10 g, or from 21 to 30 oz. for a 150-lb. player, when recovering from heavy endurance training, such as during preseason, or fueling up for a match.

Types

For nutrition during recovery time, eat foods with a moderate to high glycemic index, such as most breakfast cereals, rice, white and brown breads, sports drinks, sugar, jam and honey, potatoes and tropical fruits and juices. Foods with a high glycemic index enter the blood stream and affect blood sugar rapidly. For carbohydrate-based snacks and meals high in nutrients, go for breakfast cereal with milk, flavored yogurt, fruit smoothies or liquid meal supplements, a sandwich with meat and lettuce and meat, fish or chicken stir-fry with rice or noodles.

Expert Insight

Young players may need five to nine small meals a day rather than larger meals to keep up with the energy demands of soccer and growth spurts as well, notes the FIFA report. Amateur players will need to eat a lower volume of carbs and other nutrients than pro players and reduce their food intake in the off-season. Semi-pros compared to elite players will have less support in terms of chefs and meals provided by the team and possibly face a challenge in balancing dietary demands with their day jobs and matches after work. Amateurs and semi-pros trying to restrict body fat should avoid alcohol, which is high energy but nutrient poor, and have a meal or snack to replace carbs, protein and fluids before having an alcoholic beverage.

Warning

Female players need to need to intake 1,365 calories per every 100 lbs. of fat-free mass to avoid problems with reproductive function and menstrual cycles, and consume foods high in iron and calcium. Males may also risk problems with metabolic and hormonal function, which affects growth, health and performance, if they fall below this intake level. Players who need to reduce their body fat percentage need to do so gradually and take care to manage their nutrition plan in the off-season to avoid weight gain.