Football players expend immense amounts of energy during the season. Whether it's gameday or two-a-days -- two football practices in a single day -- the number of calories you need is likely going to double that of a couch potato. In fact, according to Pittsburgh Steelers health consultant Lesli Bonci, some football players need as many as 10,000 calories daily. Knowing how many calories you need, why you need them and where to get these calories from ties directly into your effectiveness on the field.
Energy
Understanding and breaking down calories can be a bit tricky, so it may be easier to call it by another less scientific name -- energy. Saying "calories" is just another way of saying "energy," only this particular kind of energy doesn't come from a wall socket, it comes from food. When you put food into your body, it is converted into energy. If this energy goes unused, it ultimately gets converted into fat, which the body then stores for future use.
Protein and Carbohydrates
You can't get all of your energy from candy bars and soda pop. Your body requires a certain amount of energy to be consumed in the form of protein and complex carbohydrates. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends that extremely active adults eat as much as 0.8 g of protein for every pound of body weight each day, and the American Dietetic Association recommends they eat 2.7 g of carbs for every pound of body weight. Healthy sources of protein include egg whites, tofu and turkey. Healthy sources of complex carbohydrates include oatmeal, brown rice and 100 percent whole wheat pasta.
Meal Timing
Eating a 16 oz. steak just before a game or wolfing down a hamburger at halftime are two prime examples of bad meal timing. The Mayo Clinic recommends eating a small- to medium-sized meal two to three hours before an intense bout of exercise. This allows the food you just ate to leave the stomach, and it gives your body time to absorb the energy for use during the game. Keep the heavy, protein-driven meals for well before and just after the game. Protein is a major contributor in muscle growth and repair.
Position Specific
The total amount of calories, or energy, you need to eat is largely dependent on what role you serve on the field. If you're a kicker who may go an entire game without sprinting, your dietary needs are going to be much different than that of a receiver who may sprint 3,000 yards before a game is over. Consult with a dietary specialist on your specific caloric needs and ask them to put together a strict food regimen to suit your body's energy expenditures.
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