Does Soccer Make You Lose Weight?

Soccer certainly makes you burn calories. A professional player who weighs 160 pounds, such as the LA Galaxy’s Landon Donovan, can burn as many as 4,000 calories a day, according to the authors of “Food Guide for Soccer.” And soccer can lower your body-fat percentage under the right conditions. Whether you lose overall weight as well as fat depends on other factors that come into play.

Research

Few studies in medical and sports science journals look specifically at the issue of whether taking up soccer helps you lose weight. In Denmark, previously untrained men and women were taught soccer as part of a series of soccer fitness studies by University of Copenhagen sports scientist Peter Krustrup and colleagues. The subjects achieved better overall health in terms of cardiovascular fitness, lower body-fat percentages and lower cholesterol levels. Krustrup indicated that weight on its own was not as much of an indicator of improved health as the other measures tracked.

Considerations

As the Copenhagen studies indicate, weight loss is not a given from playing soccer. In fact, many players assume incorrectly that, once the season starts, any extra pounds will melt away during practices and games, note sports dietitian Nancy Clark and soccer journalist Gloria Averbuch in “Food Guide for Soccer.” Weight loss may be elusive, though, because you need nourishing foods, especially carbohydrates, to fuel your efforts during the season.

Strategy

If you want to lose undesired pounds, Averbuch and Clark recommend following a careful strategy in combination with your soccer exercise. Eat a bit less at the end of the day. Eat enough calories at breakfast and lunch and during a snack before practice that dinner is a moderate 400 to 600 calories. Cut back on fatty foods, such as butter, french fries and pepperoni. Try to lose weight during the off-season and avoid eating to cheer yourself if you are bored, anxious or missing soccer. Richard J. Johnson, a medical doctor and author of “The Sugar Fix,” similarly provides a case study of a 30-year-old hospital administrator who played competitive soccer three or four times a week but was carrying extra pounds. Johnson got the administrator to cut sugary foods and soft drinks. The player dropped 20 pounds in six weeks, and his blood pressure was lowered, as well.

Fluid Loss

Soccer players temporarily lose weight due to fluid loss, often around 1 percent of their total body weight, according to a review of the literature by Krustrup’s colleague, Jens Bangsbo. Players may lose up to 6 pints in temperate environments and 8 to 10 pints in hot and humid conditions. When you lose weight playing, especially in hot weather, you need to address this loss promptly by consuming water or sports drinks so that you regain the lost fluids.