Dietary Recommendations For Professional Footballers

Nutrition During and After Training

Footballer trains and plays through high energy sessions. A number of literatures have demonstrated issues regarding lack of nutritional intake with eating habits of players (La Bounty 2011). Nutritional recommendations can promote healthy eating habits for soccer players for enhancing performance and overall career benefits. Recommendations developed for players can provide guidelines for increasing performances, accelerate recovery process by optimizing body weight with physical conditions reducing risks related to injury or illness. Expressing recommendations by total energy intake is a variable term, which is best expressed in terms of micronutrient intake. Carbohydrates intake for games in proposed at 5 to 7 grams per kg of body weight. For protein intake, it needs to be at average of 1.5 to 1.8 grams per kg body mass (Thomas 2016).  Food intake for players   needs to be a well-balanced diet comprising of variety of meals that combine energy and micronutrients. Nutrients are matched to playing positions, but players are often provided nutritional guidance based on their energy expenditure levels.  

Football is a sport involving high amounts of physical activity where players needs to perform low-intensity movements in 70% of the match. However, the pace of the player needs to be interspersed with higher-intensity movements (Fink 2017). Football is a competitive match, where often players needs to run for over 12 kilometers in anaerobic and aerobic energy. The sports make energy expenditures of 2,000 kcal during play time. As per current age of the pro footballer, 24 years, weight being 77 kg and height 1.80 meters, there are various dietary lags. The player takes food as a regular person and needs as per pro footballer is not met. There is immense amount of carbohydrate, fats and protein needs that needs to be accomplished along with taking dietary supplements (Kerksick 2008). However, the player does not well-planned nutritional food and drinks designed to meet dietary requirements. Good and healthy nutrition will boost athletic and training performance and recovery. American and Canadian dietician association and American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) provides specific dietary planning to complete needs of players. All recommendations given in the current report pertains to the player actively participating in competitive sports and strenuous training activities (Campbell 2013). Protein, carbohydrates and fluid replacements forms the basis for footballer’s dietary needs hence forms a major part of this scheduled analysis. Supplements of various types as minerals and vitamins are also accommodated to fulfill regular needs and maintain a healthy body for fitness in training and playing. Nutritional intake of soccer players needs to be based on scientific research.

Pre-Training or Match Nutrition

Nutrition During and After Training

A pro footballer’s diet needs to meet the high energy demands for their daily performance and training. Carbohydrates forms the basic building block for energy, hence needs to be made a priority for training necessities (Holway 2011). In order for recovery and training muscles stimulus protein strategies for recovery has to be focused to recover. Appropriate types of fats needs to be consumed for supporting immune system and overall well-being. Fats to be consumed by pro footballer needs to consists of nuts, seeds, oily fish, animal or dairy fats which can help make up for well-being.

Isotonic sports drinks are often used during training sessions are used for maximizing output during training sessions (Torres-McGehee 2012). With some sports person it could have a blunting response in training preventing oxidation of fatty acids. One must adopt a variety in type of nutritional strategy with periodization of sessions as to what approach is made. For this case suggestion is for off-season train-low strategy, which will yield more opt results.

Pre-Training or Match Nutrition

Match days can emerge as greatest challenge for players with games being heavily scheduled. Consideration has to be accommodated to ensure that proper amounts of nutrients are taken in appropriate quantities and at right timings (Paul 2009). In case of pre-match nutrition, a period of 24 to 48 hours needs to be given to the game. Player has to consume 1 to 4 grams carbohydrates per kg body weight before a 6 hour period of the game start. Nutritional training needs to be practiced prior to adopting within the game.

Recommendations includes not to consume food causing gastrointestinal (GI) troubles or one that is heavy on the stomach on match day (Dogan 2015). Nutritional strategy includes planning meal timings as breakfast at 08:00 hours, pre-match or pre-training lunch at 11:30 hours, followed by high carbohydrate drink or food as isotonic sports drinks or Sports Gels or Jelly Babies before starting with session. Hydration is integral prior to match and also to prior to training sessions to commence player in hydrated state. Here the player consumes less of water, which can cause lack of hydration, therefore monitoring using urine osmolality and body mass can provide hydration strategy (Burke 2011). The player has to consume 400 to 500 ml of fluid prior to starting off with training or the game. Fluid can be derived from water or isotonic sports drinks. Isotonic sports drinks will provide additional carbohydrates for muscles to store topping up. at the end of training or game sessions a small drink is necessary for replacing any sweat losses.      

After finishing off with training or match, it becomes pertinent to match nutritional needs for fast recovery (Jeukendrup 2014). A Congested fixture at recovery station with options for drinks and foods will help replenish needs of the player. One needs to take in protein and carbohydrates as a common strategy, which can be less healthier options as chicken pizza or sugary milk shakes. The player needs to take in why protein supplements for making up high glycemic (High GI) carbohydrates for quick source of carbohydrates and protein. During match or training session fluid loss, the player needs to take 1.5 L of fluid for every kg of lost weight at the match.

Supplements for Football   

Footballers needs to take in regular dosage of supplements for consumption. Sport nutritionists can provide selected supplements for improving performance (Desbrow 2014). Legal and safe supplements with well-grounded scientific rationale with balanced diet will lead to training adaptation. The player lacks and can consume Whey protein concentrate, Vitamin D3, Caffeinated products, Creatine Monohydrate and Omega 3 fish oils.    

The player needs to consume protein of 398 gm per day, which would comprise of 17.2% of total food intake. The protein can derived from fish, chicken, beef and any other form of animal protein. The deficiency in protein can be made up by taking protein bars or protein shakes during snacking period to make up. Protein will help accelerate muscle formation, recover from injury or illness in a fast manner also prevent from fatigue of muscles. Carbohydrate will need to constitute 818 gm per day of regular dietary intake which is above normal population and comprise of 50% of total meal. The player lacks in carbohydrate intake, which is the primary source of energy for players that will prevent fatigue. Carbohydrate levels from dietary intake needs to be well placed in between meals during training or playing sessions. Carbohydrates can be derived from various sources of breads, pasta, any other wheat forms preferred by player. For maintaining high energy levels, the player has to consume adequate amounts of carbohydrates such that minimum level of fatigue is encountered. Fat is an important source of energy and well-being for players during playing sessions and also during training practice. It helps maintain proper balance within the body with various other vital micronutrients that are released from fat. The player takes inadequate quantities of fats and needs to consume 1042 gm per day. Fats has to consists of a total of 35% of total dietary intake of the individual to make up for any injury or illness. It will also keep the body warm and provide constant source of energy during hard training sessions. As the player will be consuming significant amounts of carbohydrates and proteins, there needs to be adequate amounts of fiber added to his diet. These fiber will prevent bloating and any GI troubles during training or playing sessions. It will help relieve any symptoms of gasses or stomach cramping whatsoever. The player needs to maintain a total of 2313 gm per day dietary intake to maintain adequate levels of energy for the game. 

The pro footballer needs to follow specific dietary regimen and routine for daily intake. The dietary source of food will provide the necessary requirements of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, whereas fluid will be from isotonic drinks (Manninen 2009). The player will also need to take dietary supplements to make for lost amounts of energy or recovery from a sports or training session.

Advice/ Recommendations	Rationale	Research citation
Increase CHO intake to 5 g/kg BW/day	To reduce feeling of fatigue experienced after training	Reference Citation (i.e. Jeukendrup, 2014)
Increase Protein intake by 3 g/kg BW/day	To help recover and train muscles	Reference Citation (i.e. Manninen, 2009)
Increase Fat intake by 4 g/kg BW/day	To maintain level of energy	Reference Citation (i.e. Jeukendrup, 2014)
Increase Dietary Fibre intake by 3 g/kg BW/day	To prevent GI disorders and bloating during training or playing	Reference Citation (i.e. Paul, 2009)
Increase Sugar intake by 6 g/kg BW/day	For enhancing levels of energy, can be through Isotonic drinks or milk shakes	Reference Citation (i.e. Manninen, 2009)
Increase Fluid intake by 5 ml/kg BW/day	For increasing and maintaining hydration	Reference Citation (i.e. Manninen, 2009)
Increase Vitamin C intake by 0.02 g/kg BW/day	To keep healthy body and muscle flexibility	Reference Citation (i.e. Paul, 2009)
Increase Vitamin B12 intake by 0.01 g/kg BW/day	To keep healthy body, easy digestion and meeting multiple vitamin needs	Reference Citation (i.e. Jeukendrup, 2014)
Increase Folate intake by  0.01 g/kg BW/day	To keep healthy body	Reference Citation (i.e. Paul, 2009)

Following the player’s dietary requirements for training and playing the game, the below recommendations are provided (Slater 2011). The following dietary based recommendations are developed using Diet Plan 7 software, which is available from https://www.foresoft.co.uk/.

Conclusion 

From the above analysis it can be understood that while the player’s calorie needs are high, meeting of such requirements are extremely low. The player in order to accomplish nutritional needs and feel energetic and perform during training or playing sessions has to take adequate amounts of dietary food. Football being a high energy game requires a lot of energy, carbohydrates is the main dietary lack of the player  which can be made up by taking in adequate portions in meals. Moreover, the player also needs to take in supplements, proteins, fats, fluids and other necessary dietary foods or drinks as per stated.

Reference Lists

Burke, L.M., Hawley, J.A., Wong, S.H. and Jeukendrup, A.E., 2011. Carbohydrates for training and competition. Journal of sports sciences, 29(sup1), pp.S17-S27.

Desbrow, B., McCormack, J., Burke, L.M., Cox, G.R., Fallon, K., Hislop, M., Logan, R., Marino, N., Sawyer, S.M., Shaw, G. and Star, A., 2014. Sports Dietitians Australia position statement: sports nutrition for the adolescent athlete. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 24(5), pp.570-584.

Dogan, E., Tasmektepligil, M.Y. and Cankaya, S., 2015. An investigation of the leptin levels of footballers and wrestlers in terms of aerobic capacity. The Anthropologist, 19(2), pp.355-359.

Fink, H.H., 2017. Practical applications in sports nutrition. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Campbell, B., Wilborn, C., La Bounty, P., Taylor, L., Nelson, M.T., Greenwood, M., Ziegenfuss, T.N., Lopez, H.L., Hoffman, J.R., Stout, J.R. and Schmitz, S., 2013. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: energy drinks. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 10(1), p.1.

Holway, F.E. and Spriet, L.L., 2011. Sport-specific nutrition: practical strategies for team sports. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29(sup1), pp.S115-S125.

Jeukendrup, A., 2014. A step towards personalized sports nutrition: carbohydrate intake during exercise. Sports Medicine, 44(1), pp.25-33.

Kerksick, C., Harvey, T., Stout, J., Campbell, B., Wilborn, C., Kreider, R., Kalman, D., Ziegenfuss, T., Lopez, H., Landis, J. and Ivy, J.L., 2008. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 5(1), p.17.

La Bounty, P.M., Campbell, B.I., Wilson, J., Galvan, E., Berardi, J., Kleiner, S.M., Kreider, R.B., Stout, J.R., Ziegenfuss, T., Spano, M. and Smith, A., 2011. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: meal frequency. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 8(1), p.4.

Manninen, A.H., 2009. Protein hydrolysates in sports nutrition. Nutrition & metabolism, 6(1), p.38.

Paul, G.L., 2009. The rationale for consuming protein blends in sports nutrition. Journal of the American college of Nutrition, 28(sup4), pp.464S-472S.

Slater, G. and Phillips, S.M., 2011. Nutrition guidelines for strength sports: sprinting, weightlifting, throwing events, and bodybuilding. Journal of sports sciences, 29(sup1), pp.S67-S77.

Thomas, D.T., Erdman, K.A. and Burke, L.M., 2016. Position of the academy of nutrition and dietetics, dietitians of canada, and the american college of sports medicine: Nutrition and athletic performance. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 116(3), pp.501-528.

Torres-McGehee, T.M., Pritchett, K.L., Zippel, D., Minton, D.M., Cellamare, A. and Sibilia, M., 2012. Sports nutrition knowledge among collegiate athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, and strength and conditioning specialists. Journal of Athletic Training, 47(2), pp.205-211.