A healthy diet is essential for any athlete. The better quality of food you
eat the better performance you will get from the body.
There are three sources of energy in food:
1. FATS
2. PROTEINS
3. CARBOHYDRATES
4. FAT
Found in meats, dairy products, eggs, nuts & oils contain the most
Energy.
_ only beneficial for low intensity exercise, such as jogging
_ Too much fat is not good for your health
_ cut down on junk food such as, fatty meats and dairy products
_ Bake grill/broil, and boil rather than fry
PROTEINS
Found in fish, meats, vegetables, and dairy products
_ Help muscle building and strength that is essential for players
_ Protein has proven difficult for the body to be converted in to energy
_ Protein provide only a small percentage of the body's energy
CARBOHYDRATES
Carbohydrates are the best source of energy for the body
_ They provide most of the energy for aerobic and anaerobic activity
_ there are two types of carbohydrates, SIMPLE and COMPLEX
SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES
Simple carbohydrates are basic sugars, which can be found in fizzy
Drinks, cookies, candy, chocolate, fruit & similar foods
_ The body can convert simple ‘carbs’ to energy very quickly, they are useful for replacing energy which is lost during practice or game
_ If it's not burned off they will be converted to fat in the body
COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES
Complex carbohydrates are found in foods such as, whole meal bread,
Whole meal pasta, whole potatoes, brown rice, whole meal cereals, and
Vegetables
_ they are not readily converted to fat as simple carbohydrates
CONCLUSION
FOODS TO AVOID ANYTIME BEFORE A MATCH
Any foods with a lot of fat can be very difficult and slow to digest. Fast
Foods, burgers, hotdogs, doughnuts, crisps/potato chips, and candy
Bars are very high in fat and remain in the stomach for a long time.
If you eat these foods as pre-match meals, they will likely be with you during
The match. Avoid or limit eating these foods for your pre-match meal.
DAY’S BEFORE A MATCH
It is important that your body has a good supply of carbohydrates to
Produce the energy it needs
_ Carbo-loading - eat more than your normal amount of complex Carbohydrates for at least two days before a game
_ this ensures that high levels of energy are in the body
_ taking an extra helping of rice or pasta might give you that extra burst of energy on the pitch/field
MATCH DAY
A good balanced meal at least three hours before playing is
Recommended
_ This allows sufficient time for digestion and proper absorption of the
Food in to the body
EXAMPLES OF SUGGESTED PRE-MATCH FOODS
1 hour or less before a match or practice
_ Fruit or vegetable juices e.g. orange, or V-8
_ Fresh fruit such as apples, oranges, peaches, grapes and bananas
_ Energy gels e.g. isotonic energy gel
_ Sports drinks e.g. Gatorade.
2 to 3 hours before a match or practice
_ Fresh fruit
_ Fruit or vegetable juices
_ Bread, bagels
_ Sports drink
3 to 4 hours before a match or practice
_ Fresh fruit
_ Fruit or vegetable juices
_ Bread, bagels
_ Pasta with tomato sauce
_ Baked potatoes
_ Energy bar
_ Cereal with low-fat milk
_ Low-fat yogurt
_ Toast/bread with limited peanut butter, lean meat, or low-fat cheese
_ Sports drink
AFTER THE MATCH
Snack on high ‘carbo’ bars and drinks
_ This will replace the energy lost during the match
_ Follow this up later with a proper meal, high in complex ‘carbs
DRINKS
During practice or a game the body loses a lot of fluid through sweat
and breath and this has to be replaced
Drinking water is good for re-hydration, but since you’re losing ‘carbos’ As well as fluids, ‘carbo-sports’ drinks are a better option an even better option is isotonic drinks which are specially designed for quick absorption
AVOID CAFFEINATED DRINKS
Although caffeine acts as a stimulant by improving endurance, it can
Have some serious side effects for some people.
Those who are very sensitive to it’s’ effects may experience nausea, muscle
Tremors and headaches. Too much caffeine can result in dehydration, which
Decreases performance.
MATCH DAY
The amount of fluid to drink before a game varies
_ it is important not to drink to the stage where you are bloated
_ Drink about 3 or 4 mouthfuls of water or ‘carbo-sports’ drink after the
Warm-up, about 5 minutes before kick off
AT HALF TIME
Drink around 3-quarters of a pint
AFTER THE MATCH
Drink at least 100-200 grams/3-7 fluid oz of fluid
PRACTICE
Stop every 20-30 minutes or so for a drink
On behalf of the SoccerTutor team UK www.soccertutor.com
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