SOCCER NUTRITION 2007
Taylor Tollison
Elite Soccer Conditioning
Introduction
“Players who ate lots of carbohydrate ran the
most and only walked about 25% of the total distance. Players who ate a “normal” meal
covered about 25% less distance and covered most of it at a walk.”
These guidelines are put in place to
help you maximize your performance. It is
important to eat at the right times and to
eat the right things. Otherwise your
performance will suffer, as will be shown
later.
If you properly hydrate and feed
yourself your performance will improve. Let’s consider
for a moment a few of the variables
that contribute to a win. (Not all inclusive)
1. Individual skills with the ball
2. Individual strength, speed and
conditioning
3. Team cohesiveness
4. Team tactics
5. Psychology
6. Eating right
7. Hydrating correctly
Al though each of the above does not
have an equal value in relation to contributing to a win, let’s assume that
each gets one point. If all of your focus was only put on 1-5 you would think
you would earn 5 points total. But after further analysis the team that does not
eat right or hydrate correctly will soon realize that #6 and #7 drastically
affect many
of the first five. Have you ever had a
team with good speed look sluggish and slow because they did not hydrate enough
or eat right the day before a game? Or because of fatigue for the same reasons
athletes don’t make the runs they normally make, thus killing tactics and cohesiveness?
What could happen to the Psychology of an athlete
when they are dehydrated?
Because of correct sports nutrition
you will be able to run longer. You will feel better, have more energy and have
less fatigue. One source said that 30% of all goals come towards the end of the
game. If you can improve all seven of the performance areas and the others that
were not listed you will win more games. In this E-Book you will discover a few
tips and tricks that are vital to the success of your soccer athletes.
Athletes tend to have fewer
problems with muscle cramping and fatigue when they eat a nutrient dense meal 2-3 hours before
game time. Nutrient dense meals are high in carbs
(not candy or soda drink carbs) and some protein,
( turkey, chicken, and other lower fat meats.). If we eat a meal that is
properly nutritious for our bodies then we will feed our carbohydrate stores. Which
translates to better performance during the game. The more carbohydrates we eat the more glycogen stores
we will have which means the further and faster players run. A diet
like Atkins or these other fad diets are not appropriate for athletic performance. A research study
showed that players who ate lots of carbohydrate ran the most and only walked about
25% of the total distance. Players who ate a “normal” meal covered about 25% less distance and
covered most of it at a walk. Can you guess who won this game? If you eat a meal that is too
large within two to three hours of a game or intense practice this may adversely affect your
performance and make your stomach feel bad. When you start to play,
the blood that was being used to digest the large meal in your stomach is now being
transported to the working muscles for use. The food will now just sit in
the stomach and may
cause adverse effects. Here are
guidelines on when and how much to eat prior to competition. Don’t eat the listed calories
at 3-5 hours and also 2-3 hours and then 1-2 and also .5 to 1 hours prior
to competition. That
would be too much. These guidelines suggest that if you eat 3-5 hours prior to
competition then eat 300-500 and if you eat 1-2 hours prior to competition
then have liquid
meal of 100-200 kcals and so on and so forth.
These can be adjusted down if the athlete
is smaller. Many restaurants or fast food places have a nutritional guide
to help you
select your meals. 3-5 hours
prior to game- large meal 300-500 kcal 2-3 hours
prior to game - small meal 200-300 kcal 1-2 hours
prior to game- liquid meal 100-200 kcal .5 to 1
hours prior to game- snack 50-100 kcal Here are some ideas of good foods to eat:
Day of the Game FOOD
If you eat a meal that is too large
within two to three hours of a game or intense practice this may adversely
affect your performance and make your stomach feel bad. When you start to play,
the blood that was being used to digest the large meal in your stomach is now
being transported to the working muscles for use. The food will now just sit in
the
stomach and may cause adverse effects.
Here are guidelines on when and how
much to eat prior to competition. Don’t eat the listed calories at 3-5 hours
and also 2-3 hours and then 1-2 and also .5 to 1 hours prior to competition.
That would be too much. These guidelines suggest that if you eat 3-5 hours prior
to competition then eat 300-500 and if you eat 1-2 hours prior to competition
then
have liquid meal of 100-200 kcals and so on and so forth. These can be adjusted down if
the athlete is smaller. Many restaurants or fast food places have a nutritional
guide to help you select your meals.
3-5 hours prior to game- large meal
300-500 kcal
2-3 hours prior to game - small meal
200-300 kcal
1-2 hours prior to game- liquid meal
100-200 kcal
.5 to 1 hours prior to game- snack
50-100 kcal
Here are some ideas of good foods to
eat:
Snacks
Bagel, Banana, Cereal bars, Dried
fruit, Fig Newtons, Fruit, Graham crackers, Raisins, White
Bread, Subway might be a good place to eat while on
the road. Get the whole wheat bread with turkey or some other lower fat meat
and some vegetables.
Meals
Baked potato,
Corn, Breadsticks, Noodles, Rice, Baked Beans, Oatmeal, Whole wheat bread,
Peas. (be aware of high fat sauces for pasta)
In restaurants or at a continental
breakfast: hot and cold cereals, bagels, toast, English muffins, pancake with
syrup, and fruit. Einstein bagels would provide plenty of carbohydrates for
eating on the road.
Foods to stay away from
Candy, Soda pop. These are common foods or drinks
that will hinder performance.
Athletes have higher metabolisms
than non-athletes. If you eat candy or drink soft drinks prior to a game, blood
sugar may go down which can result in light-headedness, fatigue or loss of
performance. Avoid drinking fluids that contain caffeine because they may stimulate
excess urine production, or decrease voluntary fluid intake. Avoid high fat
foods.
F L U I D S
A day or two before the game pay
attention to your urine color. If the urine is clear
like water or the color of lemon juice then that most
likely means you are properly hydrated.
The darker the urine the more fluid
you may need. The clearer the fluid the better hydrated you are. Whether your
urine is clear or not each athlete should drink a 16-20 ounce water bottle the
night before the game, 16-20 ounces the morning of the game and 16-20 ounces
1-2 hours before the game. 16 ounces is 2 cups. You don’t have to drink
the 16 ounces all at one time.
During the Game
“It is vital that you
drink even if you are not thirsty especially on hot days.”
F O O D
Fruit, cereal bars.
F L U I D
During competition replacing lost
fluid is vital to health and performance. Because of the
continuous nature of soccer it is very
difficult to properly hydrate yourself during a
soccer game.
Here are some general guidelines to
follow if possible that will keep you hydrated and
keep performance up:
- During Competition Consume 1 cup cool fluid
every 15 minutes (if possible) and during breaks (it is vital that you
drink even if you are not thirsty especially on hot days) if you wait till
you are thirsty it may be too late, you could already be dehydrated. Flavored sport drinks are not needed unless playing at
a high intensity or
if the exercise session lasts 45-50 minutes. So a sports drink would be
good for a game.
- Be sure
to rehydrate during halftime even if you are not
thirsty. Gatorade or other sports drinks would be a good choice to
replenish carbs and electrolytes that were lost during
the first half.
- One problem with water is that is can sometimes
shut off the osmotic drive (thirst mechanisms) that you get for drinking.
As little as 1 pint of water can turn this mechanism off even though you
may have lost 4 pints of fluid. So you may drink a little water and not
feel thirsty anymore, but in actuality your body still needs more
water. Therefore thirst is not a good indicator of when you should drink. If
you wait to drink when you are thirsty then it may be too late. You may already
be dehydrated. Also water doesn’t replace the lost electrolytes which are
important in preventing muscle cramps. Drink plain water throughout the day
before competition but when it comes to competition it may at times be better
to drink the sports drink.
·
Sports
drinks may be superior to water in that it doesn’t seem to turn off the thirst mechanism.
This may be because of the sodium in the sports drink. Sports drinks are good
because they replenish electrolytes, carbs and fluid
all in one. Another reason is that carbohydrates in fluids have the effect of
improving rates of fluid absorption by the intestines (a 6-7% carbohydrate
solution is considered best), and the carbohydrates also help to replenish the
muscle glycogen used during the exercise.
·
An
athlete can lose performance when he or she loses only 1-2% of their body
weight as fluid. Here are some things to be aware of::
if you weigh 100 lbs. a 2% loss would be 2 lbs. A good way to see if you are
keeping your fluids up is to weigh yourself before the game or practice and
then weigh yourself after. If you have lost 2 lbs. then you have not kept your
fluids up.
·
Recent
research (abstract by Smith et al. J. Sports Science 16(5): 502-503) In this study,
soccer players had less fatigue in the second half of a simulated soccer game when
they consumed Gatorade before the game and at half time. In contrast, players showed
greater fatigue (slower speeds, reduced jumping ability) when they drank the same
volume of fluid without carbohydrate (water). The advantage of Gatorade is that
·
it supplies fluid and energy. Fluid losses will contribute to fatigue
independent of running out of energy. The concentration (6%) and types of
carbohydrate in the Gatorade help stimulate rapid fluid absorption (Ryan et al.
J Appl Physiol 84:1581-8, '98).
The Snickers bar alone will not rehydrate the
players. Also, by containing peanuts and other fat sources, the Snickers bar is
not digested rapidly; thus, it's carbohydrate doesn't
get into the body as quick as the carbohydrates in Gatorade. If the coach is
set on feeding the team, I'd suggest foods that get into the body quickly. Low-fat
granola bars or low-fat, high-carbohydrate sports bars would be better than the
Snickers. I'd suggest first trying this approach during a practice scrimmage to
be sure the kids tolerate any food. The use of the sports drink should be
continued regardless of the food practice, again to help maintain hydration
while providing energy. (Craig A. Horswill, Ph.D.)
·
Athletes
must be made aware that energy drinks are not appropriate substitutes for optimal
fuel and fluid and may have no bearing at all on how energized they feel. In addition,
athletes should be educated about these products. For example, some energy drinks
do not contain the stated ingredients (Gurley et al., 2000), many are not costeffective means of obtaining carbohydrate, and certain
products may actually impair athletic performance. (Note; there is a difference
between energy drinks and sports drinks, i.e., red bull and Gatorade)
·
Hydration
is not only important in hot but also cold environments. Be sure your athletes
are drinking during the cold days also
Here are
signs to watch for, during the game, to make sure athletes are not dehydrated
L A C K O F
F L U I D S
A N D H E A T I L L N E S S
Dehydration
can seriously compromise athletic performance and increase the risk of exertional heat injury. That’s why it’s important to
recognize the warning signs.
• Thirst
•
Irritability
•
Headache
•
Weakness
•
Dizziness
• Cramps
• Nausea
•
Decreased performance
Recovery
“In competition, it means being able to take part in the next
round or event and to
perform at the same or at a higher level.”
What is the meaning of recovery in sports?
Recovery is the process the athlete goes
through to return to a state of performance
readiness. Recovery
involves a restoration of nutrient and energy stores, a return to
normal physiological
function, a lessening of muscle soreness, and the isappearance
of the psychological symptoms
(irritability, disorientation, inability to concentrate)
associated with
extreme fatigue. (Dan Benardot, Ph.D., R.D., L.D.)
In
competition, it means being able to take part in the next round or event and to
perform at the same or at a higher level. (Ron Maughan,
Ph.D.)
What should the athlete do
immediately following a game or practice?
After a
game or practice do a cool down at sub maximal levels. This could be a slight
jog maybe a walk, This will facilitate the removal of
lactate that has built up during the competition and prepare the body for the
next game. The athlete should also consume fluids to replace lost fluid and
carbohydrates. It is important to note that if the athlete has another
competition shortly following the event to not eat such a huge meal or not
drink such a large amount of fluid because the meal or liquids may stay in the
stomach for the next competition. The athlete who doesn’t
play for another 24 hours doesn’t have to worry as much about eating a huge
meal immediately following the game. The athlete needs to go through a
full body stretching routine also.
What should the athelete
eat or drink immediately following the game?
For
smaller athletes who have multiple competitions within a day, I might recommend
a 200-250 calorie (1 MJ) energy bar or other snack containing mainly
carbohydrate, along with 12 to 16 ounces (350-475 ml) of a sports drink to wash
it down. This amount of food would increase proportionately with the size of
the athlete and the situation. I encourage athletes who are finished for the
day to consume 250-400 calories (1-1.8 MJ) of foods
high in carbohydrates (pretzels, bread, fruit) with fluids before they
shower, and then to eat the same amount after they shower and dress. (Dan Benardot, Ph.D., R.D., L.D.)
A good
energy bar with lots of carbs and ample amounts of
protein would be something like a powerbar, clif bar, Gatorade energy bar. When choosing an energy bar
look for one high in carbohydrates with some protein in it. Don’t buy an energy
bar that is low in carbs and high in protein. The
main fuel we are worried about replenishing is the carbohydrates. As little as
6 grams of protein is good to help the muscles following a game. More is not
better.
Within
two hours following a game players should replace lost carbs
in the body with about 1 gram of carbs per 1 lb of
body weight. If the match is too close to digest a high carbohydrate meal then
choose from the list below on how to get quick energy for the next match:
Try
combining several of the items below:
• Energy
or fruit Bars
• Fresh
fruit
• Fruited
yogurt
• Bagels,
muffins, cereal mixes with dried fruit and nuts
If an
athlete feels uncomfortable eating solid food between matches, consider these convenient
liquid options:
•
Carbohydrate-rich drink
• Liquid
meal
(MICHELE
MACEDONIO, M.S., R.D. L.D)
Note: You
can combine a carbohydrate drink like Gatorade with a
energy bar as listed above.
When
choosing how much to drink weigh yourself before and
after the game. If you weigh 102 lbs. before the game and 100 lbs. after the
game you should consume approximately 40-50 oz of fluid. 20 oz of fluid for
every pound lost. Make sure at least some of the fluid is a sports drink like
Gatorade. A smaller bottle might do the trick. No soda. One thing that may skew
the results of the water lost would be the sweat on the clothes so if possible
remove the sweaty cloths. But weigh yourself with the same amount to clothes
before the game and the same amount after. So if you have shoes on before have
the same shoes on after. If you have a shirt on weigh yourself with the same size
and weight shirt both times.
Consuming
carbs during the first 30 minutes of exercise or the
game will help in synthesizing the carbs two times as
fast as if you were to wait several hours after the game. This is crucial if
you have a game later in the same day.
Post Game
Replace lost fluids immediately after play. For every pound lost, consume two cups
(16 oz.) of fluid. (Remember this for tournament play especially. Where you could play two games in a day or a game the next day.
Always replenish your fluids lost during competition. You could weigh yourself
before the game then after the game and see how much water weight you lost then
replenish it.)
You won’t
rehydrate effectively unless you also replace the
salts lost in sweat. (Maugh)
Are electrolytes important to
speeding recovery after a game?
Electrolyte
replacement is crucial. Salts act like a sponge, holding fluid in the body. If you
drink a large volume of plain water, the body thinks that it is over-hydrated
because the water dilutes the concentrations of sodium and other dissolved
substances in the blood. This switches off thirst and switches on the kidneys
to increase urine output
Sodium is
the most important electrolyte as it is the one lost in sweat in the greatest amounts,
and that’s why it is added to sports drinks. (Ron Maughan,
Ph.D.)
Sodium in
fluids is particularly important because, as Dr. Maughan
said, sodium drives the desire to drink (a good thing), and the sodium also
helps to maintain blood volume.
The
maintenance of blood volume is considered to be vital to sustaining athletic performance
(Dan Benardot, Ph.D., R.D., L.D.)
Replacement
of sodium and potassium can also help prevent muscle cramps during and after
exercise. To be sure they are replacing lost electrolytes, I tell athletes to
use sports drinks that contain sodium, eat ample fruits and green leafy
vegetables, and lightly salt their food (Tedeschi)
Extra note: get enough sleep
Summary
“The goal of with any sports nutrition program is to get the
athlete performing at their best and be healthy.”
B E F O R E T
H E G A M E
1. Eat a high carbohydrate meal with
some protein in it about 2-3 hours before the game or if it is a morning game
try to eat 1.5 hours before the game so it is digested. The reason you should
eat it 1.5 hours before the game is because it is sometimes not feasible to eat
3 hours before competition if the game is in the morning.
2. Drink 16-20oz of water the night
before, the morning of and 1-2 hours before the game.
D U R I N G T
H E G A M E
1. If possible drink 1-cup every 15
minutes. The idea is to get the fluid to the stomach and then to the body. The
best way to do this is to not sip the fluid but to chug the fluid.
2. Some possible foods to help would
be fruit, cereal bars.
3. Don’t wait till your thirsty to drink.
4. I recommend you drink water up to
halftime then at and after halftime drink Gatorade as your replenishment.
A F T E R T
H E G A M E
1. If you have a game later in the
day, eat a sports bar like the Gatorade, powerbar or clif bar and drink a 12-16 ounce bottle of gatorade to replenish your
carbohydrate stores and to provide a little protein.
2. If possible stay a little active
after the game to remove the lactate built up. Do easy activity if possible. If
you cant don’t worry about it.
3. If you don’t have a game later in
the day then before you shower consume a meal of 200-400 kcal that are high in carbs and then 200-400 again after you have showered and
gotten dressed. This would be a great way to eat if you have a game the following
day. Try to eat those first 200-400 within the first 60-90 after the game if
you can. If
an organized meal is hard then have
the energy bar with the Gatorade. Then after everyone showers and gets dressed
go eat another meal later that is high in carbohydrates.
4. If possible do a weigh in before
and after the game to see how much fluid you need to replenish. For every pound
you lost you need to drink 16 oz of fluid. ( not soda)
5. A general recommendation would be
to lightly salt you food you eat in order to replenish the salt lost during the
competition.
G U I D E T
O E A T I N G O N T H E R O A D
Are you not sure where and what to
eat when on the road? This should help.
McDonalds
McDonald's offers a tasty sports
breakfast: pancakes/syrup, orange juice and milk.
Einstein bagels or some other bagel
shop
Find a deli or bagel shop with
whole-grain bagels, fresh fruit, juice and yogurt. A little low-fat cream
cheese and/or jam can complete the meal. (Www.vmaa-energy.com)
Einstein’s is a great place for
breakfast. They even have the breakfast burritos, which are decent choices or
the breakfast sandwiches on a bagel. For those that have a larger appetite I
would choose a breakfast sandwich with orange juice or milk. The smaller girls or
those with less of an appetite could choose a regular bagel or maybe a half
bagel with the breakfast burrito and orange juice or milk. They should have
something more than just a normal bagel. It is okay to put the cream cheese on
the bagel. I would try to have them eat this 1.5 hours
before the first game if their game is in the morning to make sure the food is
digested and is available for energy. . Jayson hunter RD.
Subway
A half-foot subway sandwich has
about 200-300 kcals. Here are good sandwiches to order:
Any of the 7 under 6 grams of fat sandwiches.The size
of the meal corresponds to the size of the athlete. Hold the Mayo if possible.
To moisten the sandwich just add mustard or ketchup,
tomatoes, lettuce. Best bets for meats are turkey, ham and roast
beef.
Pizza Hut
If you must order a pizza I
understand. Order a pizza that is thick with extra crust rather than cheese. The more dough, the more muscle fuels. For example, one
slice of Pizza Hut's Pan Pizza (260 calories) has 10 more grams of
carbohydrates than does a slice of its Thin 'n Crispy variety (200 calories).
Pile on vegetables (broccoli, peppers,
mushrooms, onions) for a v itamin boost. Blot off any grease with a napkin.
General guides to eating out for Performance
Thick crust pizza tastes great and
provides lots of carbohydrate. The cheese also gives you calcium. Pepperoni or
other greasy meats add fat, so try veggie varieties, meatballs or plain cheese.
Any way you put it this is probably going to be very high fat. And not the good
types of fat. If you go this route you will get carbs
from the crust, but you are also getting tons of fat.
Order burgers with
extra tomatoes and lettuce. Hold the sauce. If you’re in the mood for fries, choose the
small size.
Roasted or grilled chicken dinners
are definitely better than fried chicken. But there’s still a lot of fat in the
skin. So remove the skin before you start munching.
Pasta (spaghetti or noodles with
meat/poultry/veggies), chili, hearty soups are mmm good!
Salad bars can offer healthy high
carbohydrate meals. Ask for extra broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, beans or other colorful veggies on top of your salad. Go easy on the salad
dressing; you may add nearly 400 calories of fat! Or try diet
dressing. Enjoy whole grain rolls or pasta
salads. Be careful of cream sauce.
When ordering deli
sandwiches, emphasize the bread and veggies. Go light on the spread. Choose
whole grain breads to add fiber.
Wraps and pita sandwiches are a new
trend in fast foods and they can be low or high in fat calories depending on
the ingredients. Choose wraps that are filled with lots of fresh vegetables, as
well as meat or cheese. Watch out for high fat
toppings which soak the wrap with calories.
(www.hss.edu)
Best choices for different cuisine include:
• Mexican: salsa, gazpacho soup, black or red beans, Spanish rice, fajitas,
soft chicken tacos
• Italian: pasta with marinara or
tomato sauce, chicken
• Chinese: steamed rice, chicken
chow mein, chicken or beef chop suey,
stir-fry with shrimp, vegetables or chicken,
Baskin Robbins
If you need a treat, Baskin Robbins
has some nonfat choices that might be good. High
carbs low fat ice cream or yogurt might
be a good treat.
Arbys
Roasted chicken deluxe
Roasted
Roast beef deluxe
Baked potato
Grilled chicken BBQ
Olive garden or other Italian places
are good
Any pasta will be great for the game
meal. But avoid any cream or white sauces. All
other sauces are ok.
This list of places to eat at is not
all-inclusive.
These food choices may be hard to
follow. If you find it too hard to follow the above
guidelines then just focus on finding
something high in carbohydrates and don’t worry
about the fat. Also be sure you get
hydrated and then re-hydrated