FOOTBALL and SPORTS NUTRITION

BASICS FOR PARENTS AND PLAYERS FOR SPORTS NUTRITION

Beyond attempting to regularly consuming a healthy, varied and well-balanced diet, players should

particularly focus their efforts on adequate and appropriate consumption of three primary nutrients –

water, electrolytes, and carbohydrates. These nutrients have the immediate effect on performance.

Some key take home points and recommendations are listed below.

Water:

Many players begin matches or practice dehydrated to some degree.

During training or competition, sweat losses can be extensive – 1 to 2.5 liters per hour or more!

Any water deficit can have a negative effect on a player’s performance and well-being. A

progressive water deficit (from sweating and inadequate fluid intake) can cause

-- Increased cardiovascular strain

-- Decreased temperature regulation capacity

-- Decreased strength, endurance and mental capacity

Many players do not rehydrate adequately after training or competition.

IN FACT MOST PLAYERS DO NOT REALISE THAT WATER ACTUALLY DEHYDRATES.

THE BEST IS TO CONSUME AN ISOTONIC SPORTS BEVERAGE cosnsisting of 6-8%

glucose with Electrolytes in the ratio of 5:1 for Sodium to potassium.

Recommendations:

Drink plenty of fluids (e.g., water, juice, milk, sport drinks) throughout the day.

Drink regularly during training and competition – typically, older adolescents and adults can

comfortably consume up to 1.4 –1.8 liters or so per hour.

After a match or training session, drink about 150% of any remaining fluid deficit.

Electrolytes:

Players lose far more sodium and chloride (salt) from sweating than any other electrolyte.

Sodium and chloride losses are greater with higher sweating rates.

Sodium and chloride losses (via sweating) tend to be less when a player is acclimatized to the

heat.

Sodium deficits can lead to incomplete rehydration and muscle cramps.

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To completely rehydrate, a player must replace the sodium and chloride that was lost through

sweating.

Excessive rapid water consumption, combined with a large sweat-induced sodium deficit, can

lead to hyponatremia

Recommendations:

When a player competes or trains in a hot environment, adding salt to the diet (or eating high-

salt foods) can help to prevent a sodium deficit and maintain/restore hydration. Good sodium

and chloride sources include:

-- Salted sport drinks ( BODYFUELZ FASTCHARGE)

-- Soup, cheese, tomato sauce, pizza, and many processed foods.

Carbohydrates:

Adequate carbohydrate intake is crucial to optimal performance in football.

Carbohydrate utilization is greater as intensity of play increases and when a player competes

or trains in the heat.

Even if a player eats well before competition, after 60 to 90 minutes of intense singles,

carbohydrate stores will likely be significantly decreased and the ability to maintain blood

glucose and meet the muscles’ demand for energy may be seriously challenged, which could

rapidly lead to fatigue.

Recommendations:

Generally, 3.0-5.0 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight (465-775 grams per day for

a 70kg player) is appropriate for periods of intense training or competition.

Athletes should consume about 30-60 grams of carbohydrate per hour during play and

practice. I recommend BODYFUELZ FASTCHARGE as the best designed Sports Drink for

Football players

All players differ in what foods and which nutritional strategies they can tolerate and perform well with.

New foods, drinks, or other dietary protocols should be experimented with well before any important

match or tournament.

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Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are sugars.  Before they are absorbed into the blood, carbohydrates that are

consumed are broken down by digestion into single sugar units, such as glucose or fructose. Glucose

is the body’s main source of “energy” and is used to fuel the working cells. Fructose (the very sweet

sugar of fruit and also found in soft drinks and some sport drinks) can also be used as fuel, but first

must be converted to glucose in the liver before it can be used for energy. 

Breads, cereals, rice, pasta, fruits, and vegetables are all good primary sources of carbohydrate that

should be regularly included in a football player’s diet.   Other foods such as sport drinks and sport

bars can help too.

It is often recommended that 55% to 70% of an athlete’s daily dietary calories should be in the form of

carbohydrates. This goal is not always appropriate or practical, particularly if a player needs to

consume many calories to offset those that are burned off on the ground.  A better guideline for a

competitive football player is to ingest at least 3 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight

each day.  This is equivalent to 465 grams (or 1860 calories from carbohydrates) for a 70kg person,

which would represent roughly 62% of a 3000-calorie intake for a given day.  Calorie and

carbohydrate intake should be considerably greater when playing and/or training a lot; up to 10 grams

of carbohydrate per Kg of body weight may need to be consumed each day.

Carbohydrates are commonly classified by how fast they are broken down by the digestive system,

and how fast the sugar enters the blood stream so working muscle can use it.  This classification is

often based on what is called a food’s “glycemic index.”  Carbohydrates that break down slowly and

raise blood sugar (glucose) slowly are described as having a low glycemic index.   Conversely, foods

that raise the blood sugar level a lot and quickly are described as having a high glycemic index. The

glycemic effect can be very important for football players.  For example, if a player needs a rapid

energy boost on the ground, certain foods such as plain doughnuts, ready-to-eat bars, etc.), white

bread, crackers,cereals (e.g., corn flakes, Cheerios pretzels, honey, certain candies, and some

sport drinks (those with carbohydrate primarily from glucose, sucrose, or a glucose polymer) will raise

the blood sugar quickly.  Foods like these can provide a rapid and more readily utilizable energy

source. On the other hand, apples, yogurt, and fructose-predominant sport drinks, for example, will

provide energy at a slower rate, because the carbohydrate will not be absorbed as quickly and

because it must be first converted to glucose in the liver. Even a banana has only a moderate

glycemic index – it tastes sweet, but it does not give you energy very fast.

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In fact, a player who has a high consumption of fructose during play (e.g., fruit or a fructose-based

sport drink) may get a feeling of gastrointestinal distress because the absorption of fluid and

carbohydrate occurs more slowly.

Fats

Football players need fat for a number of important biological functions as well as for energy during

play.  Current recommendations for dietary fat intake suggest that fat should make up between20 -

30% of the total daily calories consumed.  Additionally, saturated fats such as butter, coconut oil or

lard, should make up less than 10% of the total calories consumed during a day.   However, even

though fat is important to the football player, consumption of fat during or just prior to play is

not necessary or appropriate.

Importantly, using fat for energy still requires a continual and simultaneous breakdown of

carbohydrate. Therefore, all players, regardless of the intensity of play, will eventually feel the effects

of depleting carbohydrate stores if the match is long and carbohydrate is not consumed during play. 

Therefore, carbohydrate for energy during play should still be the emphasis.  Further

recommendations for in-competition nutrition are provided in future sections.

Some players’ daily fat intake regularly exceeds the daily-recommended amount, usually because of

convenience or a player’s preference for eating high-fat meals. For players involved in extensive

playing or training, eating a high-fat diet is often a practical means to help maintain body weight

without having to consume an excessive amount of food to match very high calorie expenditure.  If the

daily carbohydrate requirement (e.g., 7-10 grams per kg. of body weight) is still met, and the player is

not putting on too much body fat, then from a performance point of view, a periodic high-fat diet may

be okay (it’s fairly common among many other sports). However, from a long-term health perspective,

excessive fat intake is likely to adversely affect the diet-related risk factors for coronary heart disease

to some degree, even in a fit population

Protein

The recommended daily protein intake (for adults) is about 1gm of protein per Kg of body weight (or

about 10% to 15% of the daily total calories consumed). However, during and immediately after play

or training, there is an increase in protein breakdown followed by an increase in protein building

during recovery. Thus, most football players should try to get closer to 1.5-1.8gms grams per Kg of

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body weight each day. Regular strength training may further increase the daily protein needs to 1.8 –

2.0 grams per kg of body weight.   Fortunately, such an increase in dietary protein is likely already

met by the typically higher daily caloric intake that active players usually have. So unless an athlete is

inappropriately restricting calories, protein supplements are generally not needed. An exception might

be when traveling and typical protein sources (meat, fish, dairy products) are not available or

convenient.  In sports Performance today, Amino Acids in Pure form are given in small quantities

before, during and after training/games for enhancing Muscle and Mental Focus. I hoghly

recommend AMINO ACIDS instead of proteins as protein leads to bloating in footballers. A great

product in India is BODYFUELZ PWRSPORTS for football players as it enhances their stamina and

focus during 90 mins of the game.

Water and Electrolytes

In warm to hot conditions, most adult football players will lose between 1 and 2.5 liters of sweat

during each hour of on-ground training. Notably, sweat rates of up to 3.5 liters per hour have been

observed with some players in extreme conditions. Clearly, it would not be difficult for some football

players to lose as much 10 or more liters of fluid in a long match if water was not replaced on a

regular basis.

Sweat is mostly water, but it also contains a number of other elements found in the blood, including a

variety of minerals in varying concentrations. These minerals are collectively called electrolytes and

they help to maintain fluid balance in the body and are necessary for proper muscle contraction and

nerve impulse transmission. The most common electrolytes found in sweat are sodium (Na+) and

chloride (Cl-), which make up normal table salt. Sodium (especially) and Chloride levels as well as the

rates that these electrolytes are lost through sweating vary tremendously in players.  In a given liter of

sweat, the amount of sodium could range from 100 to 2300 milligrams (mg). In contrast, potassium

(K+) and magnesium (Mg2+) losses in sweat, for example, are typically much lower. In fact, players

will generally lose 3-10 times as much sodium as potassium during play. 

With high sweating rates and sweat that contains only a moderate concentration of sodium, a player

could readily lose up to 5000 mg of sodium per hour of play. Such a player would have a severe

challenge in maintaining sodium concentrations and fluid balance in the body. This player would be at

high risk for heat-related problems on ground, such as extreme fatigue and/or muscle cramps, unless

fluid and mineral intake was carefully managed during practice or play.

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Probably the most common heat related injury encountered by football players is heat cramps.  Heat-

related muscle cramps often occur during or following prolonged playing (one or two hours of playing))

when there have been previous extensive and repeated fluid and sodium losses. With a significant

body water and sodium deficit, nerve endings connecting to the muscles may become hyper-excitable

and overly sensitive, resulting in seemingly spontaneous muscle contractions (i.e., cramps).

Lack of conditioning and fatigue can cause a ‘normal’ muscle cramp.  This type of cramp is usually

localized and passive stretching, massage, or icing can often resolve it. Such is not the case with heat

cramps. Heat cramps can eventually spread over many areas of the body, including the stomach,

arms, and even fingers and facial muscles. Drinking plenty of water may help to delay muscle cramps,

but to completely restore the proper fluid and electrolyte balance throughout the body (and eliminate

the heat cramps) the salt that was lost through sweating must be replenished as well.  Therefore,

extra salt intake is appropriate when playing or training in hot conditions or any time that sweating is

expected to be extensive. In my research with leading sportsplayers in humid conditions of India I

have seen that BODYFUELZ FASTCHARGE a sports drink designed for the Indian Footballer really

helps prevent cramping.

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins are organic substances and minerals are inorganic substances (like iron, calcium, or zinc)

that are essential for the human body to function properly.  In the majority of cases, vitamins and

minerals cannot be produced by the body and must be consumed in the foods we eat.  There are

recommended daily amounts of vitamins and minerals that should be consumed each day.  If these

recommended allowances are not met, the football player should consider supplementing his or her

diet with a multivitamin

As previously mentioned, carbohydrates and fats are the primary energy sources utilized during a

football practice or match. However, carbohydrate and water are the only principal nutrients that need

to be consumed while playing football. For some players, salt intake during play is important for

maintaining fluid balance and preventing heat-related muscle cramps.

Even if a player eats well the night before and has a good pre-match meal, after 60 to 90 minutes of

intense singles, carbohydrate stores within the body will be significantly reduced.  This will generally

cause the player’s blood sugar level to begin to drop off. This could prompt lower performance and

accelerate feelings of fatigue. Therefore, ingesting carbohydrates during play becomes necessary.

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Most adult players can burn off up to 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour during play.  To offset this, a

player can readily get 60 grams of carbohydrate by drinking about a liter (35 ounces) of a

carbohydrate-electrolyte drink.

Carbohydrate-electrolyte sport drinks can have several distinct advantages over water alone: They

a) Provide energy in the form of carbohydrate,

b) Have been shown to delay the onset of fatigue and perception of effort,

c) Increase voluntary fluid intake, and

d) Provide electrolytes that help to maintain mineral and fluid balance.

All of these factors are important in maintaining performance, especially when playing in a hot

environment (carbohydrates are used faster and a player loses more fluid through sweating). Sport

drinks, designed for consumption during play, generally should have a carbohydrate concentration of

5% to 7%. This means, for each liter consumed, a player will get 50 to 70 grams of carbohydrate,

respectively. Higher carbohydrate concentrations (i.e., > 10%) slow down emptying of the stomach,

which, in turn, delays water and carbohydrate from getting into the bloodstream where they are

needed.

When a player drinks more than 1 literduring each hour of play, it is often better to drink a sport drink

and plain water at each changeover (usually with an emphasis on the sport drink). Drinking just a

sport drink (even if the carbohydrate content is in the 5% to 8% range) in large volumes (e.g., 1.5-2.0

liters/hour) might not be well tolerated, because too much carbohydrate could be ingested. Ingesting a

high amount of fructose (via JUICES could also cause gastrointestinal distress, since fructose is

absorbed more slowly than other carbohydrates in sport drinks like glucose, sucrose, and glucose

polymers. Again, for a quick energy “boost”, a small, easily digestible, high-glycemic index snack

(e.g., crackers, a plain bagel, raisins, jelly beans, dates, etc.) can be very effective during competition

or practice.

If a player has a very high sweating rate (e.g., > 2 liters per hour), it may be impossible to avoid a

progressive fluid deficit. However, most older adolescents and adults can comfortably drink up to

(~1.4 liters) per hour, which can match sweating rates (and thus prevent significant fluid deficits) for

most people. Again, if a player is prone to heat cramps, a little salt can be added to their on-ground

sport drink BODYFUELZ FASTCHARGE (about ¼ tsp. per 500 ml).

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After a match, a football player’s primary nutritional interest should be restoring fluids, electrolytes,

and carbohydrates. If the next match is scheduled to begin soon (e.g., within 1 to 2 hours), re-

hydration and carbohydrate intake (about 50-100 grams) should begin immediately.

High-carbohydrate sport drinks, along with sport bars, gels, and other carbohydrate-rich foods with a

high glycemic index (e.g., bagels, crackers, certain ready-to-eat cereals, white bread, and jelly beans),

are good choices to get the process going. Research also suggests that a carbohydrate and protein

combination might be better than just carbohydrate for rapid carbohydrate replenishment and total

muscle recovery including protein rebuilding. Several commercial high-carbohydrate sport drinks and

sport bars available that provide appropriate amounts of carbohydrate and protein for this purpose.

Otherwise, certain combinations of breads, cereals, and dairy products, for example, can provide

similar ratios of carbohydrate and protein.

Note:

Energy stores are most effectively replenished if the player can consume a high-carbohydrate meal

within the first 2 hours after a match/training.  The longer the player waits to eat, the longer it will take

to replenish the body’s energy stores.

Importantly, any remaining fluid deficit should be replaced by about 150% of that deficit. For example,

if you weigh 1kg less after playing, you still need to consume about 500-700ml fluid with appropriate

other nutrients (especially carbohydrates and sodium).

If you wish to get a personalized regime to become a Kaka or Robinson, get in touch with me to help

you plan your foundation and performance Nutrition.

For more on Sports Nutrition

Email : ryan@bodyfuelz.com

www.bodyfuelz.blogspot.com

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