Carbohydrate is stored in muscles and the liver as glycogen. It is stored with about 3 times its own weight of water and 3 times more glycogen is stored in muscles than in the liver. There is a limited supply of glycogen in the body — approximately kcals. Though training can influence this figure depending upon the requirements of the sport involved. Protein makes up part of the structure of every cell in the body.
It is necessary for the growth and formation of new tissues and also to repair damaged tissues. Soccer or football players require around 1. It is required to manufacture enzymes and hormones such as insulin and adrenaline. Protein is made up of smaller building blocks called amino acids, some of which manufactured by the body and some of which are essential amino acids and must be provided through the soccer players diet.
When protein is digested within the body, amino groups are converted in the liver into a substance called urea. This is then passed to the kidneys and excreted in the urine.
The remainder of the protein is converted into glucose and used as an energy substrate to assist in physical exertion. Fat is the most concentrated source of energy in the diet. It provides roughly double the number of calories per gram than carbohydrate and protein. Food contains a mixture of three kinds of fats — saturated, mono-unsaturated and poly- unsaturated.
Saturated fats are found in meat, meat products, cooking fats, biscuits, cakes and pastries. Only a small proportion of your fat intake should come from saturated fat as it is thought to have the most detrimental effect on your health as they raise the level of cholesterol in the blood, which increases your risk of heart disease. From this article, hopefully you may have an understanding of some of the fundamentals in this specialised area, and the key energy sources required to perform.
In addition to the article overviewing some of the key questions in the area of football nutrition, for all you practitioners, students, coaches, medical staff, learners, soccer enthusiasts or even nutritionists wanting to engage more, or further your knowledge in team sport nutrition, click the link below to find out more around sports nutrition.
All these questions are covered within our ISSPF online sport nutrition courses — we look forward to you joining us. Essential Fatty Acids. Essential fatty acids are a class of polyunsaturated fats that have received a lot of attention in the media recently.
They are thought to be cardio-protective and may help prevent a range of other illnesses. There are three types of essential fatty acids — Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9. Omega 3 and Omega 6 must be consumed while the body can produce some Omega 9 on its own.
Essential fatty acids are required for healthy cardiovascular, reproductive, immune, and nervous systems. Found in foods like walnuts, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds, avocados, some dark leafy green vegetables and oily fish, the typical Western diet is often deficient of essential fatty acids.
Despite its bad press, cholesterol is actually essential for many important bodily functions. The maximum amount of dietary cholesterol recommended each day is mg. Correct and adequate protein intake is crucial for anyone involved in vigorous training. Protein is essential for the growth and repair of skin, hair, nails, bones, tendons, ligaments and muscles. It also serves a crucial role in enzyme production and maintaining a strict acid-base balance. In a 70kg lb individual this equates to just 58 grams of protein per day or about two chicken breasts worth.
Some research shows that competitive athletes, particularly those involved in heavy weight training, may require more protein. The recommendation for strength and endurance athletes ranges from 1. Research has shown that consuming more protein than this serves no benefit and may be harmful in the long term. Good sources of protein include low fat milk, poultry, fish, lean red meat, eggs, nuts, beans and lentils and soy products.
Fatty meats like pork and fast food hamburgers as well as most cheeses contain a lot of saturated fats so are not as suitable sources of protein. Recently, the emergence of high protein, low carbohydrate diets have become popular in the weight loss industry.
While they may or may not help to shed. Many athletes are afraid that their heavy training schedule will force their bodies to breakdown lean muscle mass and then use it as energy.
The body does use protein sparingly as a source of fuel after 45 minutes of exercise; however consuming more protein is not a good strategy. A typical western diet contains too much fat and not enough healthy, whole grain carbohydrates.
The majority of this should be in the form of good fats monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, omega fatty acids found in oily fish like mackerel and salmon, olive oil, avocado and raw nuts not roasted or salted. Ideal Diet Composition for a Soccer Player. Bowl of oatmeal or porridge sweeten with dried fruit or honey. Snack Bag of nuts and raisins such as almonds, pecans, Hazelnuts etc.
This is one sample day only and a wide range of foods should be eaten. Vitamins and Minerals. Vitamins and minerals have an important role in the body. The facilitate energy release and are vital for optimum growth, development and repair. Thirteen different vitamins have been identified and studied to date. There are classed as either fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K or water-soluble vitamin.
B complex, vitamin C. Together they are responsible for blood clotting, neuromuscular function, healthy skin, teeth and bones. A well-balanced diet provides an adequate supply of all the vitamins regardless of age and level of physical activity. During periods of intense training, a natural increase in food intake supplies any extra vitamin demand the body may have. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that can cause damage to the cells and are thought to accelerate the aging process and contribute to cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
They are found in cigarette smoke, environmental pollution and some medications. Exercise may also increase the production of free radicals. The body has an elaborate defence system against free radicals in the form of antioxidant enzymes.
Vitamins A, C and E are known as antioxidant vitamins and can protect the cells against free radical damage. Although foods like citrus fruits, green vegetables and nuts contain antioxidant vitamins; some athletes feel the need to take a supplement due to the high level of training they undergo. However, there is some research to suggest that a vitamin E supplement can reduce harmful free radical production associated with exercise.
Whether this offers any overall health benefits is unclear. They provide the structure for forming bone and teeth. They also help muscles to contract, maintain normal heart rhythm and control the acid-base balance as well as other important bodily functions. Minerals are classed as either major or trace depending on how much is required per day. Major minerals include calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium and magnesium. Trace minerals include iron, zinc, copper, selenium and chromium.
The typical Western diet contains too little calcium. The RDA for calcium is mg for adults and mg for adolescents. Calcium deficiency can lead to a condition called osteoporosis — a weakening of the bones.
Exercise actually helps to maintain healthy bone density. Most adults consume too much sodium found in abundance in processed foods , which can lead to high blood pressure. The RDA of mg is equivalent to 0. Iron is helps the blood to carry oxygen so an iron deficiency called anaemia can lead to fatigue even with mild exercise. Some research has suggested that heavy exercise training creates an increased demand for iron.
However, even in elite athlete supplements are unnecessary if the diet contains iron-rich foods. Not all carbohydrate is digested and absorbed at the same rate. The Glycemic Index GI is a scale of how much a particular type of food raises blood sugar over a two-hour period compared to pure glucose. That means they raise blood sugar almost as much or even more than pure glucose. Fructose has medium GI because the fibre found in fruit slows digestion and absorption. Choosing foods with a high GI will help to quickly replenish carbohydrate stores after a game.
Before a game low GI foods are more appropriate as they release energy more slowly and for a longer period. The goal prior to a game is to maximise carbohydrate stores in the muscles and liver and to top up blood glucose stores. Studies have shown that consuming foods with a high GI within an hour of exercise can actually lower blood glucose.
The body produces an "overshoot" of insulin which helps muscles to take up blood sugar. This in turn causes low blood sugar. Soccer players should eat foods with a low to medium GI before a match. This allows for a relatively slow release of glucose into the blood and avoids the insulin surge.
Consuming carbohydrate at least an hour before kick off allows any hormonal imbalance to return to normal. Example low GI foods include pasta, whole grain breads and rice, oatmeal, milk and milk products and fruit except bananas and dried fruit.
The same is true for the pre-match meal. It might consist of pasta in a low-fat tomato sauce, baked beans or scrambled eggs on toast and fresh fruit such as apples, pears or orange juice. Some grilled fish or chicken and vegetables could accompany the carbohydrates. Ideally this meal should be eaten at least three hours prior to the start — especially if nerves are a factor, which can impair digestion. Food in the stomach is given a high priority to be digested before it has chance to spoil.
Outfield soccer players can use up to grams of carbohydrates during a game. It becomes even more important if players have more than one match in the week or are involved in heavy training. Ideally a large, high-carbohydrate meal should be eaten within two hours and it can and should consist of high GI foods.
Bananas and dried fruits are good immediately following a match, as are. A main meal several hours later might consist of bread, pasta, potatoes and rice as well as other simple sugars like cakes and sweets. Even under the best circumstances it can take over twenty hours to fully restore carbohydrate stores.
This has implications for players who are training five or six days a week. In this case carbohydrate replenishment at regular intervals during training sessions becomes important. This is where high-carbohydrate drinks can offer a real advantage. The actual process involves depleting the muscles of carbohydrate a week or so before the event with exhaustive exercise and a low-carbohydrate diet. Two to three days before the even the athlete switches to a very high-carbohydrate diet.
In their depleted state muscles take up more carbohydrate than they normally would giving the athlete a large store of energy. For soccer, carbohydrate loading is unnecessary. A more sensible approach to increase carbohydrate intake in the days leading up to a game. Hydration and fluid replacement. Drinking before during and after a match serves two important aims — firstly it helps to prevent dehydration and secondly it can top up carbohydrate stores.
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