Training / Nutrition

 

Nutrition and diet to fuel football players

Nutrition and diet is an area we can all improve on and as football coaches we are in a strong position to influence players to become healthier.

In simple terms, what we eat and drink provides the fuel for us to train, play and recover from training. What we need to know is what is the best fuel?

Carbo education for the benefit of the players

Carbohydrates are recognised to have the most immediate affect on the players’ performance, so in this issue we are going to help you educate your team to eat better to operate better. It is impractical to give them specific diet sheets because of the variety of home cooking circumstances (e.g. mothers, partners, flatmates, schools). However, an appreciation of the benefits will help them choose better options and encourage them to either influence their cooks, or even cook the food themselves!

Low fat carbs for low fat players

Despite the horrors outlined by some trendy diets, there are many staple foods which provide excellent sources of carbohydrates e.g. potatoes and pasta. The key though is to avoid high carb foods with high fat content. This will mean that high consumption will also lead to weight gain. For example, crisps and pizza are two hazards to be avoided.

What’s good to eat?

Some good, low fat, high carb foods are: rice, popcorn, breakfast cereals, fruit, toast and honey, potatoes, pasta. Some treats as well: sweets e.g. fruit gums, chocolate and even Coca Cola (though this drink is not a substitute for water).

Baked potatoes and sandwiches are good “whole” meals, with fillings which avoid too much fat making an even healthier option. So cut down on the butter, cheese and mayonnaise and use baked beans, lean meats and low fat cheeses.

Keep the balance

A diet cannot just be carbohydrates, but also protein, fat and hydration. 

FACTS BOX

On average, carbohydrates makes up at least half of a player's total energy intake.

In football, the intensity of the sport means that carbohydrates are the primary energy source.

All milk has the same carbohydrate content, but differs in fat content, therefore football players would do better to drink semi skimmed or skimmed milk.

There is little evidence to suggest any difference for performance on whether a player should eat complex carbohydrates (e.g. pasta or potatoes) and simple carbohydrates (e.g. sweets and fruit).

 

 

Get fitter with no extra effort

How? Simply by getting to sleep more. A good night of sleep is vital to a football player's physical and mental preparation for a game.

Although the amount of time that players spend on fitness training and honing their basic skills is essential to improving performance, science and research shows that there is no substitute for a good nights’ sleep.

For good sleep and body recuperation you need total quiet, a dark, cool and well ventilated room, and a good-sized bed.

The strength benefits of sleep

 

Deep sleep is not solely associated with rest, as it also replenishes and strengthens joints, bones and muscles through the release of growth hormones. Use this point to promote the physical benefits of sleep to your players. It is probably the simplest and most straight forward thing you can tell them that will result in a marked improvement in performance.

Research has shown that sleep deprivation can lead to an 11% reduction in performance that is visible through a variety of symptoms:
 

Slow reactions

• Less energy and lower performance levels
• Can’t be bothered attitude
• Reduced short-term memory 
   

Do’s

• Make sure players relax before bed. They should avoid anything that is mentally or physically exertive beforehand.
• Encourage them to listen to what their body is saying and go to bed when they actually feel tired.
• Advise using fewer or more pillows to find better comfort. Maybe a different bed with softer or harder mattress will promote better sleep.
• Eating foods such as beans, peas, nuts, vegetables and cereals can improve sleep.
• Get them to consider going to bed an hour earlier before a match.
• Promoting sleep. A hot or cold shower or bath before bed can help as changing body temperature shortly before bed can lead to better sleep. 

Don’ts

• Players shouldn’t drink tea or coffee past mid afternoon.
• They shouldn’t consume alcohol before bed before a match. You’re going to find it hard to stop your adult players from drinking at all, but limiting their intake to moderate amounts can help. Although alcohol can make players feel drowsy, it doesn’t necessarily lead to a peaceful sleep.
• Avoid huge meals mid evening, as leaving it too late to take food on board can lead to a bloated stomach. This is the last thing a player needs in preparation for bedtime.
• Neither should they go to bed hungry, particularly after training, so eat something light as a hungry stomach can disrupt sleep. 

 

Three truths to improve your fitness training

Here are three truths that are worth remembering when trying to maintain fitness or recover from injury.

Don’t run through a stitch

The stabbing pain in the tummy, otherwise known as a stitch means that you have taken on too many carbohydrates before you started training. This normally means too much pasta, maybe an hour or so earlier, or after a big meal. What has happened is that there is a sudden rush of sugar, increasing the amount of insulin your liver has to cope with. The liver squeezes and this is where you feel the real pain – the stitch.

Action: you should not run through a stitch. The pain will mean that you are not able to maintain a proper body shape and might cause you to injure yourself in another way. It is simply a case of stopping and waiting for the pain to subside.

Loss of performance through loss of water – think about the water intake timings

It only takes a loss of 3% of water from the body to impair the performance of most normal football players. Rehydration, the replacement of lost water, needs to occur on regular intervals, normally every 15 to 20 minutes. Ideally you need to replace the same amount of water with each drink.

 

However this sort of rehydration does not represent the game situations where water intake is not as controlled. If possible it is better to train as you play and this goes for rehydration. The body adapts through training to the conditions set, therefore benefiting the football player when they play in the game.

Two good nights sleep will repair your muscles more effectively

Most muscle repair occurs while you are asleep. This happens through something called deep orthodox sleep. Deep orthodox sleep last for 20 minutes on average and happens at most 4 or 5 times a night, but on average 3 times. You need 5 cycles to give the maximum muscle repair. A good night’s sleep is when you reach that 5 cycles, but for most that means two good night’s of sleep for fully repaired muscles.