Diet for Soccer

Question
Dear Maria,

I'm a soccer player and I'm doing these days a lot of
intense training twice a day, and one of my friend said that
when you train two times a day it could overkill me, unless
I eat good. What would be an ideal daily diet for such
intense training as we are in pre-season stage. I'll tell
you what I'm consuming most; Lots of water, potatoes, rice,
pastas and honey, also honey mixed as juice with bananas,
eggs and milk...is it good enough?
lastly, is it wiser consuming in a controlled way amino
acids that would help me build m and maintain the muscles?
and also drinking Creatine monohydtrate for helping me maintaining high-
intense trainings?

I would appreciate your help.

Answer
Hi Korab,
Soccer is a physically demanding game that requires a great deal of energy. It is key for a soccer player to consume a good nutritious diet; the food you eat will have a direct impact on your fitness levels and performance during a soccer game.

Sounds like you are consuming carbohydrates. A nutritious diet for soccer should include a high percentage of carbohydrates for energy supply.

It抯 not clear to me how much protein you are getting. You could take a protein shake a day if you wanted to. But realistically you could get enough protein in your diet if you are having at least two 6 ounce portions of meat, fish, and/or poultry a day. You mention you are drinking milk and eating eggs. Those are protein foods too.

You don抰 mention vegetables. Most people should aim for at least at least 4?cups of vegetables and fruits a day. Potatoes don't count. Get a variety of kinds and colors of produce, to give your body the mix of nutrients it needs. Best bones? Dark leafy greens, cooked tomatoes, and anything that's a rich yellow, orange, or red color.

Here is a good article to give you more information on diet:

http://www.sportsdietitians.com.au/resources/upload/file/Soccer09.pdf

Here is a list of great articles specifically for soccer:
http://www.gssiweb.com/Article_List.aspx?sportID=7

I don't recommend Creatine to my athletes. Creatine may help lead to faster recovery that may allow the player to go through higher-quality training, which could lead to improved fitness and game performance. However, that the current studies on creatine is largely for very high-intensity, short-duration exercises like weightlifting and sprinting and not toward the lower intensity, longer duration exercises like soccer.

Here is some soccer diet information from The Gatorade Institute. They mention creatine too. They say creatine supplementation likely provides no beneft.

: http://www.gssiweb.com/Article_Detail.aspx?articleid=696&level=7&topic=7

?  Because so much of the running in soccer is at less than maximal sprinting speed, creatine supplementation likely provides no benefit to match performance.
?  Overwhelming evidence proves that a diet rich in carbohydrates can fill muscles with glycogen, and glycogen is critical to optimal performance in soccer.
?  Soccer players?diets, especially in the days before hard training or competition, should include 8-10 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight (3.5-4.5 g/lb). Cereals, fruits, vegetables, breads, and pastas are good sources of carbohydrates.
?  Refueling of muscle with carbohydrates should begin as soon as possible following a match or a strenuous training session.
?  Inadequate replacement of fluids lost in sweat can lead to poor soccer performance and heat illness. Players should aim to drink enough during training sessions and matches so that their body weights after play are within about 1 kg (2.2 lb) of their starting weights.
?  For a light workout or an easy match, especially when the weather is cool, water can be an adequate fluid replacement, if enough is ingested. But when play is strenuous and the weather is hot, carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drinks do a better job of maintaining body fluids.

And lastly, be sure that you are hydrating properly. Soccer players need to get adequate fluids!

Good luck!
Maria

1. Prev:Organic Food: certification requirements, quality and reasons to buy
2. Next:water: how much is too much