Latest article from Mark Roe Sports Physio Academy
BASIC NUTRITION FOR FOOTBALL
When we play football it is important to consider what fuel we are putting in to our body. In some sense we are a lot like a car - full of moving parts which will breakdown if we don't look after them properly.
A car needs fuel, water and oil to make it efficient. We need fuel in the form of food, water to drink and we naturally produce oil (synovial fluid) which surrounds our joints when we move.
Some sports nutritionists claim performance is over 70% down to what we eat and drink, and this is why it is taken so seriously.
The brief guide below may help give a little extra edge to your performance and recovery on a match day.
PROTEIN
Playing sport every weekend, plus training sessions, requires a lot of energy and muscle endurance, so it’s therefore vitally important to have high levels of protein in order to keep your muscles strong and energy high.
During most sports, our bodies use a mixture of aerobic and anaerobic systems. Aerobic is more cardiovascular fitness and anaerobic is more explosive activity. Both require optimum protein levels.
Dairy products such as eggs and milk contain high levels of protein. Meat is also high in protein; particularly chicken, and fish. Protein shakes and powders can also be used to supplement your diet.
CARBOHYDRATES
Carbohydrates provide your body with the necessary energy to undertake intense physical activities, such as playing football. Without the right carbohydrates at the right times you won’t have the energy to perform at your optimum level, as a drop in carbohydrate stores causes fatigue
Make sure you eat plenty of whole grains and oats, i.e. cereals and cereal bars. Energy drinks, bars or gels, help top up energy levels quickly and conveniently before, and during exercise. After sport, it’s also important to replace the energy you have lost so you may want to eat pasta with vegetables, baked potatoes or rice dishes.
CREATINE
Creatine occurs naturally within the body, and the body uses it to provide muscles with short dynamic bursts of energy during training.
Health shops and pharmacies sell supplements which are an excellent way of ‘topping up’ natural stores in the body. This will enable you to take part in intense training sessions for longer and increase muscle strength.
VITAMINS AND MINERALS
Vitamins are essential for every component and function of our bodies. They are present all around us, and all have specific roles that allow us to stay fit and healthy. A healthy, daily balanced diet is the ideal choice, to make sure we get all the vitamins we need.
HYDRATION
Fluid intake before, during and after exercise is important to maintain efficient functioning of the body. Water is essential for the body to function efficiently during day to day life, let alone exercise. If we don’t replace fluids, we become dehydrated, and dehydration causes a reduction in the quality of performance. As a general guide, 3% fluid loss is equal to a 10% loss in strength and 8% loss in speed.
Obviously following all the tips above won’t turn you into the next Messi, but it will help improve your fitness, your ability to cope with injury, and your ability to keep going into the final few minutes of the match. The rest is down to you!
As further commitment from the league to our players' fitness we have negotiated a discount for all players of the Sheffield and District Junior Sunday Football League who attend the clinic for treatment. Players from any team in the League will receive a discount of £10 off their initial consultation following injury, and further discounts should follow-up sessions be required.
Mark Roe
Senior Sports Physiotherapist
The Mark Roe Sports Physio Academy - Sheffield
0114 2390022