Nutrition Information for Sports Performance

Soccer is a sport requiring high levels of endurance and the ability to sprint frequently, often with little recovery time. Good nutrition is a key component of performance. The greater the demands for increased performance both in training and competition, the higher the nutritional value must be. For soccer players this means good nutritional habits before, during and after games and practice sessions.

Choose foods with the highest carbohydrate and lowest fat count. Carbohydrates should make up 55-65% of the diet. Choose, for example, bagels over sliced bread, baked potato over french fries, a high carbohydrate cereal over a low carbohydrate cereal. A teenage athlete should eat 450-600 grams of carbohydrate a day. Younger players would eat less because they are smaller. The rough formula is 7-10 grams/kg/day.

If you make poor food choices and train regularly, you can’t refill your glycogen levels before the next day's practice. Glycogen levels stair-step down as the week goes on. It's important to eat plenty of carbohydrates during training, not just for games.

Muscles are the most thirsty for glycogen right after exercise, so players should eat a good amount of carbohydrates within the first 2 hours after play. This is especially important for tournament events with many games in a short time. Some suggestions to pack are fruit juices, carbohydrate replacement drinks, bagels, fresh or dried fruit, PB&J sandwiches, pasta salads, or uncooked Chex Mix. If candy is offered, choose clear candy like gummi bears, jelly beans, etc. (chocolate-based candy has too much fat and calories). Stay clear of chips, burgers, fries, nachos, and foods too high in fat.

A good source of nutrition information and healthful recipes can be found at: Healthy Food Guide on the web.