Nutrition can get tricky when dealing with athletes and their crazy schedules. Between school, homework and soccer practice nutrition is easily over looked. It may come to a surprise to some that maintaining a higher carbohydrate driven diet with lower overall calorie intake is better for athletes versus filling up on protein and quick sugars.
To start, carbohydrates are the building blocks for all energy that the body consumes daily. Athletes burn double if not more calories daily and therefore require more energy to power their bodies. Sugars in energy drinks are burned off quickly and can leave an athlete feeling fatigued and drowsy.
Most people think that eating the day of your big game is enough to keep you going through the whole game. In reality preparation for the game should take place a few days prior. Making sure to drink adequate liquids all week is vital to staying hydrated during your game. Also, make sure to eat good meals consisting of proteins and carbohydrates with little added fats. Good examples of this would be pasta, rice, tomato sauce with meat, lean meat, fish or poultry, potatoes and cooked peas, beans or lentils. All of these foods will give your body energy the following days to ensure you don't run out.
On game day what you put into your body is absolutely vital to your performance on the field. On the day of your big game eat a large meal (300-500 calories) four to five hours before your game. Then, eat a smaller meal (200-300 calories) two to three hours before. After that do a liquid meal about an hour prior to game. Your stomach digest liquids fast and easy so it won't cause you discomfort during your game. If you still feel like you need something before your game, opt for a protein bar high in carbohydrates a half hour before your game. By sticking to a schedule like this or one similar, your providing your body with energy so you don't experience any lags during play.
When eating your meals on game day, make sure to pick the right types of food to ingest. Picking foods such as French fries, candy, chips and fast food will be harder for your body to process and break down. During a high intensity game your body sends nearly 80% of your blood to your muscles leaving your digestive tract dormant. If your stomach is full of slow digesting food you will feel like your soccer ball is in your stomach rather than on the field. Make sure to monitor the types of food you choose to eat.
Before and during your game make sure to push fluids, even if it is cold outside. When you exercise you sweat thus releasing water and electrolytes from your system. During the first hour of play drink water to stay hydrated. After about an hour, switch over to an electrolyte replacement drink to ensure sustained energy for the rest of the game. Water is great for hydration but lacks the sugars, salts and nutrients that your body loses during game play.
Whether your a professional or you just play for fun, focusing on what you eat and drink can dramatically impact your play on the field and deserves more attention then you might be use to.
