How do football players eat enough to run throughout the match?

One soccer hour consumes 416 to 678 kcal, so players need to eat a lot of carbohydrate rich foods from rice, cereals, fruits .

According to Asiaone, the studies show that diet plays a very important role to help players increase the effectiveness of practice and competition as well as enhance fast, strong, supple, strong psychology and key judgment. body. Nutrition is enough to help athletes recover well after training and competition, reduce injuries and minor illnesses, stabilize performance. Especially the players in the development age, nutrition also helps develop height, optimal muscle mass .

The construction of nutrition menu for athletes depends on each individual, specific time, age, body weight, playing position, intensity of practice, competition, weather . About muscle The version needs to comply with some of the following principles:

Enough energy

Energy helps maintain life and movement, helps build the body, builds good skeletal muscle structure . Energy for football athletes is equal to the total energy of ordinary people by age, gender, activity level plus energy for practice and competition.

An hour of soccer is estimated to consume 416 to 678 kcal. Therefore, players need a diet rich in nutrients and energy.

The most important energy for movement is sugar powder (carbohydrates) from rice, cereals, noodles, noodles, noodles, pasta, bread, fruit . This regime helps muscle glycogen storage, which is an important energy For movement, it should account for 60 to 70% of dietary energy.

Carbohydrates are easily absorbed, produce heat quickly, consume less oxygen. Research shows that to burn a g of carbohydrate requires only 0.83 liters of oxygen, while one g of lipid requires 2.03 liters of oxygen, one g of protein requires 0.97 liters of oxygen.

In particular, carbohydrates are beneficial for athletic activity because of their ability to provide energy by metabolism even in the absence of oxygen. When ingested, carbohydrates convert into glucose in the blood throughout organs, partly turning into glycogen stored in the liver and muscles, the main energy for movement.

Picture 1 of How do football players eat enough to run throughout the match?
Vietnam U23 player in the match against Iraq on January 20.(Photo: ĐĐĐ).

Enough of nutrients

Should coordinate many foods and ensure 4 food groups in the main meal. Note to eat more vegetables, fruits to provide more vitamins, minerals, fiber for the body. Especially the players going abroad to compete should pay attention to ensure adequate demand for nutrition and food hygiene and safety.

Reasonable meal distribution

The number of meals needed during the day consists of three main meals and two to three snacks. Energy distribution is as follows: breakfast 20-25%, lunch: 30-35%, afternoon: 25-30%, extra meal: 10%.

The days of training, the time to eat depends on the schedule of training and competition. The meals are replaced by meals before and immediately after the match, ensuring strength and good recovery, including:

  1. Meal before competition , practice 2-4 hours. Eat plenty of sugar powder (2 g carbohydrate / kg body weight). Eating low-protein, low-fat, low-fiber foods will help fill your muscles with glycogen, helping the digestive tract to not work too hard, not getting belly or indigestion.
  2. Meal immediately after the game, practice : Eat at the dressing room right after the end of the exercise or competition, helping to quickly recover the exhausted glycogen in the body's stockpile, which helps to recover well when stepping In the competition, practice later. The main food of sugar powder is 1 g of carbohydrate / kg / hour, can use fresh or dried fruits, cakes, jam, milk .
  3. Main meal after big matches : Eat well as main meals, especially sugar powder. Normally, athletes who have just experienced a lot of struggle, are tired, so it is difficult to swallow if the food is dry and hard, so it is possible to change the water for easy eating such as hotpot, porridge, soup, pho . Pay attention Enough vermicelli, pho, bread, drink sugary juice to get enough flour sugar.

In addition to ensuring health to achieve good results, athletes must pay attention to providing enough water and be careful when using medicines even though they are tonic.

Mistakes should be avoided

  1. Insufficient demand, unbalanced nutritional ingredients.
  2. Not paying attention to meals before and after the competition, training, especially the training period. This will reduce glycogen storage, reduce motor capacity because after the amount of glycogen is depleted, it will take time to recover, while immediately after the practice is the time for recovery. The fastest if provided enough.
  3. Not enough water supply.
  4. Drug abuse.