With Euro 2012 in full flow, pubs up and down the country are full of punters discussing \u2018overpaid footballers.\u2019 No doubt there is talk about how players and managers complain too much about a lack of recovery time between games.\u00a0 After all, they are paid so much they should be able to run around after a ball for 90 minutes every day, right? Or is it not quite that simple?<\/p>\n
As a game, over the last 20 years, football has become increasingly more professional: from the running of clubs to the player\u2019s training and nutrition. Players are fitter, faster and stronger than ever before.<\/p>\n
To see if players really should really stop moaning about fixture pile ups, let\u2019s look at some of the physiological demands:<\/p>\n
Looking at the above, I think it\u2019s fair to say that football is a pretty demanding game! \u00a0One area that footballers are paying more attention to, in order to meet the increasing physiological demands, is their nutrition. Appropriate nutrition provides the fuel for training and matches as well as for recovery. Basic nutritional requirements for footballers are:<\/p>\n
Supplementation is also becoming increasingly popular in football \u2013 whether it\u2019s additional carbohydrate, protein for recovery or creatine for repeated sprint ability. Key supplements used in football include:<\/p>\n
Used for both fuel and recovery. Typically used post-training\/match to replenish muscle glycogen (fuel )levels<\/p>\n
Used throughout the day and around training\/matches. Commonly used after training\/matches to aid muscle repair<\/p>\n
Used to replenish creatine stores to aid recovery from repeated sprints and to improve performance. Research shows improvements in 5m and 15m sprint time.10<\/sup><\/p>\n Particularly Omega-3<\/a> to reduce inflammation and for general health.<\/p>\n To sip on pre\/during\/post match to maintain hydration status<\/p>\n Putting it all together, a typical days eating for a footballer preparing for a 12:45 kick off could be:<\/strong><\/p>\n 08:30: 100g muesli, 300ml skimmed milk, apple, 120g yoghurt, 25-30g Whey Protein<\/a> + Super Strength Fish Oils<\/a><\/p>\n 10:30-12.45: Sip on 60g Vitargo<\/a> + 30g Whey Protein<\/a>+ 200mg Caffeine Tab<\/a><\/p>\n 13:30-13:45: 1x commercially available carbohydrate-electrolyte drink<\/p>\n 14:30: 75g Maltodextrin<\/a>\/Dextrose<\/a> + 25g-30g Whey Protein<\/a> + 5g Creatine Monohydrate<\/a><\/p>\n 16:00: 100g pasta, 100g chicken breast, tomato sauce, vegetables, fruit salad<\/p>\n 18:00: Large turkey and salad baguette<\/p>\n 20:00: 100g basmati rice, 150g salmon fillet, lentils, black bean<\/p>\nEssential Fats<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Isotonic drink with Sodium<\/strong><\/h2>\n