If you do not understand the demands of soccer, you might think that the attention paid to soccer nutrition is overrated. If you have a close look at the demands of a soccer match and long-distance marathon runner’s, you will soon realise that there are strong similarities regarding their nutritional requirements.

Soccer is a fast moving sport and requires players to sprint a lot and high energy actions while running a marathon implies continuous running at a tolerable intensity. It may sound as if it is difficult to make the resemblance but if you have a closer look at what entails the activities on a soccer field. Running for about 11 kilometers at a constant speed, 1 kilometers of sprinting, accelerating speed about 50 to 60 times during a match and make a change in direction every 5 seconds, you can start to see the resemblance.

Actually, you need to consider every little bit of detail that can influence your performance if you are serious about your game. Soccer nutrition plays a significant role in the success of any soccer player and it is important to know what influence macronutrients, micronutrients, diets, fats, proteins and hydration have on your performance as a soccer player.

According to recent studies, the average amateur soccer players eat about 1300 calories of carbohydrates per day, compared to the 2300 to 2900 calories they need to take in. In order to have sufficient nutrition for soccer, you need to take in a compilation of different nutrients. Carbohydrates and water are the most important nutritional elements of any soccer player’s diet.

Glycogen is produced from the carbohydrates that you take in from food such as milk, bread, pasta, bananas and apples. Glycogen is the main energy source to your muscles. So in order to deliver a star performance you need to have sufficient glycogen. A lack thereof will result in negative aspects such as fatigue, poor concentration and regaining strength after practice or a match take longer than it use to.

By playing soccer, you burn a lot of calories. When it comes to fat in your diet, you should still try to keep your fat intake to the minimum because fat is not a good provider of energy. As for protein you need to eat about 1,4 to 1,7 grams of protein for every kilogram of body mass per day. Protein is essential to repair your muscles and to assist in the maintenance of your immune system. Protein such as milk, cheese, chicken and fish is good to nourish your body before practice or a match, however it will not provide you with the same energy that you would have get from carbohydrates.

In order to keep the body hydrated, water intake is of utmost importance and even more so when games are played or practiced in warm weather. Sports drinks must not be seen as a replacement for high calorie meals. It contains less complex carbohydrates that are consumed by your body faster than complex carbohydrates are consumed and therefore increase your blood sugar levels that makes you feel more energized.

By eating approximately 700 carbohydrates 3 to 4 hours before the commencement of a match and a shortly thereafter and taking in as much fluids to stock up your body’s needs at the soonest.