Adequate and proper soccer nutrition is another aspect of soccer training which has often been neglected in the past but has gained rapid importance nowadays due to the rapidly evolving arena of sports science.
As mentioned in a previous article, proper training comes hand in hand with two other important factors which are adequate rest and adequate proper nutrition. Training will not bring about the required improvements if any of these three components are off and soccer managers are very well aware of this. In fact, some club soccer managers are so strict that the soccer players are given a proper timetable detailing what food to eat and even when to sleep and wake up! And of course, they are not supposed to party and drink into the wee hours of the night especially just before a big game which makes soccer professionals a target of the ever hungry paparazzi. And in these days where top soccer stars are paid in excess of millions of pounds per year and where pressure on the soccer managers are so high, it is considered irresponsible of the player if he does not do the necessary to justify his pay.
Soccer nutrition comprises of three basic essential components primarily carbohydrates, proteins and fats but it is not confined to them only. Again a balance needs to be achieved amongst the three basic components as well as other important vital nutrients incorporated.

Carbohydrate

Carbohydrate is an important macronutrient that is required for the sustenance of life. It is the main source of energy in humans and acts as a fuel source from which our body tap on. Professional soccer players require huge amounts of carbohydrate due to their training and match demands. In fact, research has shown that a proper carbohydrate to protein ratio taken at the right times improves a soccer player’s recovery and provides very favorable training results. Hence, soccer training can be quite a regimental as specific things need to be done at specific times and needs strict adherence to. Good sources of low glycemic index carbohydrates are wholemeal pasta whereas high glycemic index carbohydrates such as potatoes and white rice provide good rapid energy just after a match or intense training.

Protein

Protein is an essential building block and is very important in recovery and strength as well as overall conditioning. In training, the muscle fibres tears and gets damaged. These muscle fibres are then repaired by the body which being adaptive lay down more and stronger fibres to repair and replace the damaged fibres. It is this basic concept that brings about improvements resulting from training. Proteins are needed to repair these damaged muscle cells and as you can see if they are lacking, the damaged muscles can’t recover and instead of becoming stronger will degenerate. Hence the importance of sufficient protein and nutrition. Good sources of protein include lean meat such as fish and white meat eg chicken.

Fats

When we talk about fats, the first thing that comes to mind is normally negative. Not surprising the amount of negativity attached to fats. However when we talk about fats, we have to be very subjective. We need fats to survive as a fact and the key word here is sufficient. We need an amount of fats for basic body functions such as hormone production and cell signalling vital to normal body functioning as well as reflexes. Fats itself can be divided into saturated fats and unsaturated fats. The ‘good fats’ are the unsaturated fats namely the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Good sources of such fats are canola oil, olive oil and nuts of fresh origin. Salmon provides a rich source of omega 3s and omega 6s too. Organic produce are recommended.