Sport is of great importance in a person’s life, and its benefits have long been proven. Many people choose jogging as one of their sports, as it is the most useful and convenient.
Sports events such as the World Championships or the Olympics unite people around the world, as the recently completed World Cup proved. Considering that even those who are far from football were watching him, many probably noticed how the football players constantly spit out water on the field. For what?
The debate about whether you should drink water during exercise has been going on for decades. Supporters of both options have many arguments why they are right, and therefore everyone often decides for themselves which approach to use. 
If we look specifically at the example of football players, this approach works here: drinking liquid causes heaviness in the stomach, which leads to additional fatigue. Also, drinking liquid can disrupt muscle contraction processes due to an increase in the volume of circulating blood. 
People who adhere to this opinion believe that liquid can only be consumed before and after exercise. This is strictly prohibited during training or in the event of a match. 
Proponents of fluid intake make equally compelling arguments. The human body is 70% water, and during exercise this percentage decreases, so the lost volume must be replenished. 
Even here there are different approaches. Some people talk about a couple of sips every, say, 20 minutes; others, on the contrary, can drink liters of liquid. It is assumed that when the level of water in the body decreases, the blood thickens, the muscles and nervous system begin to receive less nutrients, which leads to a deterioration in strength, reaction and attention. 
Many studies have been conducted in this area, with very conflicting results. For example, research from neighboring laboratories conducted between 2015 and 2017 found that rinsing allowed athletes to perform better in exercises that required strength and reaction. 
But where endurance comes to the fore, as in long-distance running, the results have not changed. This led scientists to suggest that this method only affects the short-term use of force. Nevertheless, it was in football that this practice took root, although it would seem that endurance is also important there. 
On the other hand, if you talk to athletes and ordinary people who play sports from time to time, you can hear diametrically opposed opinions. Perhaps this directly depends on the state of each person’s body.
Which approach are you in favor of and why? Share your opinion in the comments.
The correct physical development of a football player directly depends on his nutrition. Not only on the amount and intensity of training, but also on what he feeds himself, giving the body the opportunity to progress in terms of growth of any physical indicators.
We suggest we talk about the nutrition of football players and find out what should be included in an athlete’s diet, what is better to exclude and what to pay more attention to when choosing foods. For experienced football players playing at a high level, this article may not be as useful as for beginners, since their nutrition is monitored by coaches/doctors or they even have to eat at the training base, where all their food is prepared in advance. Therefore, we will focus on beginner athletes who want to properly balance their diet. So, let's go!
Food composition
Let's start with the calorie content of food. During training, a football player should consume approximately 60-67 kcal per kilo of body weight. It is important to calculate the correct ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. In our case, the following ratio will be correct: 1:0.8:4.
Let's now go through each nutrient. Let's start, perhaps, with squirrel, which should be consumed daily in the amount of 2.3 grams per 1 kg of weight. Here, as a rule, we are talking about protein of animal origin, so it is important to indicate what is best included in the diet:
- eggs;
- poultry meat;
- beef;
- cheeses;
- dairy products;
- cottage cheese.
If we are talking about proper nutrition for football players, then we cannot help but note that it is better to steam or boil/bake meat. It is recommended to exclude fried foods completely/partially. So, now about proteins of natural origin, which must also be in a football player’s diet:
- beans;
- potato;
- oatmeal;
- buckwheat.
Fats. It's a scary word, but you shouldn't be afraid of it. It’s just that the worlds need to be dosed wisely and in no case should they be excluded from the diet, since they are a concentrated source of energy, which is so necessary during heavy physical exertion. We will proceed from the following calculation: 1 gram of fat per 1 kg of body weight. We can get the fats we need in the following products:
- butter;
- fish fat;
- cheeses;
- sour cream;
- oil of various seeds;
- nuts.
Carbohydrates. Here the division occurs into simple and complex. At the same time, we give preference to complex carbohydrates by 70%, the rest to simple ones. We take complex carbohydrates from:
- brown rice;
- vegetables and fruits;
- various cereals;
- bread (whole grain);
- pasta
What to exclude from the diet?
Now about the unpleasant - prohibitions. The diet of football players is not acceptable:
- sweet sodas;
- alcohol;
- fast food;
- crackers, chips and various snacks;
- creams;
- sweet pastries.
This was in general, and now a list of prohibited foods on game day:
- fried meat;
- dishes with seasonings;
- legumes;
- nuts/seeds;
- oil.
On the day of the game (before the game), the following is most welcome:
- vegetable dishes/salads/side dishes;
- natural yoghurts;
- boiled poultry meat;
- eggs;
- compotes/jelly.
To quickly restore strength after games, it is recommended to consume:
- fish prepared in any way;
- vegetable salads;
- stewed vegetables;
- a lot of fruits.
Amount of food
Of course, you need to eat in reasonable quantities, otherwise the “right” foods will be of no use. Most often, football players’ diet is divided into four meals, so let’s distribute the loads as a percentage: 20% for breakfast/afternoon snack/dinner, 40% for lunch.
What and when is the best time to eat? Conventionally it will look like this:
- Breakfast: Whole grains, eggs, cereal and juices.
- Lunch: more protein foods, soups, fruits/vegetables, baked goods.
- Afternoon snack: dairy products, fruits/vegetables.
- Dinner: more vegetables, pasta, juices (no sugar).
This is approximately what a football player’s diet should look like, but it is better to adjust it either with your coach or with a doctor. It is important not to forget about the individual aspects inherent in each individual organism, so the issue of nutrition must be approached wisely and taking into account your own needs. It is also important to take into account the trainer’s settings (weight gain or loss) to gain optimal physical shape. In this case, you need a personal consultation with a specialist who will advise which foods to include/exclude from the diet in order to achieve the desired result as quickly as possible and without harm to the body.
Preparation for the game begins not with an afternoon snack immediately before the game, but the day before it.
Moderation and quality of products is the motto under which we spend these days. Food does not require a lot of money or standing at the stove for a long time. We won’t bother you with calculating calories and mind-boggling formulas for food compatibility and breakdown of food intake by hours and percentages. It is not necessary. Everything is much simpler.
So, we wake up and remember that tomorrow is the game.
Breakfast. Porridge. Yes Yes. Porridge. Oatmeal, ideally brewed with boiling water, with the addition of honey, dried apricots, half a banana cut into cubes, as in a salad. If you don’t like oatmeal with water, you can cook your own oatmeal with milk, half and half with water and add a little sugar to it. The taste will be much more familiar. Well, if the option with oatmeal doesn’t work at all, well, you can’t stand it, semi-milk rice porridge or buckwheat with low-fat milk are also suitable, but will take more time to prepare. If these options don’t work, muesli or cornflakes. A good cheese sandwich, some cottage cheese with honey or a light two-egg omelette, take your pick. Scrambled or boiled eggs do not work - eat on other days. If this is not enough, you can add yogurt or a sandwich with any lightly salted fish, baked goods (bread) without cream. Tea, coffee, cocoa - please, but only one cup. We leave ham, sausage, and cakes, no matter what, for the household. After all, we have a goal - tomorrow is the game.
Lunch, if you are used to it, tea, coffee or juice, yogurt, again, a bun without cream or cream. All. In principle, that's enough. If not, add an apple or orange. Now, that's enough for sure.
Dinner, it is advisable not to miss it, even if there are no worries. Vegetable salad with vegetable oil or low-fat sour cream, not mayonnaise. Water without gas, in sufficient quantities. Boiled lean ham, preferably turkey. Fish or vegetable soup (you can do without it). Pasta or spaghetti, preferably made from durum wheat or mashed potatoes. Meat, fish or chicken - whatever you want. The only condition is that it must be a natural piece, cooked in the oven or boiled. Fried food is not suitable. It is better not to use hot sauces with pepper. Mustard, horseradish, ketchup, if you can’t live without them, you can, in moderation. A glass of juice, fruit drink or dried fruit compote, fruit dessert (example: apple pie or dried apricot pie) or any low-fat cookie.
Afternoon snack: a cup of tea or a glass of juice, a couple of gingerbread cookies or oatmeal cookies.
Dinner on the eve of the game. The goal of this event is to saturate the body, tired during the day, without excesses or consequences. Ideal time: seven - half past eight. Alcohol, even if you periodically include it in your diet, is advisable to exclude it completely. There will be time after the game. It is also better not to drink coffee and strong tea. You won’t fall asleep, and sleep is one of the most important components of preparing for a game. Juice, still water, compote, fruit drink - at your discretion. A couple of pieces of boiled tongue or boiled ham. Boiled vegetables or a salad of them (vinaigrette), preferably less onion and always without mayonnaise, with vegetable oil. Fresh vegetables, a little. If you can’t do without the first one in the evening or missed lunch, use broth (not cubed) or fish soup. Again, boiled or oven-cooked meat (preferably lean beef), chicken or fish. You should not eat fried cutlets, pork or lamb, because they will remind you of themselves during the game with unpleasant sensations in the right side. Choose your own side dish: pasta, rice, boiled potatoes, buckwheat. The latter is preferable, but in any case, follow your desires. A piece of cake or sweet bun. Not strong tea. You can’t live without fruit: an orange or a banana. There is no need to eat a pear, an apple, a watermelon, or a melon at dinner; they can disturb sleep, and we don’t need that today. Half a glass of kefir at night, before bed, will successfully complement the preparation for tomorrow's event.
Game day.
Game after 17-00.
Breakfast. Juice (orange or grapefruit), preferably freshly squeezed. Porridge (see previous breakfast) or muesli. Sandwich with cheese, preferably without butter. Tea, cocoa or coffee (whatever you like) Sweet bun, spoon of honey. If you're not full, you can add yogurt or banana. Cottage cheese, dried fruits, nuts, eggs in any form are excluded for various reasons. We’ll eat sausage, ham, sausages tomorrow, they won’t go anywhere from the refrigerator. Our goal: in the morning to catch that lightness and good mood that will be so useful in the evening during the game.
Lunch. A cup of tea or coffee, a light bun. Another option: a glass of apple juice and 3-4 cookies, preferably oatmeal.
Dinner. Four and a half to five hours before the game. Mineral water without carbon (carbon dioxide contained in soda will interfere with the game) - up to 500 ml., a glass of orange or pineapple juice. Vegetable salad (lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, no onions), with vegetable oil, preferably olive oil. Small portion (120-150 grams). A couple of slices of boiled beef tongue (it contains wound-healing and other enzymes). If possible, a couple of spoons of boiled spinach (remember the cartoon about Popeye the sailor). There is no possibility - no big deal. Low-fat chicken broth or noodle soup (skip the former if you can). Spaghetti or pasta made from durum wheat (written on the package) and made without eggs, slightly flavored with vegetable oil (preferably olive), slightly undercooked and sprinkled with grated cheese. Portion up to 200 grams (plate with a small slide). If you don't like pasta - mashed potatoes, you can have rice, but the former is preferable. This is your energy for the first half of the game. Chicken breast boiled or baked in the oven. Or another option is boiled or oven-baked beef. A minimum of salt and especially pepper. Lean meat, skinless breast. The serving is small, up to 150 grams (about the size of your palm). Will start working in the second half. 2-3 pieces of bread (black, white, whatever), a roll or a piece of apple pie (strudel). Tea upon request. An orange or a couple of tangerines.
If possible, sleep, but with one condition: they must wake up three hours before the game, no later.
Afternoon snack. An hour and a half before the game. A cup of tea or coffee without milk. Dry cookies without raisins, nuts, poppy seeds and other additives. Banana. If you don't drink tea or coffee, then a glass of citrus juice (orange or grapefruit juice) or just water.
If the game takes place at 12 or 13 o'clock. One breakfast with the addition of a banana 3-3.5 hours before the game will be enough.
If at 14 o'clock, then we have breakfast as usual and from 11 to 11-30 we have a second breakfast with a banana or an energy bar (not to be confused with Snickers, etc.). If you allowed yourself to sleep until ten, then only breakfast.
Game from 15 to 16 hours. Instead of second breakfast - a plate of spaghetti with chicken or meat. If you feel hungry an hour before the game, a banana or an energy bar will help out again. There is no need to eat chocolate before the game - there are many reasons for this. Drinking coffee and strong tea is also undesirable. In the hot season, half an hour before the game you need to drink a glass or two of still water, this will delay the onset of thirst during the game.
And in conclusion, one little secret. The energy with which you have to play today was put into you with food three days ago. But that's a completely different story.
Good game!
Football fans and supporters probably often wonder what is in those strange, opaque bottles that professional football players drink from during training and during matches? Many believe that these bottles contain some kind of tonic liquid that instantly and significantly improves the physical abilities of athletes. Many are sure that such “tonics” are developed in specialized sports laboratories, and each country carefully keeps its composition of the “accelerator” and “scorcher” secret.
Why then are there so many participants at the World and European Championships, but only a small handful of the same teams always win? In fact, no one is hiding the composition of the “secret drink”. Sports doctors and nutritionists prohibit football players from drinking any caffeinated drinks, carbonated drinks and juices. Moreover, various energy drinks and alcohol. All of the above drinks, on the contrary, dehydrate the body because they contain a lot of sugar or stimulate urine production. The only thing you are allowed to drink during or during a break in a match or during training is regular drinking water. This is what is in these mysterious plastic bottles.
In this case, not any water is suitable, but only one that has low mineralization, that is, it is well purified and contains a minimum amount of inorganic substances. Mineral water is not suitable because it strongly stimulates the digestive processes and urine production, which can lead to dire consequences for the athlete during a football match. And they often don’t swallow this water, only wetting the mucous membranes of their mouths, while the rest “water” the green football lawns.
Now you know what football players drink during the 2016 European Football Championship match, which is currently taking place in France.
Watching our favorite team play, we are already accustomed to players enduring long, physically grueling matches. But how do athletes achieve these results - the ability to move around the arena without interruption and score great goals? Read on to learn more about the specifics of the training process in football.
What does a professional soccer player's daily training look like?
Professional sports require not just preparation, but painstaking work on oneself, in a strict and regular manner. The main training contains the following components:
- endurance development;
- strength exercises;
- work on speed, agility and flexibility.
How do players train their endurance?
This indicator is one of the most important for a football player; it determines the ability to maintain effective actions in the arena without reducing them. A weakened and slow player will not be able to score a goal; the opponent will easily take the ball away from him. Therefore, endurance needs regular training and improvement.
Power
The higher this parameter, the lower the fatigue, the body is able to withstand longer loads. Strength endurance is developed through weight training, which includes squats, lunges, push-ups and other techniques. On average, up to 20 different exercises are used, each taking about 60 seconds.
The weight of dumbbells or barbells is selected strictly individually.
Expressway
This type of stamina means the ability to suddenly increase your movement speed during the game. Its development includes many trainings:
- fartlek (running with periodic accelerations);
- running options (with overcoming an obstacle course, with jumping, even jogging);
- bike;
- swimming;
- race walking;
- skis.
Other types of loads can also be used; up to 50 minutes are spent daily on training. This increases aerobic capacity.
Features of training
Sets of exercises in total can take from 1.5 to 3 hours, additionally this includes practicing various actions and tactics in the game. An experienced coach is able to discern the existing shortcomings of each team member and focuses on eliminating them.
Special trainings
Athletes who have achieved outstanding results (Ronaldo, Beckham and others) are not limited to a prescribed training schedule. They often devote a lot of personal time to hone their skills.
For example, the famous Messi, in collaboration with Dr. Giuliano Poser, developed his own training program, which was based on proper nutrition.
The training process of the football legend, one of the most difficult in professional sports, contains two separate complexes, the first one trains linear speed, and the second one trains multidirectional speed. Each workout is divided into 3 stages. The results of such intense and impeccable work are visible in the forward's excellent performance.
Diet
Athletes pay a lot of attention to food. A strict regime prohibits the consumption of sugar and fats, fast food, mayonnaise, smoked, fried and pickled foods. Many professionals completely eliminate alcohol, coffee and energy drinks.
A typical daily diet consists of 3 meals:
- breakfast consists of porridge, muesli and a fruit drink (or water);
- for lunch, vegetable stew and stewed lean meat are served;
- dinner - fresh vegetables, lean fish (or seafood).
On a note! Nutritional supplements are regularly included in the menu. They increase protein levels, which means they support muscle growth and are an excellent source of carbohydrates that accumulate the athlete’s energy.
Enough rest
Adequate rest forms the normal rhythm of the body and restores expended strength. This includes proper organization of nutrition, sleep, and sufficient breaks between active phases. A strict and regular regimen will help avoid overwork and other negative phenomena.
Sample plan for a football player's day:
- 7am wake up;
- before 7:30 am charging;
- 7-40 cold shower;
- 8-00 breakfast;
- until 10-30 active recreation (biking, dancing, etc.);
- 10-30 – 13-00 training sessions, shower;
- 13-00 – 14-00 rest;
- until 14-30 lunch time;
- 14-30 – 17-00 active rest;
- 17-00 – 19-00 theoretical classes (discussions of matches, possible game tactics, etc.) or additional training;
- 19-00 – 20-00 rest;
- until 20-30 dinner;
- 20-30 – 22.50 – personal time;
- 23-00 lights out.
On a note! Sleep is of particular importance; it directly affects health and performance. Each person has individual characteristics, but it is important to avoid insomnia. Increased expenditure of effort and energy requires longer sleep.
More water
Physical activity promotes the evaporation of fluid from the body, which, in turn, increases fatigue, reduces endurance and other indicators. During the day, it is customary to regularly drink water in small quantities, without waiting for an attack of thirst.. On average, half a glass is consumed every 20 minutes of intense exercise.
This is interesting! During matches, players drink either special drinks containing proteins and vitamins, or distilled water without salts or other impurities. Juices and soda are prohibited due to their diuretic effects.
Great mood
A positive attitude improves the psychological state of football players and contributes to the best realization of their potential in sports. In an angry, irritated or nervous state, a player will not be able to concentrate on important moments of the tournament, is capable of inappropriate actions, and gets physically tired faster.
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