Nutritional Information

The training diet

The diet of the athletes should be based on the guide to Australian Healthy Eating. athletes should ensure all recommendation is being met. (See table below). Careful attention to carbohydrate, energy and fluid intake, should be maintained to ensure that energy levels of the athlete are being made.




Meeting adequate nutritional needs for the professional athlete can often be difficult and is often over looked by coaches, trainers, parents and the athlete themselves. Development, strength, endurance and overall performance can all be affected if the athlete ignores or fails to maintain an adequate level for nutrition. Good nutrition is often the key element in the athlete’s performance and recovery from competition
	A well nourished athlete will be able to play better and for longer, stay mentally alert and recover quicker from training and competition. The athlete who is not maintaining an adequate energy intake will feel tired and lethargic, which inturn will affect their performance in particular to the skill and speed required in all ball sports. In addition there recovery will be effected and injuries will be more frequent.
Soccer matches are long and involve infrequent stoppages few substitutions, and substantial amounts of high-intensity action. Therefore soccer matches results in large fluid lose due to sweating and significant depletion of muscle glycogen stores. Late in the game, players tend to become dehydrated and fatigued. This can lead to costly mistakes (goals allowed) and injuries. Approximately 30% of goals are scored in the last 15 minutes of games. In the France World Cup, nearly 50% of all goals scored in the quarter finals, semi finals and final match were scored in the last 20 minutes of each game.
	Recently a three-year study on youth soccer injuries was conducted by the FFA. It found that nearly 25 percent of soccer injuries occur during the last 10 to 15 minutes of games. This is similar to findings in the Premier League in England. Fatigue appears to be an important factor in the disproportionate occurrence of injuries late in the matches. When players get tired, their reaction time slows down and their judgement deteriorates. During a game lasting 90 minutes the alternating fast and slow running can easily deplete a players leg-muscle fuel stores (glycogen). Studies show that professional players spend over two-thirds of a typical match at 85 per cent of maximal heart rate, and that players sometimes deplete 90% of their muscle glycogen during a match, more than enough to cause fatigue and dramatically reduce running speed. (Sports dietitian association) In order for the athlete to maximize their performance and prevent fatigue from occurring a state of optimal nutrition must be maintained. This includes adhering to a nutritionally balanced training diet, planning the pre-vent meal, maintaining an adequate state of hydration prior to, during and post the event, and ensuring the carbohydrate and fluid requirements during and post exercise are met.


Nutritional guidelines
The training diet The diet of the athletes should be based on the guide to Australian Healthy Eating. athletes should ensure all recommendation is being met. (See table below). Careful attention to carbohydrate, energy and fluid intake, should be maintained to ensure that energy levels of the athlete are being made.
	Fluid Requirements It is essential that the athlete maintain adequate hydration to minimise net fluid losses and conserve muscle glycogen stores, the best way to do this is to enter into competition well hydrated and frequently consume a sports drink throughout the game when possible. Drinks should be made available prior to, during and immediately after training and matches. To minimize the risk of heat injury particularly on hot days, soccer players should try to establish a good drinking plan. Water is the most practical drink however a sports drink may provide an advantage in terms of encouraging greater fluid intake as well as directly enhancing performance by supplying carbohydrate (glucose, sucrose.) Before: 300-500ml, 15 minutes before starting During: 150-250ml every 15-20 minutes After: To replace sweat losses. The amount required is individual, for every kilogram lost you need to drink 1.5 litres of fluid. A carbohydrate – protein sports drink is ideal to accelerate muscle recovery.
Pre-event meal Preparation The pre-event nutrition strategies are essential in not only providing optimal fluids and fuel but also in promoting adequate psychological well being and confidence. The athletes should choose foods and drinks that you enjoy and meet the following criteria: * Easy to digest * High in carbohydrate * Low in fat * Include plenty of fluids * Food and drinks you enjoy An example of an eating plan 1-4 hours before the game could be something like this; 3-4 hours before: Pasta with a red sauce, 400mls fruit juice 2 hours before: 200g low fat fruit yoghurt and snack pack of sultanas (40g) 1 hour before: 500ml sport drink It is important to note that large heavy meals before a practise/game may result in sub-optimal performance as the athlete may be weighed down, may experience vomiting/nausea, and may suffer from cramps and irritability. Chocolate, chips and ice-cream and high fat snacks should not be consumed, this will cause the athlete to be weighed down and not provide a boost of energy.
	Before Competition The meal the night/day before the even should consist of one that is high in complex carbohydrates (i.e. brown rice, pasta, whole grains, cereals, fresh fruit and vegetables.) This will provide the muscles with glycogen which is released though physical activity and helps in endurance due to steady release/supply of energy. The day of competition a healthy breakfast consisting of oatmeals, wholegrain cereals, fruit, low fat yoghurt and fruit drink should be consumed 2-3 hours prior to competition.
During Competition Opportunities to drink during matches can be limited therefore you should aim to optimise your fluid intake during formal and informal breaks in play e.g. stoppage and injury time. A sports drink supplies some carbohydrate (glucose, sucrose) and some sodium (salt) which helps the body to absorb and retain more of the fluid. Carbohydrate gel supplements such as 1 x 50g CarboSotz® and a medium banana can be eaten at halftime.
	Pre-event foods and fluids * Wholegrain breakfast cereals with low fat milk/yoghurt and fruit * Baked beans on toast * Roll or sandwich with banana and honey * Low fat yoghurt fruit smoothie