There are many myths about soccer nutrition that would not even fit in a 1000 page book. In this guide we will take a look at four of them.
By following tips presented in this guide you will not only be more fit, you will have an advantage on your opponents.
1. Your performance is not affected by what you eat
Your performance is equal to what you are eating. The better food the better performance, it’s not more difficult than that.
You can’t grab a chocolate bar 4-5 hours before the start of your game and expect to perform well.
I can admit that a chocolate cake is juicy and hard to resist but if you are serious with your soccer training avoid it, at least on the match day.
2. What you eat after your practice or soccer game doesn’t affect your recovering period
Have you ever eaten the worst post game snacks and candy possible including soda chips bars and fries?
Well, this is pretty common and everyone who has played soccer has done that at least once.
Your muscles are most ready to get nourished from quality food during the first two hours after your practice or match.
If you are smart, have always at least one or two bananas combined with water to start refilling your muscles.
A proper supply of carbohydrates is vital for your recovery. My favorite carbohydrate sources are apples and bananas, but all types of fruit will be just fine.
It is critical that you eat between tournament games to recover quickly and get an energy boost.
3. It doesn’t matter if you eat 1, 2 or 5 hours before a game
You should eat at least 4 hours before a game. In some special cases you may eat 3 hours before.
However you should try to avoid that because your body needs at least 4 hours to transform the food into energy.
One of the best meals you can eat 4 hours before a match and probably the cheapest one (when talking about quality and the amount of valuable energy you get) is mincemeat sauce with spaghetti.
The mincemeat sauce combined with pasta is full of quality carbohydrates and proteins.
You will get a big energy boost which will help you get through the whole game without getting too tired.
4. Drinking or not drinking water doesn’t affect your performance in any way
Drinking enough water is critical for your performance on the soccer field. You should drink before the match starts, every 15 to 20 minutes during play and at halftime.
Your team should also have water bottles along the field sidelines and also in the goals. This will make it easier for you and your teammates to refuel quickly.
It is also important to drink few hours before the start of your game. This is because you will lose a lot of water during your soccer match and your body needs water to work properly.
It’s like a car, without gas you will not go very far. You should therefore have a rule which says that you should always drink at least two liter of water 4-5 hours before the start of your game.
Summary
As I said before, the importance of of proper soccer nutrition cannot be emphasized enough! Once you honestly grasp the core principles of proper nutrition, you’ll wonder why you didn’t switch sooner than this.
It’s all about keeping your options open and pursuing the best choices possible based on your needs. So while it seems like it’s no big deal what you eat, but that attitude couldn’t be further from the truth!
