Nutritional considerations for football players Eating before an important match Drinking regime for a football player Healthy sleep is a guarantee of vigor for an athlete How do football players rest and relax? What questions often interest spectators and fans?
The topic of football in our country and far beyond its borders is not discussed today only by the lazy. The historic moment, when the Russian national team entered the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time, excited even those who are quite far from football. The Internet is replete with funny memes, reproaching football players for the simplicity of injuries and the complexity of the game itself. But is it so easy for athletes to win and what needs to be done on the way to winning it? MedAboutMe decided to figure out how the preparation of football players for important matches is going on and what hardships each player has to endure.
Features of the nutrition of football players
Thoughtful nutrition for an athlete, and a football player, including - the ability to receive the necessary supply of energy, support the body during training and matches, as well as quickly recover after them. The strenuous physical activity that is inevitable in professional football must be compensated for with the right diet. On average, during the training period, the athlete's body requires about 60-67 kcal per 1 kg of weight. A balanced amount of protein, fat and carbohydrates also plays an important role. The professional footballers' daily menu should include:
Protein at the rate of 2.3 g / kg. Moreover, at least 60% of this number should be animal proteins. The athlete's diet should include poultry, eggs, dairy and fermented milk products. Sources of vegetable protein should be oatmeal, beans, rice, buckwheat and potatoes. 1.8 g of fat per 1 kg of body weight. Animal fats should be 70%, vegetable fats - 30%. To get the first, it is permissible to use fish oil, sour cream, butter and cheeses. The second source can be flaxseed, nut and sesame oil. Carbohydrates, 70% of which must be complex. It is the main source of energy for athletes. Complex carbohydrates that do not cause blood sugar spikes are found in cereals, whole grain breads and pasta, brown rice, and unsweetened vegetables and fruits.
Diet varies from country to country. For example, the teams of Austria and Germany adhere to five meals a day, and the Russian team - three meals a day. Other variations are possible though. Each team has its own personal nutritionist (or even more than one), who develops the optimal nutritional system for the players individually.
In terms of its nutritional value, a three-day ration with an afternoon snack may look like this:
breakfast makes up 20% of the total daily diet; lunch - about 40%; afternoon tea, like breakfast, 20%; dinner - also 20%.
In this case, products containing animal proteins should be in the first half of the day. The first meal is usually taken 1-1.5 hours before your morning workout, and the last meal is usually taken at least 3 hours before bedtime.
The list of prohibited foods for professional footballers is the same as for healthy eating. The ban includes sweet soda, snacks, deep-fried foods, confectionery, alcohol, etc.
Meals before an important match
Before a responsible game for football players, there is a special diet. The results of numerous studies have shown that the ban on the day and on the eve of important matches should include:
sweets are a storehouse of simple carbohydrates that are unnecessary before playing; Foods that are high in fat, including sunflower seeds and nuts marbled and fried meat; beans and other legumes that are difficult to digest; cheeses and pickles; all kinds of spices and seasonings.
In other words, all foods and foods that are difficult to digest and that can cause any disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract are prohibited. It is strictly forbidden to consume alcoholic beverages, regardless of their strength. The last meal before a responsible game should be at least 3 hours before it starts. Although some experts say that it is better to eat no later than 3.5 hours before the match.
The main emphasis on the day of the game and on the eve should be placed on foods containing complex carbohydrates and a moderate amount of protein. The diet may include:
skinless poultry meat; low-fat chicken broth; vegetable side dishes; lean fish; eggs (boiled only); whole grains; freshly brewed compotes with a low sugar content; natural yoghurts; pasta (for example, in a football country like Italy, pasta is the main dish before the game).
Everything should be fresh. For products undergoing heat treatment, steaming, boiling or stewing is permissible. After the game, the athlete needs to recuperate and consume about 500 kcal during the first two hours. A diet high in protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals is ideal for recovery.
Drinking regime for a football player
Football is an agile and physically exhausting sport. It is enough to look at any football player during the match - it feels like he was literally just doused from the shower. Putting all their best, athletes sweat profusely during the game and, accordingly, their body is actively losing fluid. That is why it is very important for football players to follow the correct drinking regime. This will help quench your thirst and stay hydrated. On ordinary days with and without training, you need to drink a little water throughout the day. Don't wait for the thirst to come.
Drinking is essential while playing. Usually, the players themselves take individual sports drinkers for the match. To effectively quench your thirst, it is enough to take a couple of sips every 15-20 minutes during active physical activity. Purified water can be substituted for special nutritious drinks with a higher carbohydrate content. It is recommended to drink them only during the game. Also, experts advise not to be zealous with drinking during the break between the halves.
At the end of the game, you need to continue to drink water in small portions. This will help the body cool down and rejuvenate.
Football players are strictly forbidden to drink coffee and strong tea on the day of an important match. Sweet soda and juices are also undesirable.
Healthy sleep is a guarantee of vigor for an athlete
Adequate sound sleep, according to the results of numerous studies, is one of the most important conditions for human health and ability to work. And even more so for professional athletes. Systematic lack of sleep threatens physical and emotional exhaustion, weakening of the protective functions of the body. Football players are advised to sleep for 9 hours. Also, not only the duration, but also the time of sleep is important. Professional athletes are advised to go to bed at 22:00 and get up at 7:00. It is possible to increase the duration of sleep in the presence of grueling workouts and responsible matches. But the regime is of great importance. It is not enough just before a responsible game to sleep for 9 hours, it is necessary that good rest is regular and occurs at the same time.
Also, before going to bed, you need to exclude any factors that have an exciting effect on the nervous system. First of all, these are caffeinated drinks and strenuous mental activity. During the period of active training, daytime sleep is also possible, but everything is individual.
Often, before important matches, professional football players are faced with such a problem as insomnia. This is due to worries about the upcoming game. In such a case, the athlete should consult a doctor, because a football player who has not slept enough with a reduced reaction can doom the whole team to a loss.
How do football players rest and relax?
Each team has its own methods. But sports recreation should be healthy. No clubs or discos. For example, the English football club Chelsea have their own healthy recreation strategy. Immediately after training, right on the football field, they perform special stretching exercises aimed at maintaining muscle tone. Then the athletes go for a relaxing massage.
In the process of training, athletes, in addition to football itself, play dodgeball and the so-called football tennis. The latter is a fun game where feet and a soccer ball are used instead of rackets and a tennis ball. Also, golf and table tennis are popular among English football players.
Often, teams from many countries go to a football training camp somewhere in a resort or equipped recreation areas in corners remote from the city.
What questions do spectators and fans often ask about?
Football is a popular and, one might say, national game. Twenty players running across the field and two zealously defending their gates can evoke incredible emotions in the crowded stands of the stadium and the multimillion spectators watching what is happening in front of the TV. Every match is an event, and heated discussions do not subside either before, during or after it. What kind of ridiculous questions can worry football fans and even indifferent spectators?
Are falls and kicks so painful for footballers?
Many people believe that all the falls of football players and their attempts to overcome pain by rolling on the grass are nothing more than a game for the audience. But this is not the case. The career of a professional footballer and numerous injuries are, unfortunately, inseparable concepts. Injuries to the knee, ankle, lower back and groin, as well as ligament tears are not uncommon. Microtrauma of the feet and frequent inflammatory processes cause tremendous pain during physical activity. That is why many athletes take painkillers during important matches.
How do football players cope with the urge to go out of necessity during matches?
The correct diet and diet, in principle, allow you to easily endure time without going to the toilet. As a last resort, the athlete may ask to be replaced during the game. Although it does not do without incidents in world football. History remembers cases when players relieved themselves during the match and sometimes even right on the field. And this applies not only to the players themselves. For example, in 2009, during one of the matches of the Qatar championship, a Swiss referee named Massimo Buzzaka urinated in the penalty area under the cameras and in front of the surprised audience. But if the players and referees in this regard still have some options for maneuver, poor goalkeepers have to endure in force majeure situations. Although, not everyone can. For example, the French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez, during one of the matches in the UEFA Cup, managed to relieve himself without leaving his post.
Is it true that football players are forbidden to make love before the game?
Yes, there are such restrictions in the national teams of some countries. This applies to the national teams of Russia, Chile, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mexico. Coaches deliberately create all conditions to protect their team from any external stimuli before an important game. The limitation of connections with the opposite sex is explained by the fact that the process itself can require a lot of energy, which is extremely important to accumulate and save before the match. Also, loving relationships can relax the player and hurt the results.
Although there are other opinions, because carnal pleasures affect different people in different ways. For example, the famous football player Cristiano Ronaldo once admitted that an intimate relationship with his wife a few hours before the match helps him to relax and tune in to the game. But at the same time, the athlete noted that a man in this process, in order not to expend energy, must be a passive participant.
What do the players drink in the middle of the match?
Sports drinking cups, which are often used by football players during a match, are of interest to many. What's inside? Usually these are special drinks fortified with nutrients, or purified water. Athletes must not use anything else during a match. After all, sweet carbonated water or juices not only do not quench your thirst, but also greatly increase it. And plus to everything, such drinks have a diuretic effect, and as we have already learned, this is a huge minus.
So, in order to win, footballers must eat right and rest right. During the quarterfinals of the 2018 FIF World Cup, MedAboutMe wishes the Russian team to do without injuries and win the game against Croatia!
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