Nutrition for football – fuelling performance on matchday

Nutrition strategies to support athletic performance in football have increasingly become more of a focus, both in the professional game and at a recreational and amateur level. Thankfully, most sports coaches now appreciate the value that good nutrition can add to a player’s performance and injury-risk profile and this support is typically provided by a myriad of professionals, including strength and conditioning coaches and sports nutritionists.

Broadly speaking, good nutrition in football can help to:

• Fuel performance on matchdays
• Maximise adaptations following training (e.g., muscle growth)
• Assist during recovery (e.g., lower muscle soreness)
• Maintain/alter body composition (e.g., body fat %)
• Support overall health (e.g., strengthened immune system)

(Gleeson, 2022)

The level of nutrition support that a team or player gets can vary a lot depending on a range of factors, including, but not limited to, the time of the year (e.g., pre-season, during season, packed fixture schedule, etc) and individual player requirements (e.g., muscle size/strength, injury risk/history, etc), meaning that this is an incredibly broad topic with an wide-range of variables (Collins et al, 2021; Gleeson, 2022). These variables allow sports nutritionists providing nutrition support to footballers with myriad of strategies that can be used to individualise the advice and support they offer to their athletes.

This article will largely focus on matchday nutrition evidence because this is generally more stable and consistent for athletes throughout the season and approaches are similar for both male and female athletes. Also, this is arguably the most important day for the individual athletes and team.

It is important to underline at the outset that any reference to foods, quantities, timings and supplements in this article are for education and illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be prescriptive. This information should not be taken as personal nutrition advice, or be used to advise anyone else. You should seek advice and support from qualified and Registered Sports and Exercise Nutritionists (SENr) or dieticians for personalised dietary information, especially where supplements are concerned.

The energy demands of football

The total energy demands of a football match will vary from one athlete to the next depending on a range of individual and sporting factors, including, but not limited to:

• Player position (e.g., midfielders generally cover more distance than centre backs for example).
• body mass and composition (e.g., heavier players will burn more absolute calories than lighter players for the same work completed, those with greater muscle mass will expend more energy also).
• Level of competition  (e.g., premier league players cover more distance than amateur players).

Broadly speaking, GPS data across different standards shows that during a typical 90-minute football match, outfield players can expect to cover around 8-12 km in distance while burning approximately 1200 to 1700 kcal (Bangsbo, 2014; Gleeson, 2022). Football is an intermittent sport that is characterised by bursts of higher-intensity work, followed by lower-intensity periods of active recovery. Any distance covered will therefore involve changes between walking, jogging, running, and sprinting, but will also involve more explosive movements like jumping, bounding and rapid change of direction (CoD).

Whilst most of the energy demands of football are related to physical movement (e.g., jogging, running, etc), it is important to acknowledge that football is a complex team sport and as such, has the added tactical (e.g., positioning, strategy), technical (e.g., football specific skills like passing, shooting) and psychological (e.g., decision making) skills that also need to be considered when providing nutritional support. This is because many of these skills require high levels of cognitive engagement (i.e., brain power), meaning the brain needs to be provided with constant and sufficient amounts of glucose (its main fuel) in order to function optimally. If the optimum supply of glucose to the brain is not maintained, this can lead to lapses in concentration, poor decision making, feelings of mental and physical fatigue, and mistakes that can contribute to poor performance outcomes, both for the individual athlete and their team.

Interestingly, most goals in football matches tend to be scored in the last 15 minutes at a time where mental and physical fatigue will start to develop (Gleeson, 2022). Whilst specific nutrition strategies cannot be identified as the precise reason for this, or that this occurrence is the result of any type of fatigue, it is logical for coaches working in this area to explore and implement nutritional strategies to delay or avoid premature fatigue.

Energy production in football occurs both aerobically and anaerobically, and as has already been stated, football is an intermittent sport which involves a combination of low-intensity and high-intensity work. Aerobic work is primarily fuelled by muscle glycogen and fatty acids in the Krebs cycle, whereas the more explosive anaerobic activities are fuelled by the phosphocreatine system (ATP-PCr).

Given that carbohydrates can be used to fuel both aerobic and anaerobic energy production, and because they are more readily available and efficient to access than fat (less oxygen is needed to burn an equivalent amount of carbohydrates compared to fat), they should be the dominant focus of any nutrition strategy for fuelling football performance.

Carbohydrates are essential for maintaining optimal blood glucose levels, which is the main source of energy for the brain and central nervous system. It is estimated that approximately 60-70% of the energy used during a football match will come from carbohydrate metabolism (Bangsbo, 2014), further illustrating that any sport and exercise nutrition coach should focus on carbohydrates as the primary source of fuel.

Matchday minus one (MD-1)

The process of matchday nutrition support begins on the day before the planned event/match and is referred to as ‘matchday minus one’ (MD-1). It is important to note that MD-1 nutrition will likely have much more of an influential role on matchday performance than any pre-match meal because MD-1 provides the body with sufficient time to metabolise and store the carbohydrates as glycogen within skeletal muscles (Gleeson, 2022).

From a support perspective, MD-1 should focus primarily on the following three areas:

• Making sure the muscles and liver have sufficient carbohydrates to maximise glycogen stores (muscles ~500g and the liver~100g).
• Maintaining optimal hydration alongside carbohydrate consumption (muscle glycogen stores approximately 3 times its weight in water).
• Avoiding foods which may digestive issues (e.g., bloating, gas) and which may interfere with rest and recovery pre-match.

MD-1 can be seen primarily as a carb loading day, where players should aim to consume 6 to 8 g/kg of body mass of carbohydrates (this equates to between 420 and 560 g of carbohydrates for a 70 kg player). To ensure maximal storage and minimal use of these carbohydrates, at least half should be consumed during the evening meal (Gleeson, 2022). While there are no specific recommendations regarding the amount of fat or protein to consume on MD-1, a UEFA expert performance panel suggested that footballers should consume a combined protein and fat intake equivalent to 20-30% of their daily calories (Collins et al, 2021).

Pre-matchday nutrition – evening meal (MD-1)

There is an endless list of possible meals that players can consume that would meet the optimum requirements for MD-1. Whilst macronutrient composition should be of paramount importance for deciding the composition of meals, there can be flexibility to allow for individual player preferences.

What is important is that the MD-1 evening meal should consist of mostly “slow release” carbohydrates (e.g., pasta) because these are more likely to result in a steady and more sustained metabolism and storage of muscle glycogen. They are also least likely to cause spikes in blood sugar, affect insulin levels, and/or interfere with sleep.

Combining carbohydrate sources with a lean and generally easy to digest protein (e.g., chicken breast) is important, not only for muscle recovery/rebuilding, but protein also helps to increase carbohydrate storage in the muscles and liver. Combining carbohydrates and proteins also helps to slow the metabolism and subsequent uptake of carbohydrate sources, again helping to avoid unnecessary spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels.

Bland and plain foods are generally better than rich and overly spicy meals because these are much more likely to cause digestive upset and adversely affect energy levels the following day. It’s also important to ensure that any foods are cooked thoroughly, to further reduce the risks of food poisoning or low-level stomach upset.

Fibre is important for digestion on any day to promote good digestive health but where MD-1 is concerned, it is important not to consume too much because this can contribute to digestive issues on matchday, especially if a lot of insoluble fibre is consumed (e.g., whole-wheat flour, nuts, seeds, brown rice, etc). Alongside any pre-match nerves, this could be a recipe for disaster. Fibre focus for MD-1 should generally be on soluble sources (e.g., cooked vegetables, oats, bananas, beans, etc) (Gleeson, 2022).

Matchday nutrition for football performance

A secondary focus for any nutrition professional providing nutrition support to athletes in football will be on matchday nutrition. While this is a secondary approach, it is by no means less important and it is important to make this point. The consequences of eating the wrong foods on the day of the match can be significant where performance is concerned; both positively and negatively.

Matchday nutrition generally focuses on the following 3 areas:

• Pre-match nutrition.
• In-game nutrition.
• Post-match recovery.

Pre-match nutrition

Meal timings and volume of food consumed in any pre-match nutrition will largely be affected by kick off time. For example, an early kick off (e.g., between 10am and 1pm) will likely mean that only one meal can be consumed before the match starts, whereas a later afternoon or evening kick off (after 3pm) could mean that athletes have been able to consume more meals and snacks, affording higher levels of energy and nutritional preparedness.

As we have already stated, MD-1 nutrition is the most important focus for carbohydrate-based foods because this loading allows athletes to maximise their glycogen stores overnight. Overnight, usage is most likely to be affected by the brain’s use of blood glucose, which typically requires a around 6 g of glucose per hour (~48g of glucose for an 8-hour sleep). Given that most blood glucose used by the brain originates from liver stores of glycogen, overnight usage of glucose to fuel brain activity can deplete up to 50% of the livers glycogen stores. When athletes wake up in the morning, they are likely to have 50% of the liver glycogen that they had the night before. This means that any pre-match nutrition strategy will also will need to focus on topping up glycogen stores to account for the overnight loss, but this needs to be achieved in the most comfortable way for the player (Gleeson, 2022). Avoiding large and heavy meals is a must!

Pre-match, it is generally recommended that athletes consume a pre-match meal approximately 3 hours before the match warm-up starts. This meal should contain:

• ~2 g/kg of body mass (~140 g for a 70 kg player) of carbohydrates (e.g., pasta, potato, white bread).
• ~0.4 g/kg of body mass (~30 g for a 70 kg player) of easy to digest protein (e.g., chicken breast).
• Very little fat or fibre, as these will slow digestion which can cause stitches and bloating during the match.

(adapted from Collins et al, 2021; Gleeson, 2022).

In addition to the carbohydrate requirements on match day, it is essential that players maintain their hydration levels. Hypohydration, also known as dehydration, occurs when the body has less water/fluids than it requires. This has been associated with a number of negative physiological outcomes, including, reduced muscle force production, increased body temperature, greater perceived effort (exercise task feels harder than it should) (James et al, 2019). All of which can negatively impact performance. For these reasons, nutrition support during the pre-match period should involve the regular consumption of fluid, especially those containing modest amounts of electrolytes because this will help to increase water retention and reduce water loss. Carbohydrate and electrolyte sports drinks (e.g., Lucozade sport, Gatorade) are an incredibly helpful tool for sports nutritionists during the pre-match window because it combines 2 performance objectives and indicators into a single strategy (i.e., meeting both carbohydrate and hydration requirements).

In-game nutrition

Providing nutrition support during the match is itself difficult because the available windows for athletes to consume any food or drink is limited  (e.g., after the warm-up, just before kick-off, during half-time, during stoppages for injuries or substitutions, etc). While problematic, this does not make in-game nutrition any less of a priority.

As previously discussed, carbohydrates are critical for energy production during any football match and therefore any opportunity to consume carbohydrates during the game  (effectively replacing what has been used) should be encouraged.

Broadly speaking, it is recommended that players consume 30-60g of carbohydrates (regardless of body mass) throughout the match (Collins et al, 2021; Gleeson, 2022). Carbohydrate sources should be fast releasing forms, such as sweets (e.g., jelly babies), gels, and/or sports drinks, because this will ensure that the muscles get the required fuel (glucose for storage as glycogen) as quickly as is possible.

Dehydration is always a threat to athletic performance and this is an ever-looming threat in football also. Water (with electrolytes) and sports drinks should also be consumed as frequently as is possible and comfortable for athletes, to maximise rehydration but also to promote glycogen storage. Remember than the body cannot store glucose and glycogen without water.

Interestingly, the average high-level football player will lose between 1-3 L of fluids through respiration and perspiration (sweat), and these fluids (and electrolytes) must be replaced to restore optimal physiological performance. Therefore, it is basically impossible to avoid dehydration during a high-level football match because it is impractical to consume this quantity of fluid, and there are few athletes that would be able to tolerate this in such a short space of time without experiencing bloating and stitches (Gleeson, 2022).

Post-match recovery

Following a match, athletes should be provided with appropriate foods as soon as possible in order to start the refuelling and recovery processes. Certainly, in the professional game, and especially when teams are involved in multiple competitions (e.g., Premier League, Champions League), there may only be 2-3 days before the next match, so time really is of the essence.

Given the intensity of football and the energetic deficit that is likely to have occurred (e.g., calories burned), the precise composition of foods and macronutrients is less of a focus than pre-match nutrition. In the professional game, this tends to be where athletes allow themselves to consume more unhealth/comfort foods (e.g., pizza, burgers, chips, desert, etc) (Gleeson, 2022), although focus should return to healthy and nutritious foods once matchday has passed.

Generally speaking, post-match nutrition strategies focus on:

• Restoring muscle glycogen in the muscles and liver because players may have used up to 60% of their stores during the match.
• Consuming high-quality quality protein (e.g., fresh fish, chicken, turkey, quinoa) to help with the restoration of microtrauma caused in the muscles).
• Rehydration strategies – any fluids are generally fine as long as water is consumed also, although it is best to avoid alcohol or only having small amounts as this will make hypohydration worse.

(Collins et al, 2021; Gleeson, 2022)

If you like this article and you are interested in learning more about nutritional strategies to support sport and exercise performance, why not take a look at our Level 4 sports nutrition coaching course.

References and recommended reading

Bangbo, J. (2014). Physiological Demands of Football.

Collins, J., Maughan, R. J., Gleeson, M., Bilsborough, J., Jeukendrup, A., Morton, J. P., Phillips, S. M., Armstrong, L., Burke, L. M., Close, G. L., Duffield, R., Larson-Meyer, E., Louis, J., Medina, D., Meyer, F., Rollo, I., Sundgot-Borgen, J., Wall, B. T., Boullosa, B., … McCall, A. (2021). UEFA expert group statement on nutrition in elite football. Current evidence to inform practical recommendations and guide future research. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 55(8), 416–416.

Gleeson, M. (2022). Nutrition for Top Performance in Football: Eat like the Pros and Take Your Game to the Next Level. Meyer & Meyer Sport.

James, L. J., Funnell, M. P., James, R. M., Mears, S. A. (2019). Does Hypohydration Really Impair Endurance Performance? Methodological Considerations for Interpreting Hydration Research. Sports Medicine, 49(2), 103-114.

Mujika, I., & Burke, L. M. (2010). Nutrition in Team Sports. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 57(Suppl. 2), 26–35.

Author

Dr Chris Green

Dr Chris Green

Doctor Chris Green has a PhD from Loughborough University and has conducted extensive research across multiple disciplines relating to exercise physiology and nutrition. He also has a BSc (hons) in Sport and Exercise Science and an MSc (hons) in Exercise Physiology, both of which were completed at Loughborough University. Professionally, Chris provides sports science and strength and conditioning support to a range of athletes, especially in professional football. He is particularly interested in the nutritional and physiological demands of team sports, but he also has considerable interest and experience with researching gut microbiome metabolites.