SOCCER PLAYERS SHOULD EAT AND DRINK LIKE MARATHON RUNNERS!
May 6, 2007 — planetultramarathonSOCCER PLAYERS SHOULD EAT AND DRINK LIKE MARATHON RUNNERS!
Posted by Tony Mangan.
Nutrition for soccer players: By Owen Anderson. Posted on:
www.marathonturk.com
How soccer players can overcome the second-half slump.
Although soccer is the most popular sport in the world, with over 120
million amateur players worldwide, scientific research concerning the
nutritional needs of soccer players has been scant. Fortunately, new
investigations are being conducted, and the up-to-date research suggests
that soccer players should eat and drink like marathon runners!
The link between soccer players and long-distance endurance athletes seems
odd at first glance, since soccer is a game involving sudden sprints and
bursts of energy rather than continuous moderate-intensity running, but the
connection doesn’t seem so extraordinary when one considers what happens
during an actual soccer match. In a typical contest, soccer players run for
a total of 10-11 kilometres at fairly modest speed, sprint for about
800-1200 metres, accelerate 40-60 different times, and change direction
every five seconds or so.
Although soccer players don’t cover a full marathon distance (42 kilometres)
during a game, the alternating fast and slow running which they utilize can
easily deplete their leg-muscle glycogen stores. For example, just six
seconds of all-out sprinting can trim muscle glycogen by 15 per cent, and
only 30 seconds of upscale running can reduce glycogen concentrations by 30
per cent! The high average intensity of soccer play (studies show that
topnotch players spend over two-thirds of a typical match at 85 per cent of
maximal heart rate) accelerates glycogen depletion. Plus, the time duration
of a soccer match, 90 minutes, is more than enough to empty leg muscles of
most of their glycogen. In fact, research has shown that soccer players
sometimes deplete 90 per cent of their muscle glycogen during a match, more
than enough to heighten fatigue and dramatically reduce running speeds.
They’re half-starved!
Unfortunately, many soccer players don’t seem to be aware of the importance
of dietary carbohydrate. Studies show that large numbers of players eat only
1200 calories of carbohydrate per day, far below the optimal level of
2400-3000 carbohydrate calories. As a result, many players BEGIN their
competitions with glycogen levels which are sub-par. Players who start a
match with low glycogen usually have little carbohydrate left in their
muscles by the time the second half starts.
That leads to bad performances during the second half. Glycogen-poor soccer
players usually run more slowly - sometimes by as much as 50 percent -
during the second halves of matches, compared to the first. In addition,
total distance covered during the second half is often reduced by 25 per
cent or more in players who have low glycogen, indicating that overall
quality of play deteriorates as glycogen levels head south. Compared to
competitors with normal glycogen, low-glycogen players spend more time
walking and less time sprinting as play proceeds.
That’s why taking in carbohydrate DURING competition can pay big dividends.
In recent research carried out with an English soccer team, players consumed
a glucose-containing sports drink during 10 of their matches but swallowed
only an artificially flavoured, coloured-water placebo during 10 other
competitions. When the players used the glucose drink, the team allowed
fewer goals and scored significantly more times, especially in the second
half. When the placebo was ingested, players were less active and reduced
their contacts with the ball by 20-50 per cent during the final 30 minutes
of their games. A separate study showed that swilling a glucose solution
before games and at half-times led to a 30-per cent increase in the amount
of distance covered at high speed during the second half of a match.
However, just sipping a sports drink at random before matches and at
half-time probably won’t do much good, because soccer players must be sure
they take in ENOUGH carbohydrate to really make a difference to their
muscles. An excellent strategy is to drink about 12-14 ounces of sports
drink, which usually provides about 30 grams of carbohydrate, 10-15 minutes
before a match begins. The same amount should be consumed at half-time,
although players may rebel at both intake patterns because of perceptions of
stomach fullness. The important thing to remember is that through experience
- trying out these drinking strategies on several different occasions during
practices - the intake plans will gradually become comfortable and they will
help reduce the risk of carbohydrate depletion.
Tapering is important, too
Soccer players should also eat a small meal containing at least 600 calories
of carbohydrate about two hours before competition. 600 calories is the
approximate amount of carbohydrate in three bananas and four slices of bread
(eaten together).Players should also try to ‘taper’ for a few days before
matches, reducing their intensity and quantity of training in order to avoid
carbohydrate depletion. During the taper and during all periods of heavy
training, soccer players should attempt to ingest 9-10 grams of carbohydrate
per kilogram of body weight ( 16-18 calories per pound of body weight) each
day. ‘Grazing’ - eating two to four daily high-carbohydrate snacks in
addition to three regular meals - can help players carry out this high-carbo
plan successfully.However, carbohydrate is not the only nutritional concern
for soccer players. Fluid intake is also critically important. Various
studies have shown that soccer players lose - through their sweat glands -
from two to five litres of fluid per game. Even the lower figure could raise
heart rate and body temperature during a match and might reduce running
performance by about 4-5 per cent for a typical player. Fortunately, the
sports-drink-intake plan described above - coupled with sips of sports drink
during injury time-outs - can help to reduce the impact of
dehydration.Although water and carbohydrate must be taken onboard, soccer
players don’t need to worry about replacing electrolytes during play. Sweat
is a dilute fluid with low concentrations of electrolytes, and most players
can obtain enough electrolytes - including salt - from their normal diets.
However, the presence of salt in a sports drink can enhance the absorption
of water and glucose.Most commercial drinks have about the right
concentration of sodium; if you’re making your own beverage, you should be
sure to mix about one-third tea spoon of salt and five to six tablespoons of
sugar with each quart of water that you’re going to be using. After all
matches, players should attempt to ingest enough carbohydrate-containing
sports drink to replace all the fluid they’ve lost during competition. After
strenuous workouts, water should also be replaced, and soccer athletes need
to eat at least 500 calories of carbohydrate during the two hours following
practice in order to maximize their rates of glycogen
storage.(’Carbohydrate, Fluid, and Electrolyte Requirements of the Soccer
Player: A Review,’ International Journal of Sport Nutrition, vol. 4, pp.
221-236,1994)
Owen Anderson
www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0343.htm
