What should a footballer eat after a game?
Eating carbohydrate rich foods as soon as possible after the game will help you recover more quickly.
Opt for snacks, such as:
- Sandwich with low fat cheese, beef, chicken, tuna, boiled egg, or peanut butter
- Bananas
- Bowl of high fiber cereal
- Natural yoghurt
- Fresh fruit
- Dried fruit
- Granola bars
- Fig rolls
- Sports drink
- Fruit smoothies
Check out the FSA website for menu plan suggestions for training day and match day events.
Away matches
Team commitments often require traveling away from home, and it can be very challenging to eat well at such times.
So, it’s a good idea to be prepared with healthy snacks and drinks, rather than relying on what’s available at service stations, fast food restaurants, and airports.
Suitable snacks for traveling
Similar to above, suitable snacks may include:
- Sandwiches (chicken, ham, beef, tuna, banana, peanut butter)
- Oatcakes
- Natural yogurt
- Fresh fruit
- Dried fruit
- Unsalted mixed nuts
Fluid requirements
Losing fluid is the body’s way of controlling temperature during high exertion. However it’s important that it is quickly replaced, as dehydration can effect endurance, strength, reaction times and concentration.
Suitable options are water or sports drinks (which have the benefit of offering glucose, sucrose and salt.)
- 1 hour before: drink at least 500ml (approximately 1 pint).
- 15 minutes before: drink 200ml (a glass).
- During: drink 150ml every 15-20 minutes, if possible.
- After: For every 1kg of weight lost, you should drink 1.5 litres of fluid. (You can monitor your sweat loss by weighing yourself before and after training and matches.)
Remember, thirst is not a good indicator of your fluid needs since you are already dehydrated by the time thirst signals.
Signs of dehydration include fatigue, headaches, and lethargy.
You will also know if you are adequately replacing sweat losses by checking the colour and quantity of your urine.
- Very dark: you need to drink more fluids. Drink 500ml of water immediately, and continue until urine is pale yellow again.
- Pale yellow: normal water balance.
It is also advisable to avoid drinking any alcohol immediately following training and matches. Excess alcohol can cause dehydration, and will take your body longer to recover its normal hydration levels.
For further information check out:
Please note, I am not a sports dietitian, this advice is intended to be a guide only. For advice relating to your individual sporting needs, please contact a Registered Sports Dietitian.
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{ 39 comments… read them below or add one }
I think this is good information for anyone who is physically active through exercise or sports. Good nutrition is key when it comes to maximizing athletic performance, or effectiveness when exercising.
Hi Tom,
Yes, you are absolutely right, it’s pretty general info and could definitely apply to other sports.
Hey Guys! That is very valuable information. Any person who is involved in different sports cannot perform in the field without maintaining his or her calories. Healthy diets are the best way to get the required energy. I know a latest and nutrient rich diet that is especially made for you. Try ‘Lunch Box Diet’ and tell me about the results!
Hi Adam,
Thanks for linking to the Lunch Box Diet, I hadn’t heard of it before. Are you connected with the site? It seems to me that it’s more like healthy eating advice than a “diet” as such, would you agree?
this is very helpful, although i was wondering, is there anyother information and help in order to get/stay in shape, gain weight, or gain muscle mass for football?
Hi Austin,
I’ve recently written a post about sudden cardiac deaths in young athletes over at Health Central, which said:
“A study published in the American Journal of Cardiology (2008) found that ‘bulking up’ by athletes playing sports, such as American football, might lead to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
The study showed a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome, an established cardiovascular risk factor, among retired NFL linemen, with around 60% of linemen having metabolic syndrome, compared with 30% of those playing other positions.”
Therefore, athletes should be aware of the potential long-term health consequences of ‘bulking up’ and are discouraged from achieving unhealthy body weights.
thanks for the diet ino. i really appreciated the snack tips as well as the post and pre event meals to help increase performance and recovery.
4:3 Defense’s last blog post..Madden Demo A 12 Day Teaser
4:3 Defense,
Glad you found the articles to be useful. Do you have any tips of your own you’d like to share with us?
a 4-3 defense is 4 linemen, 3 linebackers and 2 safeties, 2 cornerbacks. it’s mostly a pass stop defense. it has a few blitzes for the linebackers to make them happy.
hey thanks for the diet, i’ll make sure not to miss place this diet.
Hi AJ,
Hope the diet tips are useful!
What are some smothie recipes for football players in their training phase or recovery phase?
Hi Denise,
Perhaps something like this:
1 banana
1 cup mango pieces
1/2 cup low-fat plain yoghurt
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp flaxseed oil
Or
1 cup milk
1 cup low-fat plain yoghurt
2 ripe avocados – de stoned
1 tsp honey
1/2 cup chopped dates (optional)
Hi Melanie,
Thanks for getting back to me about the smoothies. I have a couple of other questions;
Would you put any nutritional supplements or vitamins in the smoothie?
How is this better suited to football than any other sport?
Thanks,
Denise
hi there,
look guys i need some help, i need a detalted diet program that can give me more mass and at the same time shape me good , i’m a smi pro football player and my current form in fittness is great but i need to be better my height is 198cm and weight 73kg…. so what shoud i do and what should i eat ,,, thanks so much for your help
hayder
thanks
No problem!
Hi Denise,
Few nutritional supplements are supported by sound scientific research, and supplements can never compensate for poor food choices or an inadequate diet. So, it’s best to eat well, rather than use supplements.
Regarding protein although it’s essential for muscle growth and repair, you can easily get enough from your everyday diet.
The other problem with some nutritional supplements is that they may lead to a positive doping test. So, it’s a good idea to check all supplements with your doctor, and if you’re in any doubt whatsoever, I’d advise avoidance.
I’m not sure what you mean in your other question, “How is this better suited to football than any other sport?”
Hayder,
The article gives some detail for a football players diet.
In terms of bulking up, I’d suggest you read this article on sudden cardiac death in athletes, there are potential long-term health consequences of ‘bulking up.’
excellent nutrition requirments it works for me im scoring like mad at sunderland with 9 goals so far this season so i advise other people use this to keep on a healthy diet
Hey waz up my name is justin and I play american football.
I was just wondering what kinda meals healthy meals should I eat that will not decrease my weight?
Hi Justin,
Thanks for your question.
Just like I said in the post, the diet for football players should be high in energy, try to eat three meals, with regular snacks, it should also be high in carbohydrate rich foods, include moderate amounts of protein, and at least 5 servings of fruit & vegetables each day.
Can you go into detail about rich food and snacks? Because my snacks are chips donuts etc….
Hi Justin,
You could check out my balanced nutrition series for an overview on what a healthy diet is:
http://www.dietriffic.com/2007/04/28/balanced-nutrition-series-a-summary-2/
Good snacks include:
- Sandwich with low fat cheese, beef, chicken, tuna, boiled egg, or jam and peanut butter
- Bananas
- Fruit muffins, or pancakes
- Bowl of cereal with low fat milk
- Low fat yoghurt
- Fresh fruit
- Dried fruit
- Low fat cereal bar
For more healthy snack ideas check out:
http://www.dietriffic.com/2007/06/17/healthy-snack-ideas/
http://www.dietriffic.com/2008/09/12/25-healthy-snack-ideas/
“# 1 hour before: drink at least 500ml (approximately 1 pint).
# 15 minutes before: drink 200ml (a glass)”
I drink about a litre, but the problem is I ALWAYS need to pee…….and the toilet/changing rooms always seem to be quite far from the pitch.
I’m not a footballer but I really love the tips given. Thanks for sharing with all of us.
You’re welcome!
Some good tips and info on diet and nutrition for footballers. Just popping by to share some info with you all from a professional trainer”s perspective…Footballers may benefit from fast absorbing/high G.I. carbs from simple sugars such as Glucose after a football match, combined with a fast absorbing protein that we BodyBuilders use, Whey Protein, combined this will combat Catabolism (the breakdown of precious muscle tissue) faster than any meal can ever provide. This will also increase their strength and muscle recovery helping them to stay strong for their next match or training session. All the best guys!
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Thanks for your comment, Silo.
Not only football players, these are the important things that should be learn by other sports player too.
.-= Binaraga´s last blog ..Perlunya Variasi =-.
You are right, thank you.
Your tips are very useful Melanie. Gonna try right after this. Thanks.
.-= Roy´s last blog ..When to take action =-.
Hi Roy,
Let me know how you get on
This is very helpful for me. I am a soccer player. I am going to apply these tips to be a better player. Thank you so much.
You’re welcome.
It is really a nice and helpful piece of info. I am glad that you shared this useful info with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you
Magnificent web site. Lots of useful information here. I’m sending it to a few friends ans also sharing in delicious. And of course, thanks for your effort!
Thank you so much, I really appreciate you sharing this website.
Hi,
Im just wondering why should footbellers eat very little fried food? It would be great to know this as my brother wants to go on a diet
Thanks
Hi Roisin,
None of us should be eating a lot of fried foods. It’s just basic healthy eating advice, and applies to us all. Fried foods contain trans fats, these are the worst kind of fat, and are a major contributor to heart disease.