Nutrition for Peak Performance:
What Youth Soccer Players Need to Know
The information in this
document came from a nutrition session presented by
Heather Fink, M.S., R.D. of
the National Institute for Fitness and Sport.
Why is Nutrition Important for Sports?
Ø
To supply the right
amount of nutrients and energy for workouts & competition
Ø Helps prevent fatigue and injury
Ø Decrease recovery time between workouts
Ø Planning for meals= planning for training/competition
Ø Healthy eating increases energy
Ø Healthy eating helps maintain healthy weight
Ø Healthy eating helps prevent disease
Healthy Eating Guidelines
Ø
Plan ahead
Ø Eat at regular intervals
Ø Consume lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains
Ø Decrease total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol in diet
Ø Drink plenty of fluid
When is Nutrition Important?
Ø Hydration – before, during and after training/competition is critical
Ø Pre-game nutrition – prepare your body for training/competition
Ø Post game recovery – help your body recover more quickly for the next training/competition
Ø Tournaments – require careful planning and nutrition in order to be able to endure the weekend
Hydration
Hydration Is Critical To Performance
Ø
Dehydration is the #1
cause of decreased performance
Ø
Loss of 2% body weight
can decrease performance by 10-20%
Ø
Children have poor
thermoreregulation
Ø
Proper hydration is key
to preventing heat illnesses
Ø
Drink regularly
throughout the day
Ø
Hydrate by drinking 2-3
cups of fluid two hours prior to workout/game
Ø
Hydrate by drinking 1
cup of fluid 10-20 minutes prior to game time
Ø
Consume ½–1 cup of fluid
every 10-20 minutes during exercise
Ø
Cold fluids are better
for the body
How much fluid do soccer players need?
Ø
Depends on your sweat
rate
Ø
Weigh yourself before
and after workouts
Ø
Keep track of heat,
humidity, time of day, length of the workout, and the amount of fluid consumed
Ø
Too much hydration
(especially water) can be bad by causing too low of a sodium level
(Hyponutremia)
Ø
Too little does not replace
keep electrolytes up
Ø
Re-hydrate with 2-3 cups
of fluid for every pound of body weight lost during exercise
Choose the right Beverage
Ø
Water can be appropriate
for shorter workouts
Ø
Sports Drinks for
activity longer than 60 – 90 min
Ø
Absolutely NO caffeine
Ø
Cool drinks help your
body better than room temperature drinks
Ø
Sports drinks are
better!
Ø
Gatorade is best for
replacing electrolytes and nutrients
Ø
Drinks should contain
Carbohydrates- Approximately 60-70 grams of carbohydrates per hour, dependent on
sweat rate (36-40 oz sports beverage)
Ø
Drinks should contain
Sodium- Approximately 200-1000 mg of sodium per hour, dependent on sweat rate
(36-40 oz. sports drink)
Pre-Game Nutrition
Nutrition for Pre-workout/Game
Ø
LOW in fat
Ø
LOW in simple sugars
Ø
MODERATE TO HIGH in
complex carbohydrates
Ø
Maintain carbohydrates
on a regular basis, don’t carbo-load
Ø
MODERATE amounts of
protein
Ø
FAMILIAR foods
Ø
LOTS of fluids
Ø
Allow 3-4 hours before
game time if consuming a large meal
Ø
Allow 2-3 hours before
game time if consuming a small meal
Ø
Allow 1-2 hours before
game time if consuming a liquid meal
Ø
Less than 1 hour only
leaves time for a small snack
Ø
Aim for 3 different food
groups in your pre-game meal!
Ø
Nothing new on game days
Pre-Workout/Game Meal Examples
Breakfast
Ø
1 cup oatmeal
Ø
1 cup. skim milk
Ø
1 banana
Ø
1 cup orange juice
Ø
Plenty of water
Lunch/Dinner
Ø
2 slices whole wheat
bread
Ø
3 oz. turkey
Ø
1-2 servings of fruit
Ø
1 cup skim milk
Ø
Plenty of water
Snack Ideas
Ø
Celery stalks with
peanut butter and raisins
Ø
Graham crackers and
granola bars
Ø
Fruit, milk, yogurt
smoothies
Ø
Raw veggies with yogurt
dip
Ø
Bagels with cream cheese
Ø
Fresh or dried fruit
Ø
Trail mix
Post-Game Recovery
Nutrition for Optimal Post Game Recovery
Ø
Recovery nutrition
restores fluids
Ø
Recovery nutrition
replenishes energy
Ø
Recovery nutrition
repairs tissues
Ø
Recovery nutrition
increases performance
Ø
Recovery nutrition
improves overall health
Ø
Recovery nutrition
yields shortened recovery time
Ø
Your body needs to
replace Carbohydrates, Protein, Fluids and Electrolytes
Ø
The sooner, The Better
on consuming recovery nutrition
Ø
Recovery nutrition
should be consumed within 15-30 minutes after competition
Ø
A large bagel with
peanut butter is one example of a good recovery snack
Ø
A banana and yogurt is
another example of a good recovery snack
Carbohydrates for Recovery
Ø
Replenish muscles
glycogen stores with carbohydrate:
Ø
Consume .5 grams of
carbohydrates per pound of body weight within the first two hours and again
following two hours.
Protein for Recovery
Ø
Amino acids are needed
to help stimulate protein synthesis to repair tissues
Ø
Consume 6-20 grams of
protein within 15 minutes
Ø
Aim to consume a
complete meal within 1-2 hours of exercise
Ø
Don’t forget to include
three different food groups in the meal
Ø
Meat, dairy, eggs, nuts,
seeds, and soy will provide protein
Replacing Lost Electrolytes with Sodium and
potassium
Ø
Replace Potassium with
bananas, oranges, potatoes or milk
Ø
Replace Sodium with pretzels,
lunchmeats, cheeses or soups
Fluids for Recovery
Ø
After training, drink
2-3 cups of fluid for every pound of body weight lost through sweat
Ø
Recovery drinks must not
be water or soft drinks
Ø
Replace fluids lost in
sweat by drinking sports drinks, juices, milk or eating watery foods such as
soups, grapes, oranges, vegetables, etc.
Ø
IU found that recovery
in swimmers performing 2-a-day practices improved dramatically after consuming
12-16 oz. of chocolate milk within 30 minutes after morning workouts.
Juice is Ideal for Recovery
Ø
Juice (Per one cup) Sports Drink (Per one cup)
Ø
30 grams
carbohydrates 10 grams carbohydrates
Ø
475 mg. Potassium 25-50 mg. Potassium
Ø
Ideal for AFTER
exercise
Ideal for DURING
exercise
Tournament Nutrition
How much Should you Pack in Your Cooler
Ø
Depends on the number of
games and time in between games
Ø
Lots of water and sports
drinks
Ø
Some light snacks
Ø
Sandwich and fruit if
tournament runs through lunch
Ø
Liquid meals can that
can be digested easily
Pack Food for Travel All-Day Tournaments
Ø
Peanut Butter
sandwiches
Ø
Pre-cut veggies
Ø
Whole fruit or dried
fruit
Ø
Pudding
Ø
Granola Bars
Ø
Trail Mixes
Ø
Pretzels
Ø
Water/Sports Drink
Dining out the Healthy Way
Fast food Restaurants
Ø
Balance high fat items
with low fat items–bring along your own sides
Ø
Choose water, low-fat
milk, or iced tea to drink
Ø
Limit high fat topping
such as salad dressings, sauces and cheese
Ø
Avoid Super-Sizing
Casual/Formal Dining
Ø
In general, look for
dishes with:
Ø
More vegetables lean
protein (chicken, fish, beans)
Ø
Moderate portions of
starches (small baked potatoes, steamed rice, pasta, bread)
Ø
Milk, juice, or water to
drink
Points to Remember
Ø
A nutrition plan should
be individualized
Ø
Different strokes for
different folks- try various foods/products
Ø
Consider nutrition
training equal to physical training
Ø
STICK to the plan set
for you!!
Ø
Do NOT try anything new
on game day!
Ø
Enjoy your food and feed
your body right