There was a time when professional footballers would eat and drink pretty much whatever they wanted. Some players would regularly choose steak chips and peas or an English breakfast for their pre match meal and would consume excessive amounts of alcohol during an evening.
Nowadays football is a multi billion pound industry and players know they have to look after themselves and eat sensibly. All athletes have nutritional requirements that need to be met and in this respect the diet of a professional football player is no different.
Football is a physically demanding sport that requires lots of energy. A large number of calories will be needed to meet this demand with lots of carbohydrates in the form of fruit and vegetables. Clean sources of protein are also included such as chicken and fish which are low in fat. Football players can easily consume around 4,000 calories a day.
One aspect of a football player's diet that is often overlooked is the need for proper hydration. Drinking plenty of water is absolutely essential for numerous reasons. A large quantity of fluid is lost by sweating during training. It is recommended that between three and six litres of water a day is consumed to keep the body fully hydrated.
The foods to avoid are any kind of fast food which tends to be high in fat content and low in nutritional value as well as dairy products and foods containing excessive amounts of sugar and salt. Alcohol should only be consumed in moderation and never the night before a match or immediately after a game when the body is severely dehydrated.
Football clubs analyze every detail of a footballer's lifestyle in an attempt to increase performance and gain even the smallest advantage over the opposition. The diet of a professional football player will also come under scrutiny. Most managers recognize that the scientific approach to diet and nutrition can pay dividends and lead to optimum levels of match fitness.
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