Fuelling and recovering a world cup footballer during a tournament period

Fuelling and recovering a world cup footballer during a tournament period

Preparing for a world cup game

During a world cup tournament that can last up to a month with games every 4-5 days, the timing of nutrition is essential. In a football game, 60-70% of the energy used comes from carbohydrates, so in preparation for the game its essential to ensure that the glycogen stores are full before the game starts. On the day before a match (MD-1), carbohydrate intake should be 6–8g/kg of body mass (BM) to maximise glycogen strores (that is ~550g for a 75kg player).

Players should aim to have 5-6 feedings across the day, with meals rich in carbohydrates. Options could include pasta, rice and/or potato combined with vegetables and an easily digested protein options such as chicken breast, fish or omelettes. Players should also prioritise carbohydrate-rich fruits such as; bananas, grapes, melons, apples, dried fruits and incorporate carbohydrate rich snacks such as; oat bars, cereal bars, bagels, wraps, smoothies and pancakes between meals. Carbohydrate intake is the fuel source which will optimise performance. Aim to replicate a similar pattern on the day of a game at both breakfast and pre-match.

Example of a meal plan for MD -1

• Breakfast: 1 large bowl of porridge with milk and honey + 250 ml fruit juice drink + 1 banana + 2 bagels with a thick spread of jam
• During training: 500ml sports drink
• Snack/Immediately after training: Oat bars or/and fruit smoothie
• Lunch: ½ plate of rice + 1 medium salmon fillet + honey vinaigrette + salad (tomato, cucumbers, red peppers, leafy greens) + fruit smoothie + banana loaf
• Snack: 1 small yogurt pot with 3 handfuls of granola + 250 ml fruit juice
• Dinner: ½ plate of white pasta + tomato-basil sauce + fruit salad mixed with apple crumble
• Pre Bed: Large bowl of cereal with two slices of toast

During the game, the focus should be consuming carbohydrates to maintain carbohydrate stores and maintaining hydration. Depending on the kick-off time, breakfast or lunch (the pre match) respectively should be consumed no later than 3-4 hours before the first whistle. Also, during World Cup matches, 30-60 grams of carbohydrates from sources like the Energy Gels and sports drinks before kick-off and at halftime will increase performance.

Match day Recovery

Reducing the amount of time needed to recover after a competitive match is critical to ensuring a team can play at its best deep into the tournament. One crucial objective is to quickly refuel carbohydrate stores, rehydrate the lost sweat from a game and promote muscle recovery with protein sources. In the 24 hours after a game (MD +1), similarly to a md -1 the daily target for carbohydrate consumption 6-8g/kg bodyweight. During the tournament, this intake should be maintained for up to 48-72 hours after the match.

Meals and snacks should be timed every 3 hours across the day and its important to ingest 0.4g/kg/bw of protein (e.g 80kg athlete = 32g of protein) to optimise protein synthesis for repair and recovery. Protein examples could include recovery shakes, meats fish and dairy. Additionally, ingesting 30 to 60 g of casein protein before bed will further improve recovery as you sleep. Casein protein is a slow releasing protein and can be found in milk and other dairy products. Sources for approximately 30grams of casein are:

• 750ml of low-fat milk
• 300g of Greek yoghurt (two small yogurt pots)
• 1 300g pot of cottage cheese
• ~1.5 scoops of casein protein powder (subject to protein powder)

Furthermore, unsaturated fat intake should prioritised on a MD+1. Monounsaturated fats are found in foods like eggs, avocado, nuts, seeds and olive oil. Omega-3 Fatty Acids should be a focus as well including foods such as fresh salmon, tuna, halibut, walnuts, flax, chia seeds.

Example of a recovery day menu:

• Breakfast: 3-eggs omelette with peppers, onions, spinach tomato mixed within with a topper of smoked salmon, ½ avocado on two bagels with a half-grilled tomato + Fruit smoothie + Turmeric shot
• Snack: Skyr yogurt mixed with granola and strawberries
• Lunch: Chicken Burger with a side of five bean salad + oven baked sweet potato wedges + Fruit juice drink
• Snack (after training): Protein shake mixed with milk a banana almonds and berries + banana
• Dinner: 1/2 plate of pasta/or rice + pesto sauce + 1 chicken breast + mixed med vegatables + pancakes with honey and a berry compote
• Snack (before bed): 2 scoops of casein protein in 300ml low-fat milk alongside some cut up fruits e.g apple, melon, pineapple and oranges

Furthermore, throughout a MD +1 it’s important to include lots of different micronutrients, antioxidants and polyphenols. Ensure to consume 10 portions of fruits, vegetables and salads combined and “make the rainbow” by having a variety of colour to your plate of food. Having a variety of different colours in the fruits and vegetables will reduce the inflammation caused from the game and improve recovery. This will also support the immune system which may be weakened by intense exercise, especially if the game has gone into extra time.

Key considerations around training in the heat

With this year’s World Cup happening in a country with a hot climate, one challenge for players is the adaptation to heat. Even before going to Qatar, players should start heat acclimation training so their bodies are used to exercising in the high heat. Keeping well hydrated is important to optimise performance, prevent injury and also support the immune system. Checking urine colour is an effective way to monitor hydration status. The target is to always have clear or pale-yellow urine colour as this symbolises being hydrated, and having a darker colour urine represents dehydration. Hydration tablets retain the fluid drank and will replace lost electrolytes in the sweat. During the game, players can sweat up to 1-3 litres so they should

use every opportunity to hydrate. A decrease of as little as 2% in bodyweight can lead to a decrease in performance.

Preventing illness

The longer the team progresses into a tournament, the more prone the players will be to getting injured and/or ill. Key vitamins such as vitamin C, zinc, omega 3 and vitamin D will help improve the immune system as well as supporting the recovery of a player. Foods high in vitamin C include; Tomatoes, peppers, oranges, kale, broccoli, orange juice and the berries. These foods should be prioritised daily to support recovery and the immune system. Food high in zinc include; beef, seafood, nuts and seeds, beans and legumes. Food high in omega 3 include: salmon, fresh tuna, chia seeds, walnuts and rapeseed oil. Vitamin D comes from sunlight, therefore in quatar vitamin d will not be a problem, but in the winter months (oct-april) in the UK it’s important to supplement vitamin d to prevent deficiencies. Going out to quatar will top up vitamin d levels, but its important to go out into the world cup with adequate vitamin d levels in the blood to support the immune system.