Nutrition & Recovery During Congested Periods
1. REFUELING (POST MATCH) & PRE-LOADING (PRE-MATCH)
Schedule 3-4 main meals and regular carbohydrate snacking spaced out throughout the day to consume roughly 6-10g/kg of body mass of carbs.
- Grains (quinoa, pasta, rice, noodles, couscous)
- Starchy vegetables (potatoes), Legumes (beans and lentils), Fruits
- Cereals (porridge, muesli)
- Convenient food after match: sweet potato wedges, chicken coated in breadcrumbs, and chicken burritos
2. MAINTENANCE OF REPAIR & ADAPTION
1.5-2g/kg body weight per day of proteins should be sufficient to fully repair damaged muscle and stimulate soccer specific adaptation. Meals and snacks should be divided into 6×20-25g protein servings over the day, interspersed by roughly 3h to fully maximise protein synthesis rates. Protein sources containing 10 g protein:
- 40 g of cooked chicken, lean beef, lamb or pork
- 300 ml milk
- 2 small eggs
- 30 g of reduced fat cheese
- 120 g tofu or soy meat
- 50 g canned tuna or salmon or grilled fish
3. REHYDRATION
Start as soon as exercise finishes. 1 kg weight lost = 1.5l of fluid required (aim to replace the volume lost within 2-4 h post exercise over regular time period).
Sports drinks containing electrolytes and carbohy- drates:
- Milk based drinks
- Fruit juices
- Cola drinks, team and coffee could provide a valuable source of fluid and should not be totally avoided
- Only have water if salty snacks are consumed at the same time
4. REDUCE MUSCLE SORENESS
Muscles can be eased in a lot of different ways — foam rolling, cooling down with the right stretches, etc. — but there are certain foods that can not only relieve your soreness, but help your muscles recover more quickly, too:
- Chia seeds
- Ginger
- Pineapple
- Coconut water
- Eggs
- Nuts
- Salmon
- Sweet potatoes