Racing Blythe F.C

Player Information Number 2

A young Footballers diet

A young Footballers diet should be based around high carbohydrate foods, where 60% of the total energy intake should be from carbohydrate sources, between 12-15% from protein, and 25-30% from fat. The carbohydrate intake should be modified if a player is injured or ill, to around 50% of total energy intake. Young footballers who are training regularly should have a daily target of 8-10g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight (e.g. player with 40kg of body weight = 40 x 8g = 320 g per day.

A diet that is high in carbohydrate and fluids, moderate in protein and low in fat will give athletes enough calories and nutrients to grow, train, and compete. Below are some suggestions of recommended meals, snacks, and foods to avoid before, during, and after games.

Pre-Match

Recommended Water (Note 1) Moderate portions Bread Rolls Bananas Fruit juice Muffins Sports drinks	Not Recommended High fat foods High protein foods Sweets Chocolate bars/ Doughnuts Hot Dogs Chips/fries Crisps Fizzy or carbonated drinks

Note 1 Guidelines for water
All footballers should drink water before, during, and after exercise.
Before exercise: Drink ¼ Litre (10-14 oz) cold water 1-2 hours before game. Drink ¼ Litre of cold water 10-15 min. before activity.
During exercise: Drink small amounts of cold water every 15 minutes.
After exercise: Drink as much cold water as needed to quench thirst.
N.B. - Thirst does not indicate when an athlete needs to re-hydrate, if an athlete is thirsty then they are already de-hydrated, the trick is to monitor your consumption to avoid dehydration and thirst.

Breakfast

Recommended Cereal (without sugar) Bread Rolls Waffles Muffins Skimmed Milk Fruit Juice Water Oatmeal Wholemeal Bread

Not Recommended Bacon Sausage Toast with egg or cheese Whole milk Pop Tarts Fizzy or Carbonated drinks Croissants Lots of butter or margarine

Lunch

Recommended Baked potato & chilli Bread Rolls Vegetables Salads Yogurt/Milk Shake (skimmed or low fat) Pasta (careful of high fat sauces) Cheese pizza Lean ham Turkey/Chicken sandwich (brown or wholemeal bread) Fruit

Not Recommended Burgers Chips/fries Apple pies Fried fish Fried chicken Meat pizza Fizzy or carbonated drinks Mashed potato & gravy Lots of butter or margarine Biscuits Hot dogs Mayo and cheese

Note: The night before a match the boys should try and get a good night’s sleep

Mike McGough

Team Manager

Racing Blythe F.C

e-mail: mike.mcgough@blueyonder.co.uk