Abstract
Soccer is a high intensity intermittent sport, featuring critical events completed at high/maximal intensity which is superimposed onto an aerobic base of lower intensity activities and rest. Due to these varying energic demands and the duration of competition the need for optimal nutritional strategies to offset and delay fatigue are paramount. Over the last 50 years, several investigations have been reported on aspects of soccer be they nutrition-focused or those concerning the demands of the sport. Emanating from these scientific papers, observations have been made on the likely factors which result in the fatigue during match-play. Factors such as muscle glycogen depletion and hypoglycaemia are discussed. Studies on the energy demands of soccer have employed a variety of methodologies which are briefly reviewed and vary between the use of heart rate telemetry to the use of global positioning systems (GPS). Moving on from observations of the energy demands of the sport leads to the major focus of this review which highlights key nutritional strategies to support the preparation and recovery of male soccer players to enhance performance, or at least to enable players to perform adequately. This review examines relevant methodologies in assessing training and competitive energy costs as well as the concomitant energy intakes demanded for successful performance outcomes. In order to bring an applied aspect to the overall findings from areas discussed, some practical ideas of feeding strategies are presented.
Highlights
Soccer is a highly demanding intermittent sport that involves fluctuations between low and high intensity activities [1]
The most common method of energy intake (EI) assessment is the use of a recorded food diary, which is typically employed for a period of 3–14 consecutive days in order to gain an insight into a soccer players typical dietary pattern [64]
The dietary habits of a soccer player need to meet the demands of the training and preparation for matchday as well as a full recovery
Summary
Soccer is a highly demanding intermittent sport that involves fluctuations between low and high intensity activities [1]. Soccer places significant demand on both the aerobic and anaerobic systems in order to perform at the highest level [11]. High intensity activities in soccer, such as accelerations and jumping, require use of energy from the anaerobic systems [15]. These high intensity actions often lead to crucial moments of match-play, such as straight-line sprinting within goal scoring situations [16], and result in elevated levels of lactic acid which are typically 2–12 mM during soccer matches [17], it should be noted that these values are highly influenced by the preceding five minutes of activity. Exploration of the energy expenditure as well as the metabolic changes that take place during training and matches is examined before attention is given to the nutritional needs of players
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