The football calendar is packed with games, so a quick recovery time for a player's health is vital. But what role does diet play, and how does this change from player to player?
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00:00It takes true dedication for a footballer to play at maximum efficiency each week.
00:05There's always an intense training schedule, so staying fit and healthy is
00:10extremely important to stay matchday ready. Let's take a look at how crucial
00:15the diet of a football player is to their peak performance.
00:20Hello and welcome to Football Now from the Aspartar Hospital in Qatar.
00:32At the turn of the century there weren't many footballers who closely monitored
00:35what they were putting into their bodies, but in the modern game the importance of having
00:40the right diet to be in the optimum condition is imperative to their overall well-being.
00:45On this week's episode of the show we're taking a look at how nutrition has become
00:49an essential part of the game as well as getting an insight into the average diet of a footballer.
00:5820 years ago there was actually no sports nutrition. There was kind of like exercise
01:02physiology but there was no cover over sports nutrition and the first people that actually
01:07covered for example sports supplements for performance were laughed at at the beginning
01:11in the US. In the past there was a blanket approach for the players so they were giving
01:15them all the same food and the same guidelines. We changed from basic guidelines like that much
01:21carb or that much protein and then it became individualized based not only on the needs but
01:26also on the training load and on individual physiological needs and if a player has an
01:31injury for example. If an injured player is undergoing the last stage of rehabilitation
01:36our main focus would be to reduce the impact of muscle fatigue. So this is where we tend to
01:40increase their carbohydrate intake, increase their calories and make sure they're getting
01:44the proper recovery within the training schedule. With such an intense training schedule footballers
01:51often need between 500 and 1000 calories more per day than an average person. Calories in food are
01:58mainly carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Carbohydrates are the go-to energy source for intermittent
02:04sports like football. When we consume carbs they are turned into glucose which the body stores
02:10until we need to exert energy. Without a diet high in carbohydrates footballers can find
02:16themselves running on empty. Proteins like chicken, fish, eggs, red meat and soy products are essential
02:22to build and repair muscle. They're also crucial to regulating the body's metabolism and while fat
02:28is often seen as something that is bad for you, the right types of fat can contribute to a balanced
02:33and nutritious diet. Too much saturated fat can put players at risk of slowing down and hindering
02:39performance but moderation is key and an in-shape player should aim for roughly 20 to 25 percent of
02:45their diet to include fats. Good fats can be found in fatty fish, meat, dairy and avocado. So for a
02:53professional athlete or a professional footballer the difference is not just in macronutrients. We
02:58hear a lot talking about protein but actually it's not just about protein, it's about the amount of
03:04carbohydrates that they require and within football also within the playing position
03:08there are changes. So a goalkeeper does not cover the same distance as a striker for example. So in
03:14terms of carbohydrates they need more for the fueling and here also it comes with the timing
03:19of the meal that they have to take in order to perform that much of workload. So compared to an
03:25average person we deal with the macronutrients and the timings and also the amount of micronutrients
03:31they change because footballers have much more stress. So for example in a training camp they
03:36will require more antioxidants as well and that's the main difference. So it seems
03:42the dietary requirements of footballers can be pretty complex but at the end of the day they
03:47are still human beings. They still have allergies, cultural differences and foods they simply don't
03:52like. So we asked the footballer chef to explain how they tailor their menus to make sure everyone
03:58is catered for.
03:59Well we've heard from the experts but what do you think is the main reason why footballers
04:03are not catered for?
04:05I think the main reason is that footballers don't like the food that is served to them.
04:09They don't like the food that is served to them. They don't like the food that is served to them.
04:13They don't like the food that is served to them.
04:15They don't like the food that is served to them.
04:17They don't like the food that is served to them.
04:19They don't like the food that is served to them.
04:21They don't like the food that is served to them.
04:23They don't like the food that is served to them.
04:25They don't like the food that is served to them.
04:27Well we've heard from the experts but what about the players themselves?
04:29We spoke to our Arabian midfielder Marco Verratti, who's a nine-time league unchampion with PSG
04:35and a European Championships winner with Italy. He told us just how crucial diet is to remaining
04:41at peak performance as well as giving us a little bit of an insight into what the average
04:45day of food looks like for a top level footballer.
04:48Yes, I think it's very important, especially when you're a professional like that,
04:53when you have a lot of matches, I think it's the most important thing for your body to be at its best.
04:58It depends, it depends on the training.
05:00We already know what the days are that are a bit harder, the days that are a bit more recovery.
05:05It depends a lot on that.
05:06On a typical day, I wake up in the morning, I make myself an omelette with avocado.
05:10On a typical day, it depends on the training, it's a bit more physical.
05:13In the afternoon, I eat a bit of pasta and chicken.
05:15I know that training isn't going to be hard.
05:17I prefer to eat carbohydrates.
05:19In the evening, I always eat protein, vegetables, not carbohydrates.
05:22Yes, it's very important because in the end, you have to run 10, 11, 12 kilometres.
05:26Three hours before, we always eat a lot of carbohydrates.
05:29We eat white pasta, which we use to perform in matches.
05:35A fascinating insight there into the diet of a footballer as eating the right food goes
05:40hand in hand with physical fitness.
05:42Let us know why you think nutrition has become such a crucial part of the game
05:46using the hashtag footballnowfootballersdiet.
05:49That's all we've got time for here from the Aspartar Hospital in Qatar.
05:53We'll see you next time.
05:54Bye for now.