Football is a physically and mentally demanding sport. As such, it makes sense that nutrition is important for football performance. But just how important is it?
Introduction
Arsène Wenger—the legendary Arsenal manager—brought a level of professionalism to the Premier League that changed the game. He is well-known for embracing sports science and incorporating new exercise and fitness methods into his coaching to help bring his players to the next level. In addition to this, Wenger was a big proponent of healthy eating and good nutrition for performance. In a 2020 editorial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Wenger explains how he has advocated for nutrition for many years to help his teams achieve their performance goals (1). According to Wenger, proper nutrition can ensure players are in peak physical condition, can support them to achieve peak performance for 90 minutes (or more), can accelerate their recovery after training and matches, and can support their overall health (1).
‘One area that I have emphasised for many years (as early as the 1980s) that can help us achieve our performance goals is nutrition, an area that has grown in importance within the game’ — Arsène Wenger (1).
And Wenger is not wrong. Consider the fact that footballers typically cover at least 10 km during a 90 minute match, and about 1 km of this at a high intensity (2). And consider that footballers also have to tackle, jump, pass, dribble, shoot, and be mentally aware at all times during a match. To do this, players must be in tip top condition; therefore, it is important that footballers prioritise proper nutrition practices if they want to perform their best.
The importance of nutrition in football. Nutrition plays a role in supporting all of the processes listed here which, in turn, impact performance. Image adapted from Gleeson (3).
Fuelling to Beat Fatigue
One of the biggest challenges that players and teams will face is fatigue. Indeed, most goals are conceded in the last 15 minutes of each half (including added time) (3). Where the detrimental effect of fatigue is particularly evident is during extra time. In extra time, players run less distance, run slower, pass and dribble less, and their shot power goes down (4). This reduction in physical and technical performance can be linked to reductions in blood glucose (or blood sugar) and muscle glycogen stores (i.e., the glucose that’s stored in the muscle) (5).
Because blood glucose levels and muscle glycogen stores are impacted by the amount of carbohydrate in the diet, this underscores the importance of eating a high-carbohydrate diet. In a 2013 study, professional footballers covered more total distance (Figure 1), and more distance at every speed (Figure 2), when they ate a high-carbohydrate diet compared to when they ate low-carbohydrate diet in the days leading up to a match (6). This is why sports nutrition experts recommend that footballers eat ~6–8 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight per day (g/kg/d), including a meal consisting of ~1–3 g/kg carbohydrates ~3–4 hours before a match (7).
Figure 1. Every player ran more total distance (average +1.3 km) when fed a high-carbohydrate diet compared to a low-carbohydrate diet in the 3.5 days leading up to the match (6). Black bars = when on a high-carbohydrate diet; white bars = when on a low-carbohydrate diet.
Figure 2. Every player ran more total distance at every speed when fed a high-carbohydrate diet compared to a low-carbohydrate diet in the 3.5 days leading up to the match (6). Black bars = when on a high-carbohydrate diet; white bars = when on a low-carbohydrate diet.
Fuelling to Recover
Because most forms of exercise—be it gym work, cardio, pitch work, or a match—stress our body and muscles, it’s important to fuel well to recover as quickly as possible. This is where protein is important: protein is the building block of muscle tissue, and we must eat enough to allow our muscles to build back stronger. It’s also important to refuel with carbohydrates soon after exercise so that our muscle glycogen stores can be refilled.
Other than consuming protein and carbohydrates, it’s important to also rehydrate after exercise. In practice, after a hard match or session, drinking a sports drink can help to simultaneously replace lost electrolytes and carbohydrates. Consuming antioxidant and polyphenol-rich foods like berries, cherries, and green tea may also help to reduce muscle soreness, which is caused by microtears to the muscles as a result of all of the sprinting, jumping, tackling, and collisions that occur in a football match (3). Perhaps most important for recovery is ensuring adequate sleep, which can be negatively affected if players don’t eat enough energy (calories), carbohydrates, and protein (3).
The 4 Rs that define the goals of recovery: 1) Rest (i.e., relaxation, recuperation, and sleep); 2) Refuel (i.e., restoration of muscle and liver glycogen stores); 3) Rehydrate (i.e., restore losses of water and electrolytes); and 4) Repair (i.e., alleviate muscle damage and soreness and allow muscle rebuilding and adaption). Image adapted from Gleeson (3).
Summary
Hopefully you now have a better understanding of why proper nutrition is non-negotiable in order to play your best football. This is why most top clubs around the world have full-time performance nutritionists on staff and world-class players like Harry Kane have their own personal performance chefs to ensure all of their meals are curated for performance (3).
Over the last couple of years, the Training121 Blog has become a repository of evidence-based health and nutrition information. From articles on carbohydrates, to protein, to supplements, to behaviour change, we have a wealth of information designed to help you improve your nutrition, health, and performance. We encourage you to take a deep-dive through the archives to take your nutrition—and thus your football—to the next level.
If you are interested in levelling up your football skills through supplemental football training, contact us at [email protected] to book in with our coaches for a session. And remember to sign up to our (spam-free) mailing list to be notified when a new blog article drops.
Thanks for reading!
Patrick Elliott, BSc, MPH
Health and Nutrition Science Communication Officer at Training121
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @just.health.info
Twitter/X: @PatrickElliott0
References
(1) Wenger A. Importance of nutrition in football: the coach's perspective. Br J Sports Med. 2021;55(8):409. Available at: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/55/8/409.long
(2) Barnes C, Archer DT, Hogg B, Bush M, Bradley PS. The evolution of physical and technical performance parameters in the English Premier League. Int J Sports Med. 2014;35(13):1095–100. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25009969/
(3) Gleeson M. Nutrition for Top Performance in Football: Eat like the Pros and Take Your Game to the Next Level. 1st edition. UK: Meyer & Meyer Sport; 2022. Available at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nutrition-Top-Performance-Football-Level-ebook/dp/B09KC5MQ7W
(4) Field A, Naughton RJ, Haines M, et al. The demands of the extra-time period of soccer: A systematic review. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(3):403–14. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9189694/
(5) Mohr M, Ermidis G, Jamurtas AZ, et al. Extended Match Time Exacerbates Fatigue and Impacts Physiological Responses in Male Soccer Players. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2023;55(1):80–92. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9770137/
(6) Souglis AG, Chryssanthopoulos CI, Travlos AK, Zorzou AE, Gissis IT, Papadopoulos CN, Sotiropoulos AA. The effect of high vs. low carbohydrate diets on distances covered in soccer. J Strength Cond Res. 2013;27(8):2235–47. Available at: https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2013/08000/The_Effect_of_High_vs__Low_Carbohydrate_Diets_on.25.aspx
(7) Collins J, Maughan RJ, Gleeson M, Bilsborough J, Jeukendrup A, Morton JP, Phillips SM, Armstrong L, Burke LM, Close GL, Duffield R, Larson-Meyer E, Louis J, Medina D, Meyer F, Rollo I, Sundgot-Borgen J, Wall BT, Boullosa B, Dupont G, Lizarraga A, Res P, Bizzini M, Castagna C, Cowie CM, D'Hooghe M, Geyer H, Meyer T, Papadimitriou N, Vouillamoz M, McCall A. UEFA expert group statement on nutrition in elite football. Current evidence to inform practical recommendations and guide future research. Br J Sports Med. 2021;55(8):416. Available at: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/55/8/416.long
Technical Terms
Glucose: All carbohydrates are broken down into this simple sugar molecule. It is the only sugar molecule that can be used to create energy (ATP) in the human body.
Glycogen: The stored version of glucose. When we eat carbohydrates, most is stored as glycogen in our muscles and liver.
Electrolytes: Minerals that carry an electrical charge when dissolved in water (e.g., sodium and potassium). When we sweat, we lose electrolytes, and must replace them via fluids or food. Electrolyte (sodium) losses are not of huge concern in lower intensity exercise, but become more important the longer and more intense the exercise, and especially in hot conditions.
Polyphenols: These are a group of phytochemicals—or plant nutrients—that act as antioxidants and improve our health. Health benefits from polyphenol intake include reductions in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, improved cognition, and other metabolic improvements.
Antioxidants: These are chemicals that are found in a range of foods (particularly plant foods) that play protective roles in the body. This includes neutralising the effect of free radicals and reducing oxidative stress, which is thought to be part of the reason why antioxidants from foods like fruits and vegetables are associated with a reduced risk for a range of chronic diseases. In addition, our body makes our own antioxidants (e.g., glutathione peroxidase) which are important parts of our immune system. It is important to note that while antioxidants in foods seem to be protective against disease, antioxidants supplements are not, and may be harmful.