Messi eater
The hours spent honing set pieces, stamina and skills on the training ground are rendered pointless if you turn up for kick-off lacking energy due to a poor dietary regime. "You should pay as much attention to your nutrition as you do to every other aspect of your game," says sports nutritionist Gavin Allinson. "It's no hardship to do what the elite athletes do." You might not compare favourably to Lionel Messi on the pitch, but matching him meal for meal is a far simpler feat...
Seven days before the game
Carb-loading correctly for match-day is a far more complex process than gorging on pasta with a bit of tuna thrown in the night before: perfectly optimising your body for 90 minutes of football is very much a 24/7 pursuit. Matt Lovell, who works with England international footballers alongside his duties as chief nutritionist for the England rugby team, recommends depleting your carbohydrate stores in the early part of the week and gradually increasing your carbs as match day approaches. Shirking carbs at the start of the week forces your muscles to increase their carb-absorbing GLUT-4 receptors as the body attempts to maximise the limited blood-sugar available. This increased sensitivity is then taken advantage of by piling on the carbs closer to Saturday. "This 'supercompensation' method can increase your maximal amount of stored glycogen by up to 50%," explains Lovell.
Two or three days before the game
Hit the soups. "These will help with your hydration," says Allinson, who particularly recommends tom yum: "It's got lots of chilli, turmeric and ginger, which all help to thin your blood – and thinner blood goes round your body quicker, delivering more oxygen to your cells." What's more, a study in the journal Gut found curcumin, a principle component of turmeric, significantly curbs liver cell damage and scarring. Making those post-match pints slightly more guilt-free.
The day before the game
The evening meal before a game is the most crucial of all. Big match nerves can make the prospect of consuming anything at all on the day nauseating – but provided you eat well the night before and exert very little energy pre-game, turning up primed to perform is still possible. "You want more carbs than usual, but not a bucketload," advises Lovell.
Some fish or chicken along with sweet potato or a jacket potato, alongside some green veg, is a good bet. Have nothing heavy (steak is out). Go Popeye and add spinach, which is packed with vitamins and carotenoid antioxidants. Buy it from a supermarket and, according to a study in theJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the exposure to fluorescent light will have significantly boosted its vitamin C content – vital for aiding iron absorption and thus oxygen transport to your muscles.
Some fish or chicken along with sweet potato or a jacket potato, alongside some green veg, is a good bet. Have nothing heavy (steak is out). Go Popeye and add spinach, which is packed with vitamins and carotenoid antioxidants. Buy it from a supermarket and, according to a study in theJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the exposure to fluorescent light will have significantly boosted its vitamin C content – vital for aiding iron absorption and thus oxygen transport to your muscles.
Six hours to go
Getting a good night's rest is just as important as eating right. So if you've an early kick off, favour kip over kippers. "It's better to have the extra sleep rather than wake up earlier just to eat," says Allinson.
Once out of bed, eat as soon as you can. "Avoid wheat and wheat-based products because they can have the tendency to cause bloating," advises Lovell. You should also steer away from foods high in fibre as these can sit in the stomach and take a long time to digest. Try stirring some protein into goat's milk porridge, or combine an omelette with some fruit salad for a good balance of carbs, protein and fat.
Once out of bed, eat as soon as you can. "Avoid wheat and wheat-based products because they can have the tendency to cause bloating," advises Lovell. You should also steer away from foods high in fibre as these can sit in the stomach and take a long time to digest. Try stirring some protein into goat's milk porridge, or combine an omelette with some fruit salad for a good balance of carbs, protein and fat.
Four hours to go
You may be en-route to the game at this stage, so it's important to have something portable. A personal favourite of Lovell's is quinoa with chicken and some roasted veg. Prep it the night before and pop it in a container. The last thing you want is to be stuck at a service station morosely eyeing the pasties. A jacket potato with some tuna or salmon is another good option. "Trial different meals and find out what works best for you," advises Allinson. Just make sure you focus on starchy carbs and keep fat intake to a minimum.
90 minutes to go
Your final nutritional hit should be delivered 75-90 minutes before kick off. "Tropical fruits – mangos, papaya, pineapples, bananas – are all good at this stage because they've got modest amounts of fibre and don't give as much of a sugar rush as other fruits," says Allinson. Too much of the sweet stuff can lead to lethargy due to blood sugar fluctuations, so avoid sports drinks until immediately before the game, too.
If nerves get the better of you, a liquid meal may be best. Lovell recommends blending 25g of oats with 500ml of skimmed goats milk, one or two scoops of protein powder, half a banana, a few nuts and a teaspoon of honey. Not as tasty as pint of the black stuff, for sure. But undoubtedly more effective.
Words by MH's Ed Vanstone
If nerves get the better of you, a liquid meal may be best. Lovell recommends blending 25g of oats with 500ml of skimmed goats milk, one or two scoops of protein powder, half a banana, a few nuts and a teaspoon of honey. Not as tasty as pint of the black stuff, for sure. But undoubtedly more effective.
Words by MH's Ed Vanstone
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