Soccer Nutrition

If you want to be a professional soccer player (and a good one, at that) every small
detail that could improve your performance should be taken into consideration. Nutrition, as a whole, is not a small detail in soccer, actually it's extremely important to a player, but in turn, it's made up of several smaller parts that will require your attention: macronutrients, micronutrients, diets and hydration. 

It's these subjects that we'll be covering in this soccer nutrition section, but before we go deeper in explaining them, let me give you a short preview of what you'll be able to read in the detailed articles.

Soccer Nutrition – Macronutrients

Macronutrients, as the name suggests, are nutrients that the body requires in larger quantities. Macronutrients include chemical elements that the body needs in order to function properly and at the highest parameters, such as carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and phosphorus. They also include what medicine tags as chemical compounds: carbohydrates, proteins and fats, which for the most part are inserted into our body through food.

Last but not least, macronutrients include the so called macrominerals, namely calcium, magnesium, potassium and salt, without which the body cannot function at its maximum potential. The article will discuss how all these elements affect the body from the perspective of a soccer player (but in general it's the same for any athlete) and what you need to be careful with when creating a perfect diet.

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Soccer Nutrition – Micronutrients

Just like macronutrients, micronutrients are elements that a body needs in order to function properly, however in this case smaller quantities are usually required.

 
The main chemical elements in the list of micronutrients includes: boron, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, zinc, chlorine and molybdenum and although a deficiency in any of these won't affect your body as much as a macronutrient deficiency would, they're definitely needed if you want to maximize your body's potential (and as a soccer player, you should always look after getting your body to maximum parameters at all times).

 
This article will cover all of these elements and vitamins, explain the roles they play in your body's well being and we'll also see how a micronutrient deficiency can affect the performance of a soccer player.

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Soccer Nutrition – Diets

One of the biggest mistakes that starting soccer players make is that they believe that simply through training, they can get their bodies at maximum potential. Although training is vital in this sense, a carefully balanced diet will be the catalyst for a healthy body that can perform well under the stressful conditions that a soccer player must go through in practice or matches.

 
A balanced diet will handle any weight problems, since not all people can get their fat limit to 0 through sheer training – the clearest example is Ronaldo of AC Milan, who although is one of the greatest soccer players in existence, has always been criticized for being a bit chubby. Your diet will also be responsible for keeping you strong and agile, so what you eat truly becomes an issue when you're a soccer player.

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Soccer Nutrition – Hydration

Hydration and its counter-state, dehydration are amongst the most important issues a soccer player will have to address throughout their careers. Dehydration can cause major problems to a player's health and performance and it's often hard to spot it if you don't know what you're looking for.

Dehydration isn't just "I'm thirsty so I'm probably dehydrated", it's a cronic state that can cause you problems with little to no clues to why you have them. This article will focus on explaining the importance of hydration in soccer, the risks of dehydration and how you can spot its signs.

 
Remember that what applies to a soccer player in terms of nutrition, can most likely be applied to any other athlete that goes through the same workload as a soccer player, so feel free to use these articles as a general sports nutrition education guide for whomever you're coaching.

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The information on this website is intended as an educational and informational source only. It doesn’t replace the advice of a qualified nutritionist, so it’s advisable that you visit a specialist before taking up any of the nutritional suggestions on the website. The author himself is not a dietician, so make sure you consult your family physician or dietician before starting any type of diet, lifestyle or nutritional change. Some diets may be harmful for persons suffering from certain medical conditions and the author of the website cannot be held responsible for any harm or injury that might occur by following the instructions and tips found here.

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