| There was a time when professional footballers would | | | | reasons. A large quantity of fluid is lost by sweating |
| eat and drink pretty much whatever they wanted. | | | | during training. It is recommended that between three |
| Some players would regularly choose steak chips and | | | | and six litres of water a day is consumed to keep the |
| peas or an English breakfast for their pre match meal | | | | body fully hydrated. |
| and would consume excessive amounts of alcohol | | | | The foods to avoid are any kind of fast food which |
| during an evening. | | | | tends to be high in fat content and low in nutritional |
| Nowadays football is a multi billion pound industry and | | | | value as well as dairy products and foods containing |
| players know they have to look after themselves and | | | | excessive amounts of sugar and salt. Alcohol should |
| eat sensibly. All athletes have nutritional requirements | | | | only be consumed in moderation and never the night |
| that need to be met and in this respect the diet of a | | | | before a match or immediately after a game when |
| professional football player is no different. | | | | the body is severely dehydrated. |
| Football is a physically demanding sport that requires | | | | Football clubs analyze every detail of a footballer's |
| lots of energy. A large number of calories will be | | | | lifestyle in an attempt to increase performance and |
| needed to meet this demand with lots of | | | | gain even the smallest advantage over the opposition. |
| carbohydrates in the form of fruit and vegetables. | | | | The diet of a professional football player will also come |
| Clean sources of protein are also included such as | | | | under scrutiny. Most managers recognize that the |
| chicken and fish which are low in fat. Football players | | | | scientific approach to diet and nutrition can pay |
| can easily consume around 4,000 calories a day. | | | | dividends and lead to optimum levels of match fitness. |
| One aspect of a football player's diet that is often | | | | For more football related articles please visit Football |
| overlooked is the need for proper hydration. Drinking | | | | Blog for the latest news and comment on the |
| plenty of water is absolutely essential for numerous | | | | premiership soccer scene. |