Category: Nutrition

Being a football player – how do you sort out nutrition on match day for the best performance?

Posted on by Jessica Schmidt in Football, Nutrition, Performance

Today we have another guest blog post by Jessie Schmidt, a sports nutrition practitioner and the owner of SchmidtchenEats.com. She is offering an online course on practical sports nutrition (https://schmidtcheneats.com/kurs_sporternaehrung/). We have a promo code for you. You can use DEEPSPORTS10 at time of checkout. Jessie is talking about the basics of sports nutrition in her first blog post on Deepsports.

It’s match day and of course you want to be in the best shape possible. Certainly focused physical and mental training are preparing you very well. But what about food? What should you eat before the match? And how can you ensure to regenerate as well as possible? I will answer those questions for you within the next lines. 

The evening before match day (aka match day-1)

90 minutes intense movement is quite a challenge for your body and you need enough energy to run across the pitch for the entire match. Therefore you do need carbohydrates. In order to refuel your battery, the game already starts the evening before the match. You should fill up on complex carbohydrates. Try to avoid rice on that evening, as it has a draining effect.

Possible dishes: Pasta with veggie bolognese or lentil dal with potatoes.  

Breakfast on match day

There is one rule you definitely should follow: Never skip breakfast on match day. It is the start of your day and will set you and your body up for the upcoming intensity. Your breakfast should consist of a combination of complex carbohydrates and high-quality protein. The golden rule is that your breakfast is NOT very fatty or deep fried. So make sure that it is light and not heavy in the stomach. 

Possible dishes: Overnight oats with banana or muesli with yoghurt and fresh fruits. 

Lunch on match day

The rule for your breakfast is the same for lunch. Make sure it is light and provides you with energy. 

Possible dishes: Pasta with tomato sauce or vegetable soups

Snacks before and during the match

If you want you can have some fresh fruits an hour before the match. Directly before the game, you should avoid eating anything to be able to go all in on the football field. You can drink a glass of still water 10 minutes before the match starts. That increases your fluid reserve as well as your energy out of carbohydrates, amino acids and sodium. During the halftime break, you should rather drink something than eating. Besides water, isotonic drinks are also a good option or apple juice with water in order to fill up your carbohydrate stores.

Food after the match

Coming back from the match, still super excited, food is probably not the first thing which comes to your mind. However in order to refill your carbohydrate stores you should eat something after 2-3 hours. Combine carbohydrates with protein. 

Possible dishes: Pasta with Lentil Bolognese, Spelt Pizza Verdura

Don’t forget to drink 

Not only the right food is important for your performance, the right drinks play a role as well. Certainly water is always the best choice. However, during and after the match it makes sense to add some salt to the water to replenish the sodium stores, especially if you sweat a lot. Water with a pinch of apple juice is also a good option in order to refill your carbohydrate stores. 

Tip: Weigh yourself before your training or match and afterwards. The difference is the loss of fluid, provided you have not eaten or drunk anything during the exercise. 

Get the power you need with the right food

Posted on by Jessica Schmidt in Nutrition, Performance

Today we have a guest blog post by Jessie Schmidt, a sports nutrition practitioner and the owner of SchmidtchenEats.com. She is offering an online course on practical sports nutrition (https://schmidtcheneats.com/kurs_sporternaehrung/). We have a promo code for you. You can use DEEPSPORTS10 at time of checkout.

It is not a secret anymore that you can boost your performance with the right food. But what does it mean eating healthy as a sports professional? Do you need to follow different rules than people who just work out 2-3 times per week? Whether you want a greater energy level or if you’re looking to adopt a healthy diet in order to decrease the risk of injuries, I’ve got your covered. Below you can read 5 rules about eating for sports professionals. 

Eat the rainbow

Colorful food not only looks good, it also contains many different nutrients. Try to eat as varied as possible by choosing fruits and veggies of different colors. Then it is easy for you to enjoy all important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. 

Tipp: Everytime you go for groceries, choose one new fruit or vegetable to try. 

Find more details on SchmidtchenEats: https://schmidtcheneats.com/ess-farbenfroh/

5 a day

The German Society for Nutrition recommends five portions of vegetables and fruit a day, three as vegetables, two as fruit. One portion is one handful. Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of minerals, vitamins, natural fiber and other compounds that your body needs to perform as its best. 

Tipp: Try to eat fruit and/or vegetables at each meal. Both are low in calories and contain plenty of vitamins, minerals and fibre.

Combine carbohydrates with proteins

Carbohydrates are an important part of sports nutrition. They should make up a good 55-60 percent of the diet and are your main source of energy. Many of us however rely on simple carbs, as in sweets or processed foods. Instead, you should focus more on vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Further in order to supply the muscles with sufficient new energy, you should also eat enough protein. Proteins are needed to help your body grow and repair. Depending on your activity intensity you need 1,2 to 2,0 g protein per day for every kilogram of body weight. 

Tipp: In order to get the most out of carbohydrates and proteins, try to combine them in one meal. Tasty and healthy combinations are, for example, beans and corn or egg and potatoes.

If you want to learn more how food can help with building up muscle power: https://schmidtcheneats.com/muskelaufbau/

Eat the healthy fats

That is not the part I tell you that fast food is prohibited. However it is about the right amount. Try to eat more food with unsaturated fats (e.g. nuts, avocados, olives) in order to get essential fatty acids and energy that keeps you moving. 

Tip: Try not to eat fatty food right before your training or competition. Fat is heavy to digest and hence will hinder your body to spend your energy on your performance. 

Drink, drink, drink

The body consists of 60 percent water. During training or competition, mostly a lot of fluid is sweated out – this must be returned to the body as quickly as possible. Try to drink at least 1.5 to 2 litres of water a day. On match and training days, drink correspondingly more, which means 1.5 litres of fluid per kg of body weight loss. 

Tip: Weigh yourself before and after your training. The difference is the loss of fluid, provided you have not eaten or drunk anything during exercise.