What to Eat Before a Football Match

What to Eat Before a Football Match:

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Footballers cover an average of 8-12 Kilometers per match depending on their position and role in the team.

10% of this total distance is covered in high intensity running.

There are many physical qualities required to play the game at a high level, as there is a need for players’ to constantly change direction, change speed, jump, sprint, etc.

Players need to have aerobic and anaerobic capacities to perform, sustain, recover and repeat high intensity exercise required within the game.

Nutrition plays a huge role in a footballer’s ability to perform at his/her best due to the nature of how the game is played and how intense it is.

The ability to fuel properly before and after the match has a huge impact on how a player performs during the match, and how a player recovers from the match, which obviously effects the players’ development over the short and long-term.

Proper Match-day nutrition and throughout the week is crucial for a footballer to perform at their best.

Eating Properly Before a Game Will:

1. Help put your mind at ease knowing that you have the necessary fuel to be able to perform your best and help your team get the three points.
2. Will help settle your stomach, and help prevent you from becoming tired before and during the match.
3. Help you make better decisions when the match starts.
4. Prevent Fatigue and Headaches.
5. Provide the necessary fuel for your muscles, liver and brain (glycogen).

Here are some simple tips for you to follow to perform your best on match day: 

Tip 1: If you aren’t eating well, sleeping well, training smart and hard throughout the week; your pre-match meal won’t “fix” all of that!

-Many footballers think that they can do what they want throughout the week, and when game day comes around, a “proper pre-match meal” can help them perform their best. Unfortunately, this is the farthest thing from the truth. You need to make sure that you are taking care of your body & mind days, weeks, and months before match day.

-Preparing properly is the key to performing your best. This preparation starts months before!

Tip 2: What you eat the day before game day is just as or more important than what you eat on game day.

-This can not be overlooked.

-And of course, make sure you are getting some quality “shut-eye” as well 😉

Tip 3: Your “bigger meal” should be eaten 3-4 hours before the match to allow your body to digest before kick off.

-Your meal should be high-carbohydrate, moderate protein, low-fat and low-fiber.

-The last thing you want is to be feeling heavy, full and sluggish when the match rolls around.

Pro Tip: Count the hours back to see when you need to properly time your meal.

For Example:

-If the match starts at 5 PM; that probably means you will meet at the stadium at 4 PM, and your warm-up will start at 4:30 PM.

-That means your pregame meal should be eaten around 12:30-1 PM.

Tip 4: Eat meals that you are already accustomed to.

-If you want to “try out a new meal,” do it on a training day, NOT on a match day.

. The last thing you want to be doing is vomiting on the sideline or spending time on the toilet bowl while your team is working to get those three points.

Tip 5: Every individual is different. Different foods effect different people in different ways.

-Test/Experiment and find what works for you and makes you feel best. Take bits and pieces from people you respect and trust, but ultimately, you need to test and find out what truly works for you.

-We are as different on the inside as we are on the outside! There are 19 types of stomachs; some people can eat more than others, some people can drink more alcohol than others. We are all very different in our own unique way (Ref: Williams, Roger, PhD. Biochemical Individuality. McGraw Hill, 1998.)

-As I do myself and recommend to my online 1-on-1 clients, I recommend having a “food journal” handy, or using the ‘Notes’ Feature in your iPhone to record how foods make you feel.

For example:

-If you eat pasta or toast, and it makes you feel bloated, tired and sluggish; that probably means that your body doesn’t like it. Record that down in your journal as a way to remember to stay away from those things.

-If you eat brown rice or a sweet potato and it makes you feel good, energetic and light; record that as well!

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Sample Meal/How to Build a Meal Before a Match:

1. Build Your Meal Around Protein:

-Chicken, Fish, Eggs, Tofu, Tempeh

-I would recommend staying away from beef as it could be quite heavy and make you feel sluggish.

 

2. Add Complex Carbohydrates:

-This is your main source of FUEL.

-Oatmeal, Toast, Sweet/Baked Potato, Rice, Quinoa, Pasta.

-Depending on what time you eat and what makes you feel best.

 

3. Add Fats “Sparingly”:

-Cook your protein source in a High-Quality Coconut Oil or 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

-As a general “rule of nutrition”, it is best to stay away from HIGH FATS before and after training and matches:

-Fats digest very slowly and can make you feel heavy, sit in your stomach for a while and make you feel sluggish.

4. Add Vegetables:

-Have simple steamed vegetables that don’t make you “gassy” pre-match.

-Go for cooked vegetables as they digest much easier and quicker than raw vegetables.

-The last thing you want is to feel like a turtle is pepping out mid-match 😉

5. Stay away from heavy sauces/dressings.

-This is a general rule of thumb.

-You ever seen spoke with that person who told you “I have been eating salads for every single meal for the past month and haven’t lost any weight. I have actually gained weight.”

-They proceed by blaming it on genetics or their metabolism, when in reality it is probably because they are using Caesar, Thousand Island, and Creamy Italian on their salads, and not realizing how many extra calories they are adding using these things.

-Use simple and easy condiments, like: hot sauce (without added sugar), tomato sauce (without added sugar), Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream), mustard, etc.

6. Bring one banana and/or 1-2 dates to the match to eat about 1 hour before kick-off or during half-time.

-These are excellent sources of fast-digesting carbohydrates that digest quickly and will help stave off hunger pre-match.

-Teammates of mine sometimes go half a banana pre-match and half during halftime.

-I prefer two dates. One right before the warmup, and one right after. Like I said, and will continue to say, FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU!

What do I do if my match is Very Early?!

I know I will get the questions like, “what if my game is early in the morning and I can’t eat 3-4 hours before the match?” So let’s cover that here:

Early Morning Match:

-No need to overthink it. It’s really not that much different than when you have a match anytime during the day.

-Eat a high carbohydrate dinner (building your meal around the template above.)

-Get a good night’s sleep.

-Try your best to wake up 2-3 hours before your match.

-Depending on your preference, have a couple of eggs with some brown toast, or a couple of eggs with some oatmeal and berries.

YouTube Video:

If you want a more in depth explanation, check out the YouTube video that I’ve made that goes along perfectly with this article:

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Ric