But do you know the best foods to help your body thrive during all the drills, conditioning, and games? Are you aware of how the latest research can prevent injuries? Have you balanced school and family with your love of the game? The Care & Feeding of a Soccer Player can show you how to overcome these and many other challenges you may face on and off the field.

During a 90-minute match, an elite soccer player must cover almost six miles as well as expend almost 1600 kilocalories of energy. To be able to tackle, pass, dribble, shoot and stay mentally sharp without fatigue means that players must follow appropriate fuelling tactics, before and during the match. Recovery starts as soon as a match ends, so nutrition during this time is critical for muscle repair and refuelling. Appropriate food choices and timing are also important to allow a player to train hard, avoid illness, sleep well, maintain appropriate body composition and recuperate from injury. To understand and apply the principles of sports nutrition, this book uses the UEFA 2020 Expert Group Consensus Review on Nutrition in Elite Football to give evidence-based guidelines for optimising soccer performance through appropriate nutrition. It also examines what elite soccer players eat and drink, using current recommendations made by nutrition experts. Also included are some amusing anecdotes about the history of soccer nutrition and some of the obscure and even absurd food and beverage choices that professional players have made over the years. In this book, you will find the very latest comprehensive information on nutrition guidelines for professional players which is highly relevant to the amateur player and, with some modifications, to the needs of junior players. Female players and match officials can read about their specific nutrition needs. Relevant issues such as eating and drinking during travel, food hygiene and the influence of cultural and religious beliefs are also considered. Finally, you will have at your fingertips meal plans and snacks for training, match and recovery days. Soccer is a truly global game which is constantly evolving. Over the past decade there have been substantial increases in the physical and technical demands of match play, meaning teams' training regimens have become more multidimensional to prepare players and address individual player needs. Nutrition can play a valuable, integrated role in optimising the performance of players during training and match play and in maintaining their overall health throughout a long season. An evidence-based approach to nutrition which emphasises a "food first" philosophy, prioritising food over supplements to meet nutrient requirements, is fundamental to ensure effective player support. The science underpinning sports nutrition is evolving at a fast pace, and knowing what the top professional players are doing in terms of their nutrition can help amateur players improve their own performance, recovery and health. "Nutrition for Top Performance in Soccer is a fantastic resource for anyone looking to improve their knowledge and understand the effect that nutrition can have on performance." –Brendan Rodgers, Leicester City FC manager INCLUDES RECIPES FROM ELITE PERFORMANCE CHEFS, R ACHEL MUSE AND BRUNO CIRILLO All

During a 90-minute match, an elite footballer must cover almost six miles as well as expend almost 1600 kilocalories of energy. To be able to tackle, pass, dribble, shoot and stay mentally sharp without fatigue means that players must follow appropriate fuelling tactics, before and during the match. Recovery starts as soon as a match ends, so nutrition during this time is critical for muscle repair and refuelling. Appropriate food choices and timing are also important to allow a player to train hard, avoid illness, sleep well, maintain appropriate body composition and recuperate from injury. To understand and apply the principles of sports nutrition, this book uses the UEFA 2020 Expert Group Consensus Review on Nutrition in Elite Football to give evidence-based guidelines for optimising football performance through appropriate nutrition. It also examines what elite footballers eat and drink, using current recommendations made by nutrition experts. Also included are some amusing anecdotes about the history of football nutrition and some of the obscure and even absurd food and beverage choices that professional players have made over the years. In this book, you will find the very latest comprehensive information on nutrition guidelines for professional players which is highly relevant to the amateur player and, with some modifications, to the needs of junior players. Female players and match officials can read about their specific nutrition needs. Relevant issues such as eating and drinking during travel, food hygiene and the influence of cultural and religious beliefs are also considered. Finally, you will have at your fingertips meal plans and snacks for training, match and recovery days. Football is a truly global game which is constantly evolving. Over the past decade there have been substantial increases in the physical and technical demands of match play, meaning teams' training regimens have become more multidimensional to prepare players and address individual player needs. Nutrition can play a valuable, integrated role in optimising the performance of players during training and match play and in maintaining their overall health throughout a long season. An evidence-based approach to nutrition which emphasises a "food first" philosophy, prioritising food over supplements to meet nutrient requirements, is fundamental to ensure effective player support. The science underpinning sports nutrition is evolving at a fast pace, and knowing what the top professional players are doing in terms of their nutrition can help amateur players improve their own performance, recovery and health. "Nutrition for Top Performance in Football is a fantastic resource for anyone looking to improve their knowledge and understand the effect that nutrition can have on performance." –Brendan Rodgers, Leicester City FC manager INCLUDES RECIPES FROM ELITE PERFORMANCE CHEFS, R ACHEL MUSE AND BRUNO CIRILLO All

This handy "how-to" food guide addresses the nutrition questions and concerns of soccer athletes of all ages and abilities to help them achieve success with energy to spare. Soccer athletes are hungry for good nutrition information. They have lots of food questions: • What should I eat before a game? • What about sports drinks? • How much protein should I be eating? Food Guide for Soccer: Tips & Recipes from the Pros will answer those questions—plus others. This easy-to-read book offers practical tips, debunks nutrition myths, and is a simple “how-to” resource for soccer players, their coaches and parents. The text is sprinkled with quotes from professional soccer players as well as recipes, sample menus, and nutrition sidebars.

Soccer athletes hungry for good nutrition information. This easy-to-unersand book offers practical tips, debunks nutrition myths, and is a simple how to resource for soccer players, their coaches and parents. Professional soccer players offer advice along with recipes and sample menus.

What are the best fuel foods for soccer players? What training regimen will best prepare young soccer players and improve their resistance to injuries? This comprehensive guide to health and fitness for soccer players offers expert advice for soccer teams at all levels. With decades of combined experience treating and training elite soccer players, exercise physiologist Donald Kirkendall and orthopedic specialist William E. Garrett Jr. present complex issues in an easy-to-understand format. The book addresses the physical and mental demands of the game, including the differences between boys' and girls' games and the differences in the levels of play in youth, college, and professional leagues; nutrition fundamentals, including food, drink, and vitamin supplements; physiology and training methods, with an emphasis on the basic elements of flexibility, speed, strength, and conditioning; and injury treatment and prevention. For players looking to step up their game, for parents who want to keep their kids healthy, and for coaches seeking the advice of the pros, this guide is an indispensable reference to keep handy on the sidelines.