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Football Players Questions.
1. As a pro football player, what should I eat?
Well, there is no one single diet that works for everyone. Every player is different, and we all need to
eat the diet that is right for our individual body. Some players need a high carb diet and need to keep the fats
low. However, some actually need a high protein, higher fat diet. So, a big plate of pasta, rice, spuds and chicken
may work for one player, but might not be the best for you.
Do you know what
works best for you?
Most players guess.
2. How many calories per day should I consume?
Calories are actually not that important. The most important thing is that you get the right nutrients –
the right proteins, fats, carbs, fibre, vitamins, minerals, enzymes etc. When you get this bit right you’re not
hungry or tired. On the other hand, you can eat the biggest Chinese take away on the planet and be hungry, tired
and craving chocolate half and hour later because your body didn’t get any good nutrients.
3. What should I eat for pre-match & how long before a match should I do so?
Again, this is very individual. Some players will do well on a high carb pre-match meal, but some don’t.
For some players, a meal such as smoked salmon and scrambled eggs (which has very little carbs) is perfect. A lot
of players find that they need to eat at least 3 hours before a game, to allow their meal time to digest. Others
can eat closer to games, but I would suggest at least 2 hours is a fair gap.
4. Should I take any form of supplementation (Creatine, omega-3, glucosamine etc.)
Supplementation should
always be used for a specific job – not just to try and give
you an ‘edge’. Creatine is used to help you increase the
amount of training that you’re doing, or to help you recover
quicker in heavy training phases or when you have a lot of
games in a short space (e.g. Christmas and Easter). A lot of
players do need omega-3 supplements because they don’t eat a
lot of oily fish or seeds in their diet. Anyone with joint
problems can take glucosamine. I’ve found that it only works
effectively with a good diet – like the icing on the cake.
With any supplement, check it out before you take it. Some
have side effects (such as creatine causing cramp in some
players), and you need to check that all are legal!! The best,
most effective & safest all round supplements are probably
systemic enzymes, such as
Vitalzym.
5. How do I lose fat without losing muscle?
That’s easy. When you are eating the foods that are right for you, your body will lose fats easily without
affecting your muscle mass. When you get the diet that is right for your body, it will shed the fats easily. Most
players store extra body fat because they eat or drink too much sugar, starch (e.g. pasta, potatoes, rice, bread etc)
and too many toxins.
6. How do I gain muscle?
To put on muscle, your body needs to release human growth hormone (HGH). It does this naturally, especially
when you’re doing strength training. Creatine can help you to increase your training, which will help. However, you
will put muscle on naturally as long as you don’t interfere with your body’s natural process. Eating high sugar
foods, or foods that have toxins or artificial fats (known as trans fats) will interfere with the HGH, as will lack
of deep sleep. Eating good natural proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals is the best way of getting good lean muscle.
7. How much fluid should I take on a daily basis? Water / Electrolyte?
Your body needs 2 litres of fresh pure water every day, plus the water you drink in training! Electrolyte
drinks will help you replace the salts that you lose in sweat. You can also get the electrolytes from fresh foods,
especially vegetables.
8. I don't like vegetables, is a multi-vitamin sufficient?
Honestly, no it isn’t. To come close to
replacing fresh vegetables, you would have to get a very high
quality supplement (not a supermarket multi-vit), but it will
not be as good as the veg. Vegetables have got a lot more than
vitamins and minerals – e.g. fibre etc – which you don’t get
in the supplement. If you do want a multi-vit supplement, the
best one to go for is called Formula
2 and is made by a firm called Herbalife. The best
alternative to vegetables is to get a superfood supplement
such as wheatgrass, chlorella, spirulina, products such as supergreens
/ superberry
or take hemp seed, etc. Email
info@common-sense-diet.co.uk
if you’re interested.
9. I live on my own, can you give me some simple menus that I can cook myself?
Start with some easy stuff such as a piece of decent pan fried meat (steak, salmon, chicken breast etc), with
some lightly steamed vegetables and a little wild rice or boiled new potatoes. When you get more adventurous you might
want to try stir fry’s using chopped up meats, bean sprouts, chopped vegetables and a little egg fried rice. If you’re
not very confident in the kitchen, start with something like scrambled eggs and some smoked salmon (which of course
you don’t need to cook). Always remember, it doesn’t matter if you completely mess it up - have a go! You can always
throw a salad together if it all goes wrong.
10. How often should I eat during a day? Should I eat after 7pm?
If your
nutrition is working and your meals are giving you all the
nutrients that your body needs, you should not need to snack a
lot. However, it’s always best to eat before you get really
hungry. If you do need to snack, for most players, it’s best
to pick foods that aren’t too high in sugar or starch (e.g.
breads, cereals etc). A good alternative is nuts (not salted
or roasted), some ham or yoghurt with some chopped fruit. In the evening, you should try to eat about 3-4 hours before you sleep. If you sleep at 11pm, try to have
finished by about 7-7.30pm.
11. What's a glycaemic index (GI)?
It’s a scale
which shows how a particular food affects your blood sugar.
Some foods cause blood sugar to shoot up, whereas others will
cause it to rise a little. Some players can deal with high GI
foods quite well. Some players don’t! Again, this is
completely individual. To find out what works for you, use the
Common
SENSE Diet.
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