Nutrition for Top Performance in Soccer

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

Michael Gleeson is Emeritus Professor of Exercise Biochemistry in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University (UK). He is a world authority on exercise biochemistry, immunology, and nutrition and has published more than 250 scientific papers, 30 book chapters, and has co-authored textbooks on exercise metabolism, exercise immunology, and sport nutrition. He is the former president of the International Society of Exercise and Immunology and a Fellow of the European College of Sport Science and the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences. He has been a member of several IOC expert groups and contributed to scientific consensus papers on the overtraining syndrome, training load and illness/injury risk, sport nutrition, immuno-nutrition, and exercise and immune function. Recently he was a co-author of the UEFA Expert Group Consensus Statement on Nutrition in Elite Football, published in October 2020 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. His three-year involvement in that major literature research and writing project prompted and inspired him to write his new book on nutrition in soccer. Michael has provided advice on minimizing risks of infection and nutritional strategies to improve performance and maintain health for numerous professional sports clubs and organizations, including the English Institute of Sport and several English Premier League football clubs. He has featured in several national radio and TV programs in the UK, done numerous webinars and podcasts, and his research and expertise has attracted interest from local, national, and international media. He has had a longstanding interest in soccer and the factors influencing player health and performance. Many of his students now work in sport science support roles at major soccer clubs, including several in the English Premier League and the MLS. He is a nutrition consultant to Leicester City FC, who became the Premier League Champions in 2016. Michael has also worked with other top clubs including Chelsea, Manchester United, and Manchester City. Following his retirement in 2016 at the age of 60, he has also written a trilogy of healthy lifestyle guidebooks for the benefit of public health: Eat, Move, Sleep, Repeat, Beating Type 2 Diabetes, and The Pick 'n Mix Diet, all published by Meyer & Meyer in 2020. Michael lives in Burbage, Leicestershire, with his wife, Laura. Rachel Muse BA Mathematics; courtesy appointment at Drexel University's College of Nursing and Health Professions, Philadelphia, USA. She is the founder of Luxury Catering Company with its own successful pop-up restaurant 'Talk Eat Laugh'. Rachel trains private chefs for placing with clients and works closely with nutritionists and elite athletes (including professional soccer players) to develop recipes. Bruno Cirillo BSc Global Nutrition and Health; MSc Sport and Exercise Nutrition; first team and academy nutritionist at FC Nordsjaelland, Denmark (Danish Superliga), and is an elite performance chef.