What’s so special about a football player’s dining table?

As the World Cup begins, more and more reports are being published, including some interesting gossips. For example, the South Korean team brought hundreds of kimchi, while the Argentine national team airlifted several tons of fresh meat.

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So, generally speaking, what do football players eat?

protein

According to media reports, Messi used to like cola, pizza and barbecue very much, but in recent years he has gradually changed his eating habits and eats a lot of fish every day. In other words, Messi eats more protein than the average person, and pays close attention to the source of protein.

Messi

The former is easy to understand.

Any sport cannot be separated from the participation of muscles. Take the quadriceps for example. It starts from the waist and ends at the knee. It is one of the sources of power for leg activities. We need it when we walk and run. It is even more indispensable when we kick the ball on the court. Therefore, the quadriceps of football players are much more developed than those of ordinary people.

Furthermore, the quadriceps contains two types of muscle fibers: fast fibers, which have strong explosive power but poor endurance; and slow fibers, which are just the opposite, and although they have average reaction speed, they can work for a long time. Therefore, speed athletes need more fast fibers, and endurance athletes need more slow fibers. The ratio of the two types of fibers has a lot to do with genetics and can also be affected by training. For example, studies have shown that endurance exercise can increase the proportion of slow fibers.

Whether it is the thickening of muscle fibers or the changes in muscle fiber composition, protein is indispensable. The Chinese Nutrition Society recommends that adult males consume about 60 grams of protein per day, and adult females maintain around 50 grams, and should be appropriately increased during pregnancy and lactation. For athletes in high-intensity training, the daily protein intake is about 1.2 to 1.7 grams per body weight - for example, Messi weighs 67 kilograms and consumes at least 80 grams of protein per day.

So why did he give up grilling?

On the one hand, red meat such as beef and mutton contains a lot of fat. Everyone has heard about the harm of fat, so I won’t go into details here. On the other hand, recent studies have shown that red meat protein can cause inflammation, while fish protein does not have this negative effect.

carbohydrate

In the game two days ago, Ronaldo took something out of his shorts pocket and put it directly into his mouth, which caused a lot of discussion. In fact, he might be replenishing sugar.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Football is a very special sport, which lasts up to 90 minutes, with both relatively peaceful sessions and intense confrontations. Previous studies have shown that in a game, athletes have to perform high-intensity exercise for about 7 minutes, including 19 full-strength sprints.

The carbohydrates we eat have three main destinations: one is to be converted into high-energy substances, such as creatine phosphate; the other is to be converted into glycogen and stored in the liver and muscles; some are converted into fat and protein. When we run, muscles first consume creatine phosphate in the muscles, then glycogen; when the glycogen level drops to a certain level, fat or protein is mobilized.

Therefore, soccer players should not only pay attention to their total carbohydrate intake, but also pay attention to the timing of intake. In fact, studies have shown that soccer players who replenish glucose during halftime have more touch time during the second half of the game, more goals, and fewer mistakes such as own goals.

Some people may worry that consuming so much carbohydrates will cause weight gain?

No. Excellent athletes pay attention to the balance between energy intake and energy demand. For example, during training, they prioritize protein intake to strengthen muscle strength; during competition, they switch to a different diet to increase carbohydrate intake to improve athletic performance. This may be why many football players eat "cheat meals" during competitions.

Furthermore, a large-scale study conducted by Australian scholars showed that appetite is related to dietary balance. Highly processed and refined foods are unbalanced in nutrients, usually high in fat and sugar, but lacking in protein. This affects our appetite, making us want to eat more uncontrollably, leading to obesity; on the other hand, if we pay attention to a balanced diet, carbohydrates will not be a problem.

Minerals and trace elements

The diets of other World Cup athletes are also interesting. They usually eat six meals a day. In addition to the fish and carbohydrates mentioned above, they also include a lot of vegetables, as well as beans and eggs.

vegetable

Beans are the best source of dietary fiber, which can increase satiety and control appetite without you noticing. Vegetables contain vitamin B2, which is involved in biological oxidation and protein synthesis. Once it is deficient, it can cause cell metabolism disorders and thus physical decline. Eggs contain a certain amount of vitamin D. On the one hand, vitamin D regulates the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, which plays an important role in maintaining bone health; on the other hand, it regulates muscle metabolism, which can both enhance athletic ability and reduce accidents caused by exercise, such as stress fractures.

This year's World Cup was held in a special location, and the issue of drinking has caused a lot of discussion. In fact, the impact of alcohol on the body is very complicated. Take magnesium, for example. This element participates in glucose metabolism and is important for maintaining the activity of hormones, nerves, and myocardium. It is widely distributed and generally there is no need to worry about deficiency. However, under the influence of alcohol, the kidneys may excrete more magnesium; vomiting caused by drinking can also lead to magnesium loss. Therefore, excellent athletes will pay attention to controlling alcohol. For example, there is news that Su Bingtian does not drink even at family gatherings.

What should ordinary people do?

Different sports have different requirements for physical fitness. Some athletes are tall and thin, while others are strong. Football requires both explosive power and endurance, as well as flexibility, which is most similar to daily sports. Accordingly, the diet of football players may seem a little special, but in fact, it conforms to the dietary principles mentioned repeatedly in daily life.

However, knowing is one thing, and doing is another. The "Scientific Research Report on the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" shows that most people do not have a balanced diet, eating more oil, salt, and red meat, and less fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; and this imbalance is the main accomplice of high blood lipids, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar. During the World Cup, many people stayed up late to watch the games, and even drank alcohol and ate meat, which had a greater impact on the body.

World Cup Syndrome

Therefore, here is a reminder: In addition to paying attention to the performance of athletes on the field, you might as well pay attention to their lifestyle. In the game of life, health is the most important indicator of victory.

References

[1] Bjorn Ekblom (Sweden), ed. Handbook of Sports Medicine and Science Football [M/OL]. Translated by Chen Yizhang et al. People's Sports Publishing House, 2003 [2022-11-28]. http://book.ucdrs.superlib.net/views/specific/2929/bookDetail.jsp?dxNumber=000001335306&d=C073C020AF93C2520B85D9FA93BF3C0C&fenlei=161906.

[2] Wang Guanglan, Wang Xuehong (eds.), Liu Hua, Huang Minfang, Jia Hua (co-eds.). Sports Nutrition [M/OL]. Huazhong University of Science and Technology Press, 2017 [2022-11-28]. http://book.ucdrs.superlib.net/views/specific/2929/bookDetail.jsp?dxNumber=000016793165&d=2931F6851C40F2176A409BE747EDEAEA&fenlei=070601050201.

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[5] “Scientific Research Report on Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2021)” [J/OL]. Acta Nutrimenta Sinica, 2021, 43(02): 102. DOI:10.13325/j.cnki.acta.nutr.sin.2021.02.001.

[6] KERKSICK CM, ARENT S, SCHOENFELD BJ, et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutrient timing[J/OL]. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2017, 14: 33. DOI:10.1186/s12970-017-0189-4.

[7] GRECH A, SUI Z, RANGAN A, et al. Macronutrient (im)balance drives energy intake in an obesogenic food environment: An ecological analysis[J/OL]. Obesity, 2022, 30(11): 2156-2166. DOI:10.1002/oby.23578.

[8] THOMAS DT, ERDMAN KA, BURKE L M. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance[J/OL]. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2016, 116(3): 501-528. DOI:10.1016/j.jand.2015.12.006.

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Author: Zhao Yanchang

Editor: Guru