There are many sports throughout the world and each one of these sports have different energy requirements. The sport of baseball does not have the same energy requirements as an athlete that participates in the sport of soccer. During a standard 90-minute game soccer players on average expend 1500 to 2000 calories and that an elite soccer player can expend almost 3000 calories on average a day. Now if you are expending this many calories than you have to be intaking as much food as possible to be able to meet those calories demands that the sport demands. You cannot just eat any foods as the right foods have to be eaten so that you are absorbing as much healthy nutrients from the food as you can. The failure to attain the amount of nutrients that you need daily will affect the way you train and will negatively affect the way you try to contribute to the team.

Soccer players need a lot of carbohydrates to sustain the amount of energy they need to expend during a game. The problem is that carbohydrate contain the least amount of energy out of the three nutrient energy sources. The reason they are so important is that they provide the energy the fastest out of all the nutrients, so it is good for the explosive movement that is required for soccer. Carbs are used throughout the entire game and will fuel a sprint in the beginning of a game as well as a sprint at the end of the game, so they are extremely well. Carbs help the brain function at a fast rate as soccer is a fast-paced game and you cannot be lacking mentally when playing it. Carbs also help breakdown fast so the need for carbs is vital for the game. A soccer player should have a carb rich diet that helps bring energy to there game. Now there are players that do not eat as much carbs like Cristiano Ronaldo as shown by his physique. He, however, has to get his energy from other places and still does eat a small amount of carbs. The reason I mention him is that every athlete has a different diet plan and that players have to figure out what diet fits their lifestyle and physique the best.

Fats are important for an athlete’s diet as they provide the most energy out of all the nutrients. The reason fats are not that important or useful for immediate energy is that fats take a long time to extract energy. This is not essential for the energy that is needed for the sprints done during the game. The fats are essential for less strenuous activity and can be used for soccer games, but the energy will not be accessed right away. There are many different kinds of fats but if you use the healthier kinds rather than saturated fats for example than it will benefit your game immensely.

Protein is probably the least important for energy sources required during soccer. Protein’s are essential for building muscle and for the repairing of bones and muscles in the body. They are not useful for energy sources that are required of during the games. A high protein, low carb diet of a bodybuilder is unsuitable for the typical elite male soccer player.

A typical diet of a soccer player should have a balanced amount of nutrient intake per day. The average soccer players diet should be 60% carbs, 25% Fats, and 15% protein. This is basic diet plan for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

For breakfast, athletes should eat a bowl of oatmeal, fresh fruit, a glass of orange juice or 100% juice of that kind, and a cup of yogurt. For lunch, a tuna fish sandwich, a hearty amount of trail mix, some banana’s, and a side of salad. Dinner should consist of an athlete’s favorite pasta, a certain amount of grilled chicken, a lot of vegetables, and a healthy desert. These foods do not need to be eaten every day and variety can be added to all meals. Athletes must know that all foods are calculated upon the different weights and height of the athlete so the amount in grams will not be the same. Also, athletes must realize that almost 2 liters of water must be drank every day on top of the food that is ingested.

An athlete’s diet is more important than what they train or practice, but the nutrition gives them the ability to do all that work. If not properly maintained than it could severely affect the way the athlete participates in their sport.