ABSTRACT
Soccer is a unique endurance sport that requires frequent high-intensity exercise bouts. Nutritional interventions and strategies are often implemented to improve and maintain soccer performance in training and during game day. Factors such as depletion of glycogen and phosphocreatine, disturbances in acid-base balance, and gastrointestinal dysfunction can greatly impair physical and cognitive performance but can be mitigated through proper nutrition. During training, to match energy intake to energy demands, players should consume sufficient carbohydrate stores before practice and consume sufficient protein to optimize recovery. On game day, players may play a full 45-minute half (or 90-minute game) with no substitutions which requires sufficient energy consumption before the game or during half-time. Supplements and ergogenic aids can also be used to improve soccer performance and can be designed specifically for the athlete’s needs. To that end, nutritional strategies may differ between athletes based on the individual athlete’s goals and should be evaluated throughout the on- and off-season.
