Fuelling young footballers

Fuelling young footballers is crucial for their performance, growth, and recovery. It’s important for young footballers to consume a balanced diet that includes adequate amounts of macronutrients, as well as essential vitamins and minerals. Without the adequate fuelling I.E not eating enough may blunt growth, development and lead to health issues.

How do you fuel a young footballers

Ultimately the only way to fuel a young athlete is to consume enough carbohydrates to performance each day within football, school and day-to-day life. Football is an intense and demanding sport that requires a constant supply of energy. Carbohydrates are the primary source of fuel for footballers and should make up the majority of their daily calorie intake. It’s recommended that young footballers consume between 4 to 10 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight per day. Good sources of carbohydrates include whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. However, the amount will vary depending on the individual and if you ask a young athlete to eat 10g per kilogram of body weight all of sudden then you are in for trouble. You need increase slowly and overtime, try not to overwhelm and ensure they are onboard with the changes.

How do you know when a young footballer is underfueling

There are several signs and symptoms that can indicate a young footballer is underfueling, including:

1. Decreased performance: If a young athlete is not consuming enough calories, their body may not have enough fuel to perform at their best during training or competition.
2. Stagnant growth or development: Underfueling can lead to stunted growth or a lack of muscle development in young athletes.
3. Increased fatigue and decreased energy levels: Young Footballers who are underfueling may experience increased fatigue and decreased energy levels, making it difficult for them to perform at their best.
4. Decreased immune function: A diet that lacks proper nutrients, including calories, can weaken the immune system and increase the risk of illness and injury.
5. Changes in menstrual cycle: In female footballers, underfueling can disrupt the menstrual cycle, leading to a range of health problems.
6. Disordered eating behaviours: Young footballers who are underfueling may engage in disordered eating behaviours, such as skipping meals, restrictive dieting, or binge eating.

It’s important to note that underfueling can have serious consequences for young footballers and their health and performance.

How can a young footballer eat more

This is a question I get everyday and it’s actually really simple. Here are my top three tips to increase calorie intake to help young footballers eat more:

1. Add in a starter such as soup with with some ciabatta bread to increase calorie intake by around 300kcal
2. Add in a dessert from an apple crumble with custard or smoke salmon and crackers – One of the best dietary behaviour you can encourage is to get young footballers eat a carbohydrate dessert.
3. My third tip is actually a salad but not any salad – I want you to add a side salad full of honey, feta and olives this can amount to up towards 400kcal.

If you just add this three dietary changes you instantly get close to an extra 1000calories. Imagine if you did for 7-days, and then a month on towards a year – consistency is key.

Take home message

I hope by reading this small blog that you can see the importance but also how easy it can be to fuel a young footballer. It is important to remember this is only the foundation and timing is important – we don’t want young footballers to consume a huge meal then play football or attend a gym session. Interested in fuelling young footballers – get in touch would be more than happy to chat through this blog in more detail!

Here is some extra reading for you: 2020 MPHannon PhD.pdf (ljmu.ac.uk)