The students are given a diet plan to maximise performance, planned by our nutritional team. This gives the students an insight into how they should be eating, should they pursue a career in sport, and promotes a healthy lifestyle.
The day before a matchday, the students will begin to fuel their bodies for the game, which is called carbohydrate loading. Pasta, white rice, white bread and bagels are ideal foods to ensure the muscles glycogen stores are full after a week of training, in preparation for gameday. The players must also hydrate the day before a game, as dehydration can have a significant impact on performance.
On matchday, the players won’t consume as much as the previous day, as the majority of intake has already been done. The primary aim is to top up muscle glycogen that was used overnight during sleep. The students’ breakfast contains more slow-release carbohydrates, such as wholegrains and oats, and they eat again 2-3 hours before kick-off. 15-20 minutes before kick-off, the players will move to sugary snacks for a more immediate energy boost, including Haribo sweets, sports drinks and energy gels. 150-300ml of fluid per hour is also required from the players on match day.
After the game, the players need to replenish as much of the glycogen stores as possible. Ideal food groups would be high carbohydrate meals or a recovery shake to aid the process. Post-match also gives the players the opportunity to have ‘cheat meals’, which contain more fats and calories than a regular training day, although deep fat fried and poor quality meals are not recommended.
The players must also continue to focus on recovery on the day after a game. As well as keeping carbohydrates high, they also focus on protein and vegetable intake. The protein helps the muscles repair and recover, and the vegetables provide antioxidants that help reduce soreness and inflammation.
