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Nutritional Deficiency

A soccer player’s diet should provide adequate energy from food to balance energy expended through daily living and growth, as well as training and competition and should include a variety of foods with carbohydrates, protein, fat, fluids, minerals and vitamins.
Carbohydrate  
The first nutritional concern in soccer players of any age is depleted energy stores late in the game and at practice.   Studies have shown that players often have low muscle glycogen, which is carbohydrate stored in the muscle and used for energy, after games.   Low glycogen stores have even occurred by halftime in games, causing slower running speeds, and thought to be responsible for a slower game pace in the second half.   Players with adequate muscle glycogen stores do not experience this drop in performance; thus, replacing carbohydrates during the game and practice seems extremely important in order to sustain optimal effort and avoid injury.   Drinking sport drinks is an easy way to replace carbohydrates, while hydrating at the same time.   Athletes should also be sure to eat a carbohydrate-rich meal several hours before and within the first hour after a game or practice when the rate of replacing muscle glycogen stores is the highest.
Carbohydrate is also the main energy source for the brain, so a diet with adequate carbohydrates allows soccer players to concentrate and make important tactical decisions both on and off the field. The typical athlete’s diet usually provides only moderate amounts of carbohydrate (about 55% of total calories or 250 g for an athlete weighing 110 lbs), which is not ideal.   Athletes participating in soccer and practicing for 2-3 hours per day should eat at least 6 g of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight (2-3 g per pound), or 300 g for a 110-pound athlete, to sustain activity level and to adequately recover from day to day.   For athletes who train twice a day or perform in tournaments with multiple games per day, carbohydrate requirements are higher...