Plan the perfect pre-match meal
Whether you’re playing a shorter game of 5 a side football, a normal full game of 11 a side or you're gearing yourself up for a tournament, the foods you eat in the run up are incredibly important when it comes to performance.
What you put into your body is essentially your fuel for your game.
Granted, the energy requirements may not be as great as those necessary for the Premier League, but eating well shouldn’t just be for the pro’s and their nutritionists.
A planned, thought-out approach to nutrition when it comes to playing any kind of match will positively impact your performance and help maximise your potential on the pitch.
When it comes to 5 a side players, the main focus is usually the pre match meal, but there are a couple of nutrition fundamentals that are definitely worth knowing. Below you’ll find everything you need to take your pre match meals to the next level so your performance can follow.
WHAT YOU WANT FROM YOUR PRE MATCH MEAL
There are many things you’ll want to be considering when planning your pre match meal, which we’ll cover throughout this post.
However before diving into these, we wanted to highlight the main purposes behind your pre match meal so you can plan and eat effectively. So here’s what your pre match meal should be offering:
Providing you with enough energy when it's needed throughout your game
Leaving you with a reasonably empty stomach when game time approaches
Fitting in relatively easily with the rest of your day
So now you know the purposes behind a beneficial pre match meal, let’s take a deeper dive into the building blocks of what makes the perfect meal.
NUTRITION ESSENTIALS
CARBOHYDRATES
Carbohydrates provide energy to your muscles, brain and nervous system that fuels your body, making sure it’s ready to carry out its daily activities along with any exercise.
This basic food group is made up of the sugars, starches and fibres found in a wide variety of foods such as fruits, grains & vegetables, which are important for a healthy lifestyle and diet.
They provide the body with glucose, which is then converted into energy. This energy is in turn used to maintain body functions plus physical activity.
When carbohydrates are eaten, they break down into smaller sugars. Anything that isn't used straight away is then stored in the muscles & liver in the form of glycogen.
A large number of studies report on the importance of carbohydrates in relation to the performance of football players and how the depletion of muscular glycogen stores throughout the match causes fatigue.
Football requires a high energy expenditure due to the distance travelled during a match. The greater the competitive level, a higher level of intensity is likely along with the amount of games played per season. This is why it's extremely important to pay close attention to nutrition during, before and after a match to ensure the used energy is compensated.
It can be good to increase your carbohydrate intake on the days before your game; especially if you’re playing an intense level of football.
Having had a substantial amount of carbohydrates leading up to the game will provide some extra energy, which will for sure come in handy for performance levels during those last moments of the match.
Research has shown that eating a high carbohydrate meal before a match can also help players perform repeated sprints and improves their overall endurance levels.
Therefore, keeping your glycogen stores high can prevent being subbed off early due to poor performance and also help prevent injury.
It’s also good to be aware that over-fuelling on carbohydrates may exceed what can go into your glycogen stores, which is then turned into fat and can linger if hard work isn’t done to burn it off.
There are many different terms you may have heard for carbs such as ‘simple’ & ‘complex’, ‘high GI’ & ‘low GI’. You don’t need to worry too much about these terms, but we do believe it’s good to know the difference between slow & fast releasing carbohydrates when planning your pre match meal and for an overall healthy, balanced diet.
EAT MORE SLOW RELEASING CARBOHYDRATES
You’ll find slow releasing carbohydrates in unprocessed whole foods and are full of nutrients, vitamins, minerals and fibre. These release energy in your body slowly, which does a great job in helping you feel fuller for longer. Below is a list of slow releasing carbohydrates so you can make a start on preparing your pre match meals:
Vegetables
Fruits
Wholegrain bread
Wholegrain pasta
Brown rice
Sweet potatoes
Whole oats
Quinoa
Legumes and pulses
Beans
Porridge
EAT LESS FAST RELEASING CARBOHYDRATES
Fast releasing carbohydrates are absorbed much more quickly in the body with removed nutrients. They provide an instant source of energy that lasts a short period of time. These carbohydrates also elevate your blood sugar, which create a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and weight gain if you aren’t moving your body. Below is a list of the carbohydrates to eat less of:
Processed foods
White bread
White pasta
White rice
Mashed potatoes
Breakfast cereals high in sugar
Sweets
Packaged foods & snacks
Fizzy juices
Depending on the intensity of the match you’ll be playing, your pre game meal should contain between 1g and 4g of carbohydrates for every kg of your body weight. Amateur players are likely to only really need around 1kg per kg of body weight, whereas elite players will require around 4g.
We recommend you begin with consuming 1g of carbohydrates per kg of body weight, which should be sufficient for a 5 a side game lasting less than 1 hour.
If you find that 1g per kg of body weight isn’t enough, you can gradually increase this until you find the right amount for your body.
Professional players and athletes are known to use a technique called carbohydrate loading, whereby the amount of carbohydrates are increased in the 2-3 days leading up to the match. This could increase to as much as 9g of carbs per kg of bodyweight.
This technique isn’t particularly necessary for keepers, players who don't run much, or if you train less than 3 times per week.
PROTEIN
Unlike carbohydrates, protein provides a very small source of fuel for the body and muscles. This doesn’t however make it any less important to your diet. Proteins are broken down into amino acids which build, maintain and replace tissues in your body. These amino acids are also the building blocks for hormones & enzymes that regulate metabolism and other bodily functions.
Protein is an important part of developing strength and aiding recovery. Due to it being constantly used throughout the body but not being stored, it’s important to eat little and often.
The body’s protein needs usually stay the same during the days leading up to a match, so aim to keep these at the level for performing medium intensity training.
A small amount of protein in your pre game meal can be useful as it can be helpful in preventing hunger throughout the game.
It’s suggested that men need approximately 55g of protein and women 45g per day.
Having roughly between 20-25g of protein straight after a game or other exercise is desirable to help your muscles to grow & repair.
Rather than focusing on how much protein you're getting, the timing of when you consume protein has been shown by recent research as potentially more important.
Protein sources that provide all of the nine essential amino acids are called complete proteins. Below is a list of complete and some non-complete proteins to consider when preparing your pre game meals.
ANIMAL COMPLETE PROTEINS:
Meat
Poultry
Fish
Eggs
Dairy (milk, yogurt & cheese)
PLANT-BASED COMPLETE PROTEINS:
Quinoa
Soy
Buckwheat
Hemp
Chia seed
Spirulina
Tempeh
Amaranth
OTHER SOURCES OF NON COMPLETE PROTEINS INCLUDE:
Oats and oatmeal
Wild rice
Vegetables (broccoli, spinach, asparagus, artichokes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, Brussel sprouts)
Nuts & seeds
Seitan
Lentils
Beans
There are a couple of other things to consider when making your protein choices that we believe it’s good to be aware of.
Firstly, try avoiding full fat milk and instead go for semi-skimmed or skimmed along with choosing low fat cheeses like cottage cheese.
It’s also good to try sticking with lean chicken or turkey breast as opposed to darker meats, and avoiding the skin or visible fat.
Lastly, having plenty of oily fish like salmon and mackerel is a great source of lean protein whilst getting in those omega 3 fatty acids.
VITAMINS, MINERALS & ANTIOXIDANTS
Vitamins & minerals are essential nutrients your body and immune needs. They are what keeps everything in nice working order by providing protection, aiding recovery and maintaining good long-term health.
Essential vitamins include A, C, E, B6 and B12 and minerals include things such as iron, copper, magnesium, selenium, sodium, zinc.
All of these vitamins & minerals can be found in nutrient-rich foods like vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, fish, lean meat, dairy products and unsaturated oils.
Knowing whether you’re eating a balanced diet is important so you can know whether you need to take any supplements.
Antioxidants are what helps to protect the body’s tissues against stresses of intense exercise. Again, if you’re eating a balanced diet, you should be consuming all the antioxidants your body needs.
No matter whether the food is fresh, frozen, dried, canned or juiced, the anti-oxidants are retained.
Each colour of fruit and vegetable offers its own antioxidant effects, so a great way to know you’re getting a good variety is to 'eat the rainbow’ - making sure you’re eating each colour regularly.
Aim to have at least 5 portions of vegetables or salad per day along with 1-2 portions of fruit. The amount of fruit is lower due to the fructose in fruit getting stored as fat when your liver energy levels are full.
FAT
You might think fats should be completely avoided, but this is far from the truth.
Fats are a necessary component for your body, but should be consumed mindfully in moderation.
They actually protect your vital organs as through providing insulation and help to keep the body warm.
Consuming 'good fats’ and in moderation can have positive long-term health benefits as they transport fat soluble vitamins into your body (A, D, E & K) and can be a source of energy.
‘Good fats’ are generally found in nuts, vegetable oils & fish and help to develop strength, speed & power. They are actually beneficial to heart health and can improve your cholesterol as they provide essential fatty acids your body needs but cannot produce.
The not so healthy fats which are known as saturated fats are found in things like butter, cheese, whole milk, cream, ice cream and fatty meats.
These fats are okay in moderation, but a high consumption can have quite negative effects on your health. They can cause clogged arteries and block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart & brain.
Fat is not really something you’d want to be seeking out. In fact, you’d probably consider cutting back on fat sources, especially if they’re coming from fried or junk food and certain takeaways.
As fats take much longer to digest the starch, if consuming lots before a match, it’s likely you wouldn't be feeling too settled by game time.
There are no performance benefits from consuming fats during your football games or training. If anything, the results could actually be harmful and cause an upset stomach or poor performance.
Below are examples of both good and bad fats that will help you in planning your pre game meal.
GOOD FATS:
Nuts
Avocados
Olives
Soy
Virgin olive oil
Eggs
Oily fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel)
BAD FATS:
Meat fats
Butter
Cheese
Ready meals
Mayonnaise
Crisps
Cookies
Cakes
Chocolate
Pies
It's a good idea to work on replacing bad fats with good fats in your diet. One way of doing this is cooking from scratch rather than buying packaged processed foods and using healthier cooking methods such as baking, grilling or steaming.
Another way is by trying avocado or organic peanut butter on your bread or toast instead of butters along with choosing fat-free or low-fat options such as light mayo.
Cooking with coconut or extra virgin olive oil is a great tip too, and measuring out the amount needed rather than pouring from the bottle.
WHEN SHOULD YOU EAT
Knowing when to eat before a game does depend on what time the kick off is along with some other considerations.
Pretty much all experts agree that you should eat between the 1- 4 hour period before you play, but this is something that should be personally experimented with beforehand to know what’s right for your own body and digestion.
This 1-4 hour guideline depends on how substantial your meal is. For example, A carbohydrate heavy meal will likely require longer than 1 hour to digest, whereas you may find your body digests a lighter meal or snack after 1 hour just fine.
Just try avoiding running on both a full or empty stomach.
The majority of us here at Formation Studio eat 2.5 / 3 hours before kick off. Again, this is for you to decide what’s right for you, but you just need to make sure you’ve left enough time for your food to digest properly.
If in doubt, maybe just eat earlier rather than later; this way, you can supplement with a light snack an hour or so before if you discover you’ve eaten too early and need an extra little boost.
You also don’t want to leave it too late as you want to make sure you give your body enough time to break down the meal into the energy it requires. This will also prevent you feeling full and bloated for the game so your mind can concentrate on your performance as opposed to any discomfort.
We’ve laid out some considerations below in line with when your game kick off time…
Morning Kick Off:
First thing in the morning your glycogen levels are low and you will be in a fasted state due to not consuming food for 8 hours.During a normal day your glycogen will increase as you eat food. Therefore if you have a game before midday, it is important to increase your carbs in the morning, as your window for carb loading is shorter.
Dinner the night before will be important and should include a decent amount of easy to digest carbohydrates such as wholemeal bread. pasta or brown rice
Make sure you eat dinner at least 2 hours before going to bed
Breakfast on the day of the game is also extremely important for a morning kick off, which should be light, limited in fat and predominantly carbohydrates
Remember to respect the time for digestion and eat a couple of hours before
It’s a good idea to steer clear of coffee in the hour or so leading up to kick off
The ideal breakfast should combine carbohydrates with protein
Don’t forget to start drinking your water to make sure you’re hydrated
Afternoon Kick Off:
The main meal before your afternoon kick off should again be between 1 – 4 hours before to give your body enough time to digest and absorb the nutrients
It should be based on carbohydrates, a small amount of protein whilst avoiding fats and high fibre
Some good choices may be wholemeal sandwich with a light stuffing, a rice dish, baked potato with tuna or a chicken breast with pasta salad
You may choose to eat more of a substantial breakfast with an afternoon kick off to fill your fuel tank with foods rich in carbohydrates such as poached eggs with wholemeal toast
If you don’t have time to eat a second meal, it’s a good idea to consider a snack for some extra energy - just make sure this is consumed one hour before kick off
Some snack ideas include fruit, yoghurt, cereal energy bars, wholemeal toast with peanut butter or a sports drink
Evening Kick Off:
It’s likely that if you’re playing 5 a side, you’ll be having an evening kick off that’s usually anywhere between 6-9pm
The same timing rules apply and you should be eating your pre match meal between 1-4 hours before the game starts
Having an evening kick off means you’re able to fuel up with a substantial breakfast and lunch that again has a good amount of carbohydrates
If your kick off is on the earlier side closer to 6pm, you might want to consider having a snack in between your lunch and kick off or perhaps trying a later lunch
If you have a later kick off, you might want to have your dinner in the 1-4 hour window before kick off and have a snack after playing. Or a later lunch and snack beforehand with dinner
HYDRATION
Pretty much alI the major systems in your body depend on water. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you’re adequately hydrated at all times in order for your body to function properly throughout every day, and especially during matches and exercise.
It is the medium for all chemical reactions, including accessing stored energy from muscles along with playing a major role in muscle growth.
Fluid requirements depend on your effort level, the temperature of the day, humidity, your hydration level before the game and how much you sweat.
In the 60-90 minutes before kick off, it’s advisable to aim towards drinking 500ml of fluid to leave enough time for you to release any unneeded weight before kick off through urinating.
Everyday regardless of training or exercise, you should aim to drink at least 8 glasses / 2 litres of fluid.
When you train or play matches, the losses due to sweating can range from 1-4 litres depending on the weather.
Knowing that you'll need more fluid in hot weather or intense training sessions is key to regulating your body’s hydration levels.
It’s always a good idea to check the weather and playing conditions and ensure you have a hydration plan for both hot & cold weather. In hot conditions, it’s important to use warm ups, half time and breaks in play to hydrate, and avoid sitting out in the sun for too long. Sweat rates will of course be lower in colder weather.
The rule is to drink before you are thirsty as thirst is your body’s alarm telling you you're dehydrated. So the trick is to drink regularly to stay ahead of the game! (And remember to go to the bathroom before heading out to the pitch).
Every player’s hydration needs are different and can change throughout the course of the season. A great way to understand your sweat rates and train your body to rehydrate is during your practice sessions to avoid figuring this out during the match.
Dehydration occurs when the amount of fluid leaving your body is larger than the amount of fluid you’re taking in.
This is the last thing you want to experience during a game as it has some pretty intense negative effects. Dehydration reduces endurance levels & level of strength, it can also negatively impact your coordination, concentration and decision making and cause things like cramping, headaches, nausea and fatigue.
A simple way to determine how hydrated you are is by looking at the colour of your urine. The aim is to have a pale straw coloured urine as this equals a good level of hydration.
There are debates as to whether hydrating through solely water or drinking energy drinks is better. We believe this again comes down to personal preference and the intensity level of your match.
While water is the priority fluid during training, for hydration throughout the day, and in most matches, sports or electrolyte drinks may be useful during a game for players who have high energy requirements or heavy fluid losses as they can deliver some fuel and electrolytes.
Sports drinks may sometimes be deemed superior to water as a rehydration drink due to the sodium chloride (table salt) and carbohydrates they contain such as sucrose and glucose. When salts and carbohydrates are added to the water, gastric emptying improves, which improves its transport from the intestine to the blood compared to drinking only water.
Again, this is likely to depend on the level of intensity, so energy drinks may not be entirely necessary for 5 a side football games for example.
There may also be occasions when you feel hungry right after eating, but your body is telling you you’re actually thirsty. Confusing hunger with thirst is extremely common as dehydration symptoms are the same as those for hunger! If you still feel hungry after eating the right amount of food, try drinking some fluids to see if that reduces the feeling of hunger.
Carrying a bottle of water with you throughout the day can help you to stay hydrated and helps you to drink little and often.
Be careful not to over-hydrate though, as this can negatively influence your body.
If you’re drinking more fluid than you've lost from sweat, this will cause discomfort in your gut and you’ll be carrying extra weight throughout the match or training.
Rehydrating after a match or training is especially important too; so make sure you keep up drinking those fluids even when it’s over.
DURING THE MATCH
Another important factor to consider is what to consume during your match. Knowing what to have in order to stay motivated and push through barriers can make or break your performance on the pitch.
The main objective from the nutritional point of view will be to keep the player hydrated, so ensuring you’ve drank enough water beforehand and continue to do so where possible throughout the game is paramount.
If you’ve adequately planned and taken your pre match meals seriously, you should have enough energy to see you through to at least half time. When you reach 60 minutes, you may need more carbohydrates.
Taking on carbohydrates during a match can reduce fatigue along with also reducing reliance on stored glycogen in your liver and muscles; this intake can give your body an alternative energy source, which will help you play with better performance for longer.
There are certain carbohydrates that oxidise at high rates such as glucose, sucrose and starches, making these the perfect fuels to have during the match.
Certain fruits such as bananas, pineapple or berries are great for a half time snack as they’re light options packed with carbs. Not to forget that traditional half time orange to take us all down memory lane.
RECOVERY
After the match, it’s important to get your body back to full health and fitness, which is why your attention should turn to recovery.
During the match our body sweats and burns fat and carbohydrates to produce enough energy to carry out the activity. This causes us to lose too many nutrients and unbalance our body’s levels.
The key here is to introduce high levels of protein and antioxidants into your meal/s, along with some carbohydrates and low fat intake. Eating this immediately 2 hours after the match can be useful as the body is more receptive during this period and will assimilate nutrients better. This also produces a muscle reconstruction that will last up to 48 hours.
Fish or chicken with pasta are good options. If you don’t consume oily fish, it could be good to consider supplementing with an omega 3 fatty acid EPA supplement, which has anti-inflammatory effects which can help.
To help muscles relax & recover after a game, it’s also important to eat foods rich in potassium such as bananas, dried fruit or vegetables. You can also turn to multivitamin complexes.
OTHER PRE MATCH MEAL CONSIDERATIONS
Don’t try any new foods or supplements that you’ve never tried before the match. Use your training to figure out what works for your body so you’re prepared before the game and don’t run into any unwanted surprises.
Try to avoid spicy foods, flatulent vegetables like Brussel sprouts, cauliflower or leeks, and legumes such as lentils or chickpeas for obvious reasons
Eat slowly and calmly and make sure you chew your food really well to promote good digestion
Only drink small amounts during a meal and wait roughly one hour before and after food to drink larger amounts; this is because drinking a lot of liquid during a meal makes digestion difficult
Avoid excess caffeine and alcohol consumption. Although coffee is a stimulant and in moderation can temporarily help increase energy levels, it is also a diuretic that accelerates dehydration and can worsen performance.
Steer clear of sugar. Consuming too much affects your blood sugar levels and after the temporary burst of energy, you are likely to feel tired and dizzy.
Don’t eat too much salt either, as this raises blood pressure and leads to bad heart health. ¾ of the salt we consume is already in our food, so it really isn’t necessary to be adding more. You can try unrefined pink Himalayan salt for seasoning food as this contains electrolytes
Don’t skip breakfast as this is essential for recharging your brain, body and energy levels. It helps you to be more efficient in your everyday life and tasks as it improves decision making, alertness, helping to keep you at the top of your game ready for the game. If it’s skipped, it could be more than 12 hours between your meal the day before and first meal on the day of the match. This will mean your glycogen levels and energy will be depleted from essentially running on empty due to lack of food.
Try making healthier food choices. This can be a tricky one as we’re constantly surrounded by unhealthy foods. It can take a lot of dedication and willpower to say no to the poorly nutritional foods advertised to look so appealing, but looking past this and focusing on consuming more nutrient dense foods will have such huge short and long term benefits for both your overall health and football performance.
Remember everyone is different. We’re all different shapes and sizes and have different responses to food and drink. What works for one person may not work for you, so experiment before matches and listen to your body.
If you’re eating and drinking in the best way for your body, make sure you’re not overlooking your sleep. The benefits of sufficient sleep when it comes to sports are so important. Forming a routine you enjoy can ensure you’re getting enough sleep for your best performance.
Don't Forget Your Supplements: Even if you do manage to eat the perfect match day diet, don't forget your supplements, they still have an important role to play. There are three essential supplements I encourage players to take on a daily basis, these are a Multivitamin, Omega 3 and Probiotic. Multivitamins play an important role in releasing your energy stores, containing vitamin B6 which helps in the metabolism of macronutrients. Probiotics help to maintain a healthy digestive environment aiding in the uptake of protein, but also helping to avoid any nervous digestive problems.
When playing away, it can be harder to prepare for your match meals, but it’s not impossible and means you can continue to eat right and perform well. No matter where you’re playing, get a clear understanding of what your days will look like and what food and drink will be available. If it doesn’t suit or you’re in doubt, prepare what you need for the day ahead so you can give your body what it needs before and after the match
CONCLUSION
From here, we recommend that you go away with all the information in this post and test what works for you and your own body. And remember to give yourself enough time before the match to test so you're ready and prepared when game time approaches.
When preparing for your match, you also want to get yourself feeling psyched and ready to take on your opponent when you step on the pitch - so go check out our pre game playlists pulled together by friends of Formation Studio including Street Panna & Rosie Kmita.
