What do American Football Players eat?

Nutrition is one of the key moments in the life of every athlete, whether he is an experienced one or a young man, and a football player is no exception. To achieve high performance in the game, it is important to take a comprehensive approach to sports training and devote time not only to training but also to the right menu.

In football clubs, nutritionists carefully monitor the nutrition of athletes. Their duties include a regular collection of tests, determination of the state of the immune system, metabolic rate, in the field of which a full-fledged diet is developed, which is based on the basic concepts of nutrition for all players. For those who still cannot afford a personal nutritionist, it will not be superfluous to know the basic rules of healthy nutrition.

The correct diet for American football players

The optimal diet of an American football player, like any other person, should include carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. The only difference is that the ratio will be different.

When calculating the calorie content of food, it is important to take into account that during the training period, a football player needs to consume about 60-65 kcal per kilogram of his own weight. When introducing dishes into sports nutrition, a professional athlete should know the number of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates required for the body.

Protein is the most important element in an American football player’s menu. The nutrition of a football player should be based on the daily protein intake of about 2.3 grams per 1 kilogram of body weight. More than half of this norm should come from animal proteins. Therefore, the menu can include beef, poultry, eggs, dairy products. Vegetable proteins include beans, oatmeal, rice, buckwheat, and potatoes.

Fats. A footballer cannot do without the required amount of fat, and it is best if they are of animal origin. It is fats that are the source of the necessary energy, which is vital for high physical exertion. The daily fat intake for an athlete who plays football professionally is 1.8 grams per 1 kilogram of body weight. More than half of this norm should be products of animal origin. Products containing animal fats: sour cream, cream, butter, cheese. Foods containing vegetable fats: oils of all kinds of nuts, sesame, pine nut, and linseed oil.

Carbohydrates. A complete and proper diet also implies the competent use of carbohydrates. To a greater extent, a football player should include complex carbohydrates in his diet, which include cereals, whole grain pasta, and bread products, as well as vegetables with low sugar content. A smaller proportion of the diet is occupied by simple carbohydrates, that is, those foods that contain sugar. It is simple carbohydrates that help restore strength after an intense workout or difficult game.

Breakfast

For breakfast, choose porridge, eggs with whole-grain bread, and organic coffee, because coffee is one of the staples in the breakfast of American football players.

Everyone knows that coffee is an awakening drink. It invigorates, energizes, makes you be more active, what else is needed before the upcoming workout !? But here you need to be aware of the effect of coffee on the human body during sports: is it useful or not. Let’s start with the benefits of drinking coffee before exercise.

It also increases efficiency and increases strength and endurance.

In one study from the University of Athletic Education in the United States, scientists were able to prove that an athlete can increase their strength and power performance if they receive the right dose of caffeine before training. The study says that for a strength lifter weighing 90 kg, this dose is on average 6-8 cups of coffee, but everything is individual and is determined by the body’s sensitivity to insulin. Scientists have also suggested that caffeine acts directly on muscles (for greater strength and power), and not just in the context of the central nervous system.

So, we figured out the pros and cons of taking coffee before exercise, so now starting a new sports day, listen to your body and weigh the pros and cons of caffeine saturation. As a rule, athletes brew quality coffee in the morning or two hours before training and also be sure to drink a glass (or preferably two) of drinking water after a cup of aromatic and invigorating coffee.

Afternoon snack

It is also necessary to restore the energy resource.

For an afternoon snack, they eat fruits and vegetables, drink fermented milk products and freshly squeezed natural juices. Caloric content is 10% of the daily value.

Dinner

Takes up 20% of the daily calorie intake.

The athlete’s body will recover not with the help of food, but thanks to a quality night’s sleep. Therefore, for dinner, most clearly do not overdo it with calories.

You need to eat at least 1.5 hours before going to bed so that the food has time to be digested. This is necessary to prevent gastrointestinal problems. In the evening, it is recommended to eat pasta and pasta, vegetables and fruits, drink sugar-free drinks.

Sports nutrition

In addition to basic products, various sports supplements, vitamin and mineral complexes are needed.

They must have in their constituent components:

Globular protein. This is a protein that is essential for the recovery and growth of muscle mass. Creatine. Promotes cell hydration.

Glutamine. To stimulate defenses and restore energy resources.

Football is a traumatic sport, therefore supplements are needed that provide elasticity of ligaments and tendons, bone strength. To do this, they must contain the following substances: hyaluronic acid; collagen; chondroitin; glucosamine. Sports supplements are produced in the form of various cocktails and powders.

A professional dietitian is involved in the preparation of the diet of athletes. You can get this profession on our SPORTUNIVER online platform. Experienced specialists make up the training program. Thanks to this, in just a few months you can become a certified nutritionist, get a job by profession.