2012 Youth Coaching Manual - AFL Community

A winning diet for football
Carbohydrates
The food and fluid consumed before, during and after football has a significant impact on performance. Footballers need
plenty of fuel for sustained energy levels during training and games. The ideal fuel source for the muscles and brain is
carbohydrates. Running low on carbohydrates can cause fatigue. Foods containing carbohydrate include wholegrain breads,
cereals and grain products (e.g. oats, wheat, rice, pasta), fruit, milk, yoghurt, potatoes and legumes.
Carbohydrates not used immediately are stored in the liver and muscle as glycogen, which is the form of energy called upon
during exercise.
Protein
Protein is important for footballers to build, maintain and repair muscle.
Foods that contain protein include:
• Lean meats and poultry.
• Fish and seafood.
• Eggs.
• Low fat milk, cheese and yoghurt or soy products.
• Legumes and nuts.
Fat
Too much fat in the diet can result in low energy levels and body fat gain. Fat takes a lot longer to digest than carbohydrate
and is not a great energy source for football. We all need a little bit of fat in our diets and most of this should come from
unsaturated fats rather than saturated varieties.
Sources of ‘healthy’ unsaturated fats include:
• Olive and canola oils.
• Margarines.
• Fish and seafood.
• Nuts.
• Avocados.
Foods high in saturated fat are:
• Butter.
• Cream.
• Mayonnaise and creamy dressings.
• Fatty meat and poultry.
• Full-fat cheeses.
• Deep-fried foods.
• Processed meats.
The ideal training diet
To achieve optimal health, energy levels and performance, it is important to achieve a well-balanced diet, with the right
proportions of carbohydrates, protein and fat. It is preferable to eat more wholegrain carbohydrates, moderate protein and
less fat and sugar. Ideally, the training diet for players should contain:
• 55%-60% of energy from carbohydrates.
• 15%-20% from protein.
• Approximately 20%-25% from fat.
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