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Soccer Player Success - Why Diet and Exercise are Key

Soccer players need to have a lot of stamina to sustain their performance for a 90-minute game of soccer. Note that even though the game of soccer is divided into two periods consisting of 45 minutes each, the rest period at half time is only 15 minutes. People who do not have enough strength and stamina to sustained continued brisk movements will have trouble keeping up in the game of soccer. In order for a soccer player to build his or her strength and stamina, he or she should have a proper exercise and proper diet program to follow.

Daily exercise is very important for soccer players. There are three major systems, which can be used to produce energy in the muscles. First there is the ATP-PC system which is responsible for high-intensity short outbursts, second is the anaerobic glycolysis system which is important for intermediate burst of quite high intensity, and third is the aerobic system for long efforts of low to moderate intensity. Note that these systems are very important for people who are into energy demanding sports such as soccer.

Recent studies show that of the three systems, the aerobic system is the most important for soccer players. Note that for professional soccer, it is normal for a player to cover more than ten kilometers during a single match. The intensity of the exercise is heightened by the excitement of the game and occasional physical contact with other players, which sometimes can become violent as in a tackle or a pile up on the playing field. Experts believe that where a soccer player has a good aerobic system, he or she can sustain moderately high intensity energy for a certain period of time.

In order for a soccer player to attain the necessary level of energy to sustain a 90-minute game, researches suggest that they should be given daily physical exercise that will mimic the energy and time demands of the real game. According to the study of most researchers, the constant repetition of physical exercises that mimic the energy demands of the real soccer game will help the player to be acclimated to the demands of the game. The more the exercises are repeated; the better will be the respond of the body and muscles of the player to sudden demands for bursts of energy. Furthermore, the more the body is subjected to suddenly bursts of energies for a specific period of time, the better will it be at recovering from these energy bursts. Trainers are advised to follow certain scientific rules, which will allow them to determine the best way to maximize the energy of their athletes. Accordingly, trainers should bear in mind that running sessions, intervals and shuttle runs for soccer players should be carefully planned in order to tap into the right energy sources of the soccer player.

Aside from the physical exercises that must be done to meet the demands of the game of soccer, the diet of the players also plays a vital role in determining their fitness. It must always be taken into consideration that the type of food that an athlete eats has some effect on his or her level of energy. Where the athlete is not getting the right nutrition, chances are, he or she will not be able to optimize their energy level. Studies show that eating a balanced diet is the key towards achieving a healthier body. This means that the soccer player should be able to consume the required amount of food intake of the five basic food groups. These groups include fruits, vegetables, meat, carbohydrates, and fats.

According to one study, women soccer players are said to have more energy when they were given a higher fat diet. Female soccer players are said to have performed better and are better able to sustain high intensity exercise when their diet was raised to 35% from the previous 24% to 27% fat composition. This study shows that the high fat diet was achieved by adding peanuts to the athletes’ diet. It is said that the fats from peanuts did not have any effects on the overall body fat of the athletes nor did it have any adverse effects on the blood pressure of the heart rate of the athletes during intense exercise.

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