Fluid requirements during matches can be considerable due to the high intensity of a match further exacerbated if hot weather. Dehydration can negatively impact soccer performance — particularly endurance, speed, skill execution and decision-making.

Having fluids with all meals and snacks, carrying a water bottle throughout the day, and drinking ml of fluid just before the start of training are useful strategies to optimise hydration levels. When training, players should make use of any break opportunities to grab a drink.

During intense or long sessions, sports drinks can be useful as they contain carbohydrate to help replace energy stores plus fluid and electrolytes for rehydration.

Rehydrating after training is particularly important — especially if training in hot weather or with training sessions close together. The addition of electrolytes to fluids or consuming salty foods alongside fluids e. vegemite on crackers can help with rehydration goals. Each player is different, but most will often eat a pre-game meal around 3 to 4 hours before the start of the match.

This meal should contain some carbohydrate for fuel as well as some fluids for hydration. A small amount of protein in the pre-game meal is also useful, as it can help to prevent hunger during the game.

Many players will also have an additional small snack hours prior to the game. This is often something light that is rich in carbohydrate but relatively low in fat and fibre so it is easy to digest. Players should work closely with an Accredited Sports Dietitian to trial nutrition strategies during training and matches to find which foods work best for each player.

Hot environments, combined with high-intensity exercise can lead to high sweat losses. Opportunities to drink during matches are limited to the warm-up and half time break but informal breaks in play e. injury time can also be useful.

Players should start the match well hydrated by drinking adequate fluids leading up to the match. Producing regular amounts of clear urine is a useful indicator of good hydration status before exercise.

Although the half-time break is brief, it is the only opportunity for consuming carbohydrate during play. Players with a high workload e. midfielders will benefit the most from consuming a carbohydrate snack during the break because these players tend to have the greatest requirements for carbohydrate and fluid during a game.

Chopped fruit or muesli bars are quick, easy-to-eat options. Alternatively, specialised sports nutrition products such as energy bars, gels and sports drinks can be quick to eat.

While water is the priority fluid during training and for hydration during the day, and in most matches. Sports or electrolyte drinks may be useful during a game for players identified as having high energy requirements or heavy fluid losses as they can deliver some fuel and electrolytes.

Recovery meals and snacks should contain carbohydrate fuel , some protein for muscle repair and development and plenty of fluids and electrolytes to replace sweat losses.

A recovery meal or snack should be consumed soon after exercise period, remembering that recovery nutrition extends well beyond the initial hours post-game, particularly when the next training session or game is the next day.

Fluids mainly water should also be consumed, based on estimated losses. This system controls the release of energy from cells. Although you might not understand all of these functions, rest assured they are important.

If you have low levels of iron in your body, then you will not transport oxygen very well, the new red blood cells you make will be weaker and not as effective, and your immune system will not protect you as well from getting sick.

Where does iron come from? Your body does not make its own iron. This means you need to get iron through the food you eat.

Iron is in a wide variety of foods, but the problem is that some sources of iron are better than others. Iron absorption is the biggest issue that you will have when you try to select foods. The best sources of heme iron include red meat, seafood and poultry chicken and turkey. Non-heme iron is found in plant foods such as cereals, vegetables, legumes and nuts.

The absorption of non-heme iron can be improved by combining sources of heme iron with non-heme iron. Whenever you can, try to eat foods high in vitamin C-rich with meals e. juice or fruit with breakfast, bell peppers in a stir fry, salad or fruit with a sandwich because vitamin C helps to increase the absorption rate of non-heme iron.

Unfortunately, some foods decrease the absorption rate of iron. If you drink a lot of tea or coffee, or if you eat a lot of bran in your food then you will decrease your chances of absorbing the iron that you do eat.

Consumption of these foods may need to be modified when iron status is poor. Listed below are good sources of iron. Some recommended foods and their iron contents are provided below:. Heme iron rich foods: 11 mg in g of liver 1. Source: Burke L, Complete Guide to Food for Sports Performance, Allen and Unwin, How much iron do I need?

Source: NHMRC Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand How much iron do you need specifically as an athlete? Unfortunately, this is not well known at the moment.

It is known however that endurance athletes particularly runners are thought to require more iron than other athletes. Soccer falls into this category and so you should begin to pay attention to how much iron you get in your meals. Are athletes more at risk?

Athletes have a higher risk of becoming low in iron called iron depletion for several reasons:. How will I know if I have a problem?

You lose iron every day and all day. It only becomes a problem if you start to eat poorly. Why is this? Because it is very hard for the body to absorb iron from the food and even if you eat lots and lots of really good iron containing food, your body can only absorb so much each day.

If you eat poorly for too long a time, this results in iron deficiency anemia if untreated. Iron deficiency anemia is a condition where iron is depleted to such an extent that the manufacture of hemoglobin and red blood cells is limited. It is associated with symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, breathlessness, and impaired aerobic capacity.

Blood tests should be used with a review of your eating habits to be most effective. A number of different factors are usually taken into account when assessing your iron status.

These include serum iron, ferritin, transferrin, transferrin saturation, hemoglobin and full blood count. A skilled practitioner is needed to accurately assess iron status. Many athletes have routine blood monitoring to assess iron status. Iron depleted athletes can quickly develop iron deficiency anemia if not detected early.

How is iron deficiency treated? First of all, the best program for iron deficiency is to never get there by eating the right foods. However, if you do become iron deficient, then iron supplementation may be needed to recover depleted iron stores, along with a change in diet, to eat foods that are iron rich and have heme iron in them for better absorption.

A diet rich in iron is needed to prevent iron depletion reoccurring. A dietitian can provide specific feedback. However, the following tips will help:. Small amounts g are sufficient.

Consume meat. Shellfish, canned fish and poultry are also useful sources of iron. It is OK between meals but not with meals. Should I take an iron supplement? It is very difficult to correct iron deficiency anemia only with an iron-rich diet.

Supplementation under the guidance of your medical practitioner is usually required to treat iron deficiency. Yearly check ups are the best way to check if your iron levels. If your sports doctor determines that you are iron deficient, then a program will be organized for you to follow to help correct the problem.

Regular, inappropriate use of iron supplements can interfere with zinc and copper absorption and may have negative effects on the immune system.

This means it is not recommended that you supplement with iron without proper understanding, testing and guidance. Iron supplements should not be taken without medical advice. Originally written by Michelle Minehan and the Department of Sports Nutrition, AIS © Australian Sports Commission Sign in.

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For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser. Preparation, Nutrition, Recovery. A more detailed analysis of recovery nutrition includes: Replacing expended fuel back into the muscles and liver Replacing the fluid and electrolytes lost from sweating Allowing the immune system to handle the damage and challenges caused by the exercise session Allowing the body to make new muscle protein, red blood cells and other cellular components as part of the repair and adaptation process The importance of each of these goals varies according to the workout - for example, how much fuel was used?

Re-hydration Regardless of how well you drink during an exercise session or game, you will have lost more fluid than you can replace. Immune System When you exercise, your immune system is negatively effected. Muscle Repair and Building High intensity exercise sessions that last a long time can cause a lot of muscle protein to breakdown, or in other words cause your muscles to feel sore and stiff.

Some recommended foods and their iron contents are provided below: Heme iron rich foods: 11 mg in g of liver 1. Athletes have a higher risk of becoming low in iron called iron depletion for several reasons: Athletes have higher requirements than non-athletes.

Athletes produce more red blood cells which help in the transport of oxygen and iron is an important ingredient for red blood cells. This is particularly important for athletes that are still growing and maturing Athletes have greater losses of iron because of the exercises they do.

Iron is lost in your sweat. Athletes with high sweat losses have higher iron losses. Since running is a very important part of what you do everyday, you lose a lot of iron through this process. Not all athletes eat very well Iron intake is often sub-optimal in athletes with restricted food intakes: Poorly balanced vegetarian diets Avoidance of meat, chicken or fish in an effort to enhance carbohydrate intake or in the mistaken belief that it is fattening High reliance on snack and convenience foods and failure to consume regular meals Avoidance of commercially fortified foods such as breakfast cereals How will I know if I have a problem?

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