The Diet of a Professional Football Player

There was a time when professional footballers would eat and drink pretty much whatever they wanted. Some players would regularly choose steak chips and peas or an English breakfast for their pre match meal and would consume excessive amounts of alcohol during an evening.

Nowadays football is a multi billion pound industry and players know they have to look after themselves and eat sensibly. All athletes have nutritional requirements that need to be met and in this respect the diet of a professional football player is no different.

Football is a physically demanding sport that requires lots of energy. A large number of calories will be needed to meet this demand with lots of carbohydrates in the form of fruit and vegetables. Clean sources of protein are also included such as chicken and fish which are low in fat. Football players can easily consume around 4,000 calories a day.

One aspect of a football player's diet that is often overlooked is the need for proper hydration. Drinking plenty of water is absolutely essential for numerous reasons. A large quantity of fluid is lost by sweating during training. It is recommended that between three and six litres of water a day is consumed to keep the body fully hydrated.

The foods to avoid are any kind of fast food which tends to be high in fat content and low in nutritional value as well as dairy products and foods containing excessive amounts of sugar and salt. Alcohol should only be consumed in moderation and never the night before a match or immediately after a game when the body is severely dehydrated.

Football clubs analyze every detail of a footballer's lifestyle in an attempt to increase performance and gain even the smallest advantage over the opposition. The diet of a professional football player will also come under scrutiny. Most managers recognize that the scientific approach to diet and nutrition can pay dividends and lead to optimum levels of match fitness.

For more football related articles please visit Football Blog for the latest news and comment on the premiership soccer scene.

The author is an experienced sports journalist and has a keen interest in sports, investments and financial trading you can see some more of his work at Football Trading System which is a popular soccer trading system for use on the betting exchanges. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Towse

Soccer Injuries - Sprains

Sprains and strains of the joints are probably the single most common form of injury suffered by soccer players, again particularly of the ankles and knees. These can occur when the joint is wrenched too abruptly in an unfamiliar direction, particularly when the player takes a fall on the field while moving at a high velocity.

Treating a sprain is a simple matter; there isn't much that you can do for it other than attempt to keep ice on it to minimize the inflammation, avoid putting pressure on the joint as much as possible and keeping the joint wrapped to provide extra support on those occasions during which you must be up and about on it.

Playing with a sprain in one of the joints in your leg or foot is an extremely foolish course of action; however, if you are absolutely determined to play or your injury is all but healed and you feel that you are capable of going out on the field there are a number of knee and ankle braces that can be purchased over the counter that will provide suitable support while you are on the field.

Cuts and Bruises

Any game in which you have an entire field full of people kicking at each other while wearing shoes with spikes on the bottom is bound to result in a fair share of scrapes and bruises.

If a bruise seems to be accompanied with an inordinate amount of swelling or seems to be spreading under the skin rather than staying in a centralized location, or a cut seems to be deep enough to require stitches or bleeding profusely you should see a doctor; you may have suffered a more serious injury than you previously believed. Otherwise, putting ice on a bruise and keeping your scrapes clean and clear of infection is the best treatment you can provide.

It is especially important for you to ensure that any cut received while on the field is properly cleaned and treated with an antibiotic ointment; there is an incredible amount of bacteria naturally residing in dirt, and although it usually does not present a problem it will have a field day reproducing in an open cut. This will result in the wound being extraordinarily painful, taking an inordinate amount of time to heal and opens up the possibility of the infection spreading out from the injury to other parts of your body, presenting you with a systemic infection that is going to be even more difficult to get rid of. Trust us when we tell you it is much easier to take a couple of minutes to clean the cut out with some soap and water or saline and apply a quick dose of Neosporin.

Unless a cut or a bruise is severe enough to seriously hamper your mobility you can probably continue playing.

Read about soccer moves and soccer positions at The Soccer Coach website. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jenny_Styles