Are YOU Ready to Perform to Your Optimal Levels?

1. Have you had 8 Hours Quality Sleep Last night? Are you resting like a Footballer?

2. Have you taken in 500ml of Water upon waking up? Are you thinking about Football?

3. Have you got all the correct equipment ready to leave the house? Are you preparing like a Footballer?

4. Have you had a further 500ml of Water between leaving the house and arriving ready for training? Are you hydrated like a Footballer?

5. Have you had Breakfast high in Carbohydrates? Are you eating like a Footballer?

6. Have you had the required vitamins and minerals in the last 12 hours? Greens? Vitamins A,C,D,E? Are you nutrient efficient like a Footballer?

7. Have you cooled down properly? (Contrast Shower? Warm Bath? Stretching?) Are you Preparing for tomorrow like a Footballer?

8. Are you mentally feeling ready to train? Are you looking for excuses? Are you Mentally preparing to be a Footballer?

9. Do you know everything required for the day ahead? Timetables? Expectations? – Are you preparing to train and play like a Footballer?

10. Are you prepared to train to your optimal levels? Do you REALLY want to train like a Footballer?

11. Are you doing more than your opponents? Do you REALLY want to be a footballer?

Tips to Reduce Fat within a Daily Diet

Fat

• Whilst it is important for performance, it should be taken in moderation. Here are some tips to avoid a high-fat diet.

• Replace chips with home-made, oven baked chips.

• Replace butter with margarine

• Replace cream, cream cheese etc with low-fat yoghurt.

• If oil needs to be used in cooking use olive or bran oil. Alternatively use vegetable oil (not quite as good). Avoid using butter or margarine.

• Replace whole milk with semi or skimmed milk.

• Stop taking sugar in tea and coffee.

• Reducing fatty foods will lead to a more settled stomach and a greater digestion efficacy – simply put you will recover much quicker.

• Fats take longer to digest so should certainly be avoided pre-game as it will leave you feel lethargic.

Main Food Groups

Carbohydrates

Complex Carbohydrates:

• Fruit (unripe, not so sweet e.g. apples) ,Potatoes, Rice, Brown bread , Wholegrain pasta (if possible please avoid normal pasta – it is full of starch which has no benefit to performance, in fact it can prove detrimental) , Cereal

Simple Carbohydrates:

• Simple; should be ingested immediately post game (the sooner the better) to rebuild blood-sugar (glycogen) stores.

• Fruit (very ripe and sweet), Sweets, Cakes, Jam, Jaffa Cakes

The main function of carbohydrates is to provide your body with fuel and energy that is required to carry out daily activities and exercise.

Protein

Scrambled/Boiled Eggs, Meat (Lean removed of Visible Fat), Chicken, Fish, Milk (Semi-Skimmed/Low Fat), Yoghurt.

Primary Function of Protein: Protein is essential to the structure of red blood cells, for the proper functioning of antibodies resisting infection, for the regulation of enzymes and hormones, for growth, and for the repair of body tissue.

Healthy Fats

Avocado, Peanut Butter, Cashew Nuts, Healthy Nuts, Oil On Salad.

Primary Function of Healthy Fats: Play a huge role in helping you manage your moods, stay on top of your mental game, fight fatigue, and even control your weight.

Meal Time Carbohydrates Protein Healthy Fats

Breakfast Brown Toast

Fruit

High Fibre Cereal

Scrambled Eggs

Boiled Egg

Low Fat Milk

NONE First Thing

AM Snack Cereal

Brown/White Bread

Jam/Honey/Marmalade

Banana

Milk

Lunch Pasta (Non Cheesey)

Boiled/Steamed Rice

Fruit (All Kinds)

Salad (Greener the Better)

Vegetables (Green is Best)

Grilled/Boiled Chicken Breast

(Skinless)

Low Fat Yoghurt (Mueller

Light)

Fish (NOT fried)

Avocado

Oil On Salad

Nuts (Cashew or Almond)

PM Snack Milkshake (Yazoo)

Fruit (Banana is Best)

Yop Yoghurt Drink

Chicken/Tuna

Lean Ham (Visible Fat

Removed)

Evening Meal Pasta (Non Cheesey)

Boiled/Steamed Rice

Fruit (All Kinds)

Salad (Greener the Better)

Vegetables (Green is Best)

(Smaller Amounts than Lunch of the Above)

Grilled/Boiled Chicken Breast

(Skinless)

Low Fat Yoghurt (Mueller

Light)

Fish (NOT fried)

Night Snack 1 Slice of Brown Bread

Apple

Milk

Low Fat/Sugar Yoghurt

Peanut Butter

Nuts (Cashew or Almond)

Daily Nutrition 1 From Each Box

Breakfast 7:30am Pre-Match 9am Post-Match 1:30pm

Box 1 Porridge, Cereal Tuna, Chicken

Sandwich/Roll/Baguette

Recovery Shake

Box 2 Toast (Brown), Bagel,

Crumpet, Honey, Marmite

Pasta, Rice, Noodle, Potato Pasta, Rice, Noodle, Potato

Box 3 Scrambled Egg, Poached Egg,

Boiled Egg, Salmon

Yop, Milk, Yoghurt or Yazoo Recovery Drink, Water,

Sports Drink

Choose at Least 2 Items from

Boxes 1-3

Choose at Least 1 Item from

box 1 or 2 and 1 Item from

Box 3

Eat Box 1 within 45 minutes

of Game finishing and 1 Item

from Box 2 and 3

Match Day Nutrition 11am Kick Off

Hydration and Avoiding Cramp

Mineral and vitamins

• Following a balanced diet fulfilling 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day will give you all the vitamins you need.

• Try and make your plate as colourful as possible.

• Players should take in extra salt, especially if they suffer from cramp. Sweating releases a large amount of salt and it must be replaced. Salt the water when cooking potatoes or pasta. Sprinkle salt on meals post-training / game. Sea salt is best.

Fluid

• 500 ml 60-90 mins before game +2 litres per day as standard.

• 500 ml 15 minutes pre-game if hot.

• 500-3000 ml of water / hour of exercise depending on temperature.

• Rehydration – isotonic sports drinks are fine in moderation. Electrolyte tabs are better. Google ‘High5 Zero Electrolyte’. Ordering in bulk reduces the cost.

• Weigh yourself immediately pre and post-game. For every kilo of body weight lost ingest 1.2-1.5 times that in litres. E.g. 1 kilo lost ingest 1.5 litres.