Football Nutrition - 7 common mistakes

Welcome to another episode of

'Ask the nutritionist'

Today we will be speaking with Dr. Dorianne Caruana Bonnici, a highly qualified nutritional specialist focusing on football, sports and lifestyle.

Football is probably Malta's most popular sport. You, your best friend, or someone in your family has probably played it growing up in some shape or form! A lot of people overlook what playing a sport really means and there is so much more to it than physically training.

Nutrition plays a crucial role in sports performance.

Think of it this way; your body needs fuel to power itself, what kind of fuel can you use? We're going to dive into some common mistakes most footballers make below:

1. Protein is the most important nutrient for football performance

While protein is an important macronutrient, it is not the most important one for football

2. A protein shake is the best way to recover from training

Although protein powder helps your body recover after training, it must not be taken as an alternative to natural and plant-based sources of protein. Your body needs additional vitamins and minerals during recovery.

3. Chocolate is the best pre-match snack

4. Caffeine is the perfect boost before a game

Caffeine is a stimulant, and hence it raises your resting heart rate and your blood pressure.

Raising your resting heart rate before you even start playing means that you would probably reach

5. Eating 50 right and 50 wrong is enough

A football player needs to eat well everyday. If you are a semi-professional or a

6. Diet and performance nutrition is the same

When we speak about ‘diet’, our mind quickly shifts to weight/fat loss. Many football players

7. Eating well the day before a game is enough to perform to the maximum potential

A player’s body needs to be nutritionally loaded with the right foods to achieve the gains

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For more information and football nutrition tips, follow Dr. Dorianne Caruana Bonnici on