Nutrition, Health and Performance

Wednesday, 17. February 2010 - Dr. Th. Nandalal Singh (GW)

Proper nutrition is one factor that will allow a player to perform at his or her best.

Football demands a variety of skills, from sprinting to dribbling and jumping to diving, all of which require great physical capability as well as mental alertness.

Nowadays, scientific studies show that diet and nutrition frequently play a vital role in the improvement of sports performance and progression of chronic diseases that are the major killer of adults: cardiovascular disease, strike, high blood pressure, diabetes, and some types of cancer. Obesity and osteoporosis also have been associated with faulty nutrition.

Sports nutrition is a science that produces or provides and maintains the food necessary for health, growth and physical performance. It deals with nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, supplements and organic substances such as carbohydrates, proteins and sugars in serious athletes of all sorts who want to make use of nutrition for their benefit.

An athlete's dietary programme plays a vital part in accomplishing his/her goals because it allows the athlete to reach his/her highest performance. Sports nutrition also consists of many different concerns such as the amount of certain foods and fluids one should consume that are specific to training.


Benefits of Nutrition and Health
- improves performance by improving body composition, which increases speed, quickness, flexibility, and strength
- helps the speed of recovery, which will in turn create more capacity for practicing and competition as the body is becoming more fit
- reduces risk of injury and illness
- allows one to increase energy for both practice and competition, which will definitely help one's performance
- increases immunity, allowing one to stay healthy and be able to continue and intensify practice and training
- improves our overall health as proper health is essential to all aspects of life


Usually football players should have a clear concept of what to eat to prepare for a football match, what to eat after a football match and how to maintain a rich high carbohydrate diet.

There are nutritional guides that football players of all level must and should follow in order to put themselves in a beneficial position before matches. Overall, it is very important for football players to maintain a well-balanced nutritional programme during the season.

Today, nutrition is a burning topic in both sports and everyday life!