Macronutrients - Why Do You Need Them While Playing Soccer?

So, what are macronutrients actually? Well, they are nutrients that provide your body with good energy. They will also help you to grow, maintain a good metabolism and perform well on the soccer field. There are three types of macronutrients and these are:

• Carbohydrate
• Fat
• Protein

Each of these will supply your body with energy. However, the amount of energy that each of these provides varies:

Fat contains about 9 calories/gram

Protein contains about 4 calories/gram

Carbohydrate contains about 4 calories/gram

Here is one example on how this information can be used; Consider that you are studying a nutrition facts table of a product which contains about 20 grams of carbohydrates 10 grams of protein and 25 grams of fat per serving portion. This information tells you that one serving portion contains about 345 calories (20 * 4 + 10 * 4 + 25 * 9 = 345).

Why Do You Need Carbohydrates While Playing Soccer
Carbos are the macronutrients that are most important for your soccer performance. About 40 – 60 % of your food should come from carbohydrates. They are also your body’s main source of fuel and can be easily broken down into energy. Your body may also store the carbos in your liver and use them later which is great especially during soccer games. You can find carbos mainly in starchy foods like rice and potatoes, milk, bread, nuts, and beans.

Why Do You Need Protein While Playing Soccer
About 15 - 30% of your calories should come from protein. You need protein in order to recover your muscles faster. You may have heard your coach or teammates saying that you should put more muscles on your body in order to get stronger on the soccer field.

Well, in that case you should eat a lot of proteins as they are the best energy source for building muscles. Protein is also crucial in order to grow (especially if you are young). Other body functions that protein is needed for are tissue repair, stronger immune defense and for making essential hormones and enzymes. You can find protein in red meat, fish, milk and nuts.

Why Do You Need Fat While Playing Soccer
You may have heard that you should avoid fat because it will make you fat. I can tell you directly that this is not the whole true because some fat is crucial for your well being as soccer player.15 – 30% of your overall calories in taken during the day should come from fat sources. You will need fat in order to grow normally, absorbing certain vitamins, providing cushioning for your organs and maintaining your cell membranes.

There are three main types of fat:

• Saturated Fat
• Unsaturated Fat
• Trans Fat

Sutured fat can be found in butter and salad dressing. Trans fat can be found in baked goods, snacks and pommes. Trans fat are the most dangerous fat type and you should avoid eating it because it could increase the risk for heart disease. The fat you should consume is unsaturated which can be found in nuts, fat fish, avocados and olive oil.

Summary
Although you need macronutrients in order to perform well on a soccer field you will still need to drink about 2 liter of water during the game day. Water is like car fuel, without it you will not come any far.

As a soccer player you will need to take care of your body if you want to perform well. I can ensure you that if you consume proper soccer food your performance will always be high and you will not need to worry about whether you will be able to make that 60 yard run 2 minutes before the end of the game.