Top 10 Tips for Soccer

Tournament Nutrition

Bob Seebohar, MS, RD, CSSD, CSCSSports Dietitian/Exercise Physiologist

1. Start your day off right

• Use “Fuel Target” to get a good breakfast of protein, carbohydrates, and fat.

• A balance of nutrients will get you jump started before the games begins.

2. Hydrate in the morning• You get a bit dehydrated during sleep

so it is best to start your day with a bit of fluid.

• Consider fluids such as milk or water, which works well.

• A smoothie is even better!

3. Rehydrate

• Be sure to rehydrate during post-game cool downs and coaches meetings.

• Water and some salty snacks such as pretzels are good options.

4. During hot tournaments

• Frozen grapes work well as a snack during hot tournaments.

• Frozen grapes provides a cool, refreshing way to get carbohydrates and water back in your body.

5. Consume salty foods and drinks• Playing a few games per day can drain your

electrolyte stores.

• Sprinkle some salt on your food or include salty snacks throughout the day such as almonds or peanuts.

6. Eat between games• If you have a small window of time between

games, it will benefit your performance if you try to snack on carbohydrate rich foods, water and a small amount of protein.

7. Eat a good dinner

• There is nothing like replenishing all of the nutrients that you lose throughout the day with a solid, well balanced meal at the end of a day of playing soccer.

8. Pack a cooler• To stay on top of using the “Fuel Target” and

eating throughout the day, pack a cooler with snack foods such as fruits, celery, carrots, olives, peanut/almond butter, trail mix, and cheese sticks.

9. Bring an umbrella for shade• It is very important to keep the sun off of you

in between games.

• Keeping your body cooler will help maintain better hydration practices.

10. Get to bed at a normal time

• Getting consistent and quality sleep during tournaments will help the body repair itself and allow it to be more recovered in the morning.

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