Even a perfect eating plan is not good if it does not comply with a sports day schedule. The meal schedule should be adapted to school and additional activities. In addition to basic macronutrients such as proteins, fats and carbohydrates, young players also need vitamins and minerals that will ensure health and proper development.
To ensure the right amount, you should consciously choose the right products that belong to different groups of ingredients, and fit them into the day schedule.
1. Number of meals:
The number of meals is important. The first eating plan should not differ too much from the current schedule of meals. However, over time, the number of meals should be modified and range from 5-6 meals during the day.
2. When do you train?
The answer to this question will show how many meals/snacks you should have during the day. If the training sessions are long and twice a day, it is worth introducing more snacks to the menu, which will help regenerate and rebuild the body. More on post-training snacks is HERE.
3. When do you get up and what time do you go to sleep?
The first meal should be eaten immediately after waking up. From this moment, every meal or snack should be evenly distributed throughout the day. In the case of a schedule prepared on the basis of 5 meals, and the dishes should appear every 3-4h. If there are more meals/snacks, the time between them should be reduced to 2-3 hours. It is worth remembering that when introducing more meals, you should consider introducing small portions that will provide you with energy at any time of the day, and will not contribute to a feeling of heaviness. Meals such as the first breakfast, dinner, and supper can be bigger but there should be small snacks between them. This solution will help to maintain the energy balance throughout the day. In the case of training on selected days, it is worth preparing an additional scheme or slightly modify the current one, so that it is adapted to training units.
4. What time do you eat lunch at school?
School dinners often appear from 11.00 AM - 1.30 PM. If your dinner is at 1.30 PM, it is worth introducing a small snack between breakfast and dinner. However, if it is earlier, the schedule of the day should include an additional snack in the afternoon.
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An example of an eating schedule with additional activities after school: 7.00 AM – breakfast 11.00 AM – school dinner 2.30 PM pre-training snack 5.30 PM post-training snack 7.00 PM supper |
An eating schedule that takes into account a late dinner and additional activities after school: 7.00 AM breakfast 10.00 AM small snack 1.00 PM school dinner 5.30 PM post-training snack 7.00 PM supper |
PSS diet consultant - Erwina Szymczyk
If you have any questions – send me a message ;) erwina.szymczyk@soccerskills.pro
