Footballers use up far more energy than the average person. This energy can be obtained from carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

However the ideal source of extra energy is carbohydrates. Running low on carbohydrate causes fatigue. Carbohydrates occur as sugars (simple carbohydrates) or starches (complex carbohydrates). A balanced diet contains both simple and complex carbohydrates.

Bread, cereals and grain products (e.g. oats, wheat, rice, pasta), vegetables and legumes all contain complex carbohydrates. Fruit, honey and cane sugar are simple carbohydrates.

The Ideal Training Diet
To achieve maximum energy levels the footballer needs a well balanced diet, with the right proportions of carbohydrates, protein and fat. Ideally the training diet for a footballer should contain:

• 55%-60% of energy from carbohydrates
• 10%-15% from protein and approximately
• 25%-30% from fat