Why soccer players eat pizza and pasta. Zinedine Zidane is no exception

Soccer players, like any athletes, pay special attention to their nutrition. To do this, many hire nutritionists for the team or work with their specialists personally. At the same time, many soccer teams order pizza after matches. As for individual players, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, for example, also spoil themselves.

But are athletes allowed to eat calorie-dense food? Let’s find out together with an expert what forms the basis of their diet and how it is related to the level of physical activity.

Every person needs to consume a sufficient amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates to maintain performance, provide the body with the necessary elements and stay healthy. And soccer players are no exception.

What is the load of soccer players

Soccer is a very energy-consuming sport. For one match an athlete spends about 1500 kcal. And it should be borne in mind that the physical load is not limited to games alone.

There are three main types of training regimen athlete:

• training camps. They are a team trip to a country with a warm climate, good conditions for training on the field and nutrition with recovery. During training camps, which usually last several weeks, soccer players have two to three training sessions a day, each lasting from one and a half to two hours;

• maintaining tone. With the start of the playing season, the daily regimen also changes. On the day of the match is a light training, consisting of running, work with the ball and other exercises. All this is necessary to maintain tone. After that, the players have lunch and prepare to go to the field;

• regimen. On normal days, when there are no games, players must also follow the regime. It is obligatory to watch the diet, do not overeat, get a good night’s sleep. After hard and important games athletes need to recover, so there are no trainings on such days.

As we can see, the energy expenditure of professional athletes is very high. It follows that the nutrition should be qualitative and varied.

What is the basis of nutrition of soccer players

• Protein. They are the building material, without protein there will be no muscles. The main sources of the nutrient are meat, poultry, fish and dairy products. To diversify the diet, it is worth including in the menu and vegetable protein, which is contained in cereals, beans, lentils. Special attention is paid to the methods of cooking products: remove excess fat from meat, minimize the use of oil, sauces, choose the most gentle methods of processing.

• Fats. A necessary component of a healthy diet, an excellent source of energy. Fats are obtained from cheese, dairy products, nuts, vegetable oils, fatty fish.

• Carbohydrates. The main source of energy, so absolutely every person, not only athletes, they should make up a large part of the entire diet. Of course, preference is given to “slow” carbohydrates, which do not cause a sharp rise in glucose levels, providing a prolonged feeling of satiety. They are contained in cereals, pasta, rye bread. But athletes have cases when it is necessary to quickly restore energy, here helps just “fast” carbohydrates. But not in the form of desserts, but in the form of fresh and sweet fruits.

Professional soccer players can additionally take various sports supplements prescribed by a specialist.

What is excluded from the diet

The list of forbidden products includes sweet carbonated drinks, alcohol, snacks, foods cooked in a large amount of vegetable oil. On the day of the match it is recommended to limit the consumption of spicy dishes, peas, beans. Special attention is paid to the dietary regime: athletes should always eat at about the same time, having dinner two to three hours before bedtime.

Pizza and pasta: whether they can be soccer players

In the endless stream of training, games, constant compliance with the regime there is a natural desire to treat yourself to something. And most often the choice of soccer players falls on such hearty and caloric dishes such as pizza or pasta. But do not jump to conclusions. Much depends on the ingredients.

Despite the fact that it is such dishes that we are always advised to refuse, they can be useful. The only question here is their quality and portion size. Pizza and pasta are carbohydrates that the body needs. Pizza comes in many different flavors: in terms of ingredients, thickness of dough and more. If we are talking about pizza made of whole wheat flour, with the addition of a lot of greens, vegetables, quality meat and cheese, then such a dish immediately acquires the status of healthy.

With pasta, however, everything is even simpler. If the pasta is made of hard wheat, it is also a good source of vegetable protein. Pasta comes with meat, seafood and cream, which increases its nutritional value. Much depends on the quality of the ingredients used: the higher it is, the more nutritious and useful the dish.

And an important point is the quantity. You should not make pizza the basis of your diet or eat only pasta every day: this approach leads to a decrease in dietary diversity. In the case of pizza, you should stop at a few slices rather than eating the whole thing.

Vegetarian pizza contains 204 kcal per 100 g, cheese pizza – 284 kcal, meat pizza – 309 kcal. The caloric value of pasta with shrimp will be 182 kcal, and mushroom with chicken in cream sauce includes 225 kcal.

It is the quantity that determines what the consumption of a caloric product will lead to. Allowing yourself sometimes even not the most dietary pizza, enjoying food and pleasing yourself, the athlete will not harm his athletic form.

Are these dishes useful for ordinary people

Do you want to eat pizza, pasta or please yourself with a hearty meat pie? It makes no difference to your weight. Simply because we lose or gain weight not from a particular product, but from their quantity: consistently exceeding the calorie content of your diet, you will gain weight even on diet bread with egg whites.

The rule for everyone is the same: if the diet is of high quality, corresponding to your energy needs, then nothing terrible will happen if sometimes you will allow yourself a pizza or your favorite dessert.

Plan your diet so that it is based on quality meat and fish, cereals, pasta, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and eggs. Follow the regime of the day, move more and do not forget to pamper yourself with what you really like. After all, everyone needs pleasant emotions: both professional soccer players and those who do sports for themselves.