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Best Foods for Football Players

What is the most popular sport in the world? It’s football! Not surprising, right. According to a report, it’s estimated that more than half of the global population consider themselves associated with football in one way or another. This report has been standing for decades now and will go on like that for a very long time.

What this implies is that anyone who wants to play football, especially competitively, is going to be in for one heck of a competition. You must perfect your training, workout regularly, take medical checkups, and most importantly, eat right. Basically, you’re charged with the task of doing whatever it takes to be a fit football player.

Why Diet is Very Important for Football Players

Football, just like many other sports, is very much on the rough side. It is a surefire way of obtaining sports injury. However, how healthy and fit you are goes a long way to determine how much time it takes for you to recover from your injury and even the impact of the injury.

In addition to regular workouts, you have to eat foods that will strengthen your muscles, bones, joints, and literally every other part of your body. Foods that will build your resilience and endurance should also be part of your diet.

Best Foods for Footballers

Here are 10 foods football players should eat more regularly.

Spinach

Spinach

Do you remember that comic show that’s about spinach? Popeye the sailor! That comic show portrayed spinach as a superfood, which is true by the way. It has a lot of iron in it, vitamins A and K, and a host of other nutrients that are great for all footballers.

Eating a lot of spinach improves the quality of your blood, energy levels, mental health, and digestive functions. It also helps to reduce inflammation, improves bones health, reduces the feeling of fatigue, and improves vitality.

Eggs

Eggs

Eggs are a superfood. Eating one whole egg sometimes feels like eating a whole chicken compressed in a small oval capsule of health. Another reason egg is said to be a superfood is because it is nutrient dense. It contains a bit of almost every nutrient there is; if not all.

With regards to footballing, eating eggs regularly will help you develop muscles that are tough enough to handle the roughness of football games. This is owing to the high protein content of eggs. It also contains a high dose of essential amino acid, vitamins, choline, and bethane.

Avocados

Avocados

You’re going to need healthy guts to play football effectively. Eating avocadoes will not just help you develop and maintain healthy guts, but they’ll also help maintain your immune system.

Avocado contains nutrients such as vitamins B1, B2, B3, E, K, C, folate, manganese, copper, iron, zinc, phosphorus, etc.

Quinoa

Quinoa

Talking about endurance foods, quinoa is one of the best in that regards. Footballers are endurance athletes who stick to a strict routine from wake up time until they get back to bed at night. They do this for the most part of their career days, and with every new day, they’re expected to reach a new height and accomplish a bigger milestone. That sure takes some endurance to follow through with.

Quinoa is an ancient food; somewhat similar to chia seed and packed with a lot of nutrients. It is rich in carbohydrate, making it a great substitute for pasta and rice. It also contains iron, phosphorus, copper, manganese, magnesium, and zinc to keep your body performing at its best.

Broccoli

Broccoli

You probably hated broccoli growing up, but you didn’t know any better then. Because if you knew better, how can you not like such a “food superstar”? It is in the same family as the leafy vegetables, but it comes with a bit more of nutrients that makes it stand out from the rest.

Broccoli is made of nutrients like vitamin C, folate, fiber, vitamin K, vitamin A, calcium, and choline.

Oily Fish

Oily Fish

This one is one of the best foods for building resilience and endurance. Making fish oil a regular part of your diet will strengthen you to train harder and longer than usual. It contains a combination of special nutrients that you cannot find commonly in other food items. Some of them are omega-3 fatty acids, high-quality protein, iodine, minerals, and vitamins.

Oily fishes are also good for the heart, and every footballer needs a healthy heart. Running around the field is no child’s play. If your heart is not strong enough to take it, you may develop health complications.

Milk

Milk

Is there ever a diet that shuns milk? Aside from a vegan diet that is. That is how important milk is to our daily health. A football player does not just need to be healthy (like on a normal scale) but also needs to build a strong body that can stand the game of football. Strong bones, muscles, and teeth.

Blueberries

Blueberries

Blueberries have been around for a long time, and they seem not to be going anywhere anytime soon, and for good reasons. They are tasty enough to satisfy your sweetest tooth, but even more important than that is the fact that they are packed with nutrients that play a bunch of health roles, including post-match recovery.

Blueberries are good for the brain, contain antioxidants that can protect your body from the effects of free radicals, and provide you a good energy boost during the game.

Beetroot

Beetroot

You need articulation just as much as you need skills in the game of football. Beetroot is one of the wonder foods that will help you remain focused and boost your stamina as a footballer. It also speeds up recovery in the case of an injury (which is inevitable), reduces inflammation, and improves digestion.

Coconut Water

Coconut Water

The need to stay hydrated all the time cannot be overestimated, especially for athletes like football players. Take a lot of water, and take a lot of other healthy liquids that can help your hydration level stay normal. A good example is coconut water.

Coconut water is one of the fastest ways of refreshing on your water and energy levels. It contains vitamins and minerals that can be easily absorbed by the body. Take it before or right after a match to replenish your energy instantly. Coconut water also has antioxidant properties, fights against chronic illnesses like heart diseases, kidney stone, and high blood pressure.

Eating healthy is one of the most important ways to stay fit. Run around the field and perform at your level best by fueling up on these foods, and you’ll have a better edge as a football player.

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