Carbohydrate ingestion during football matches - does it make a difference? ⚽️
...or is pre-exercise fuelling enough.
The effect of different carbohydrate ingestion rates on physical, skill and cognitive performance during extended simulated soccer: a randomized controlled trial
Study Details
This new study recruited 12 competitive male football players to complete 3 x 120-min simulated matches whilst consuming either…
1️⃣ Placebo
2️⃣ 30g carbs (54 g/hr)
3️⃣ 45g carbs (82 g/hr)
…at 5 practically feasible times ⬇️
👉 30-min prior to match
👉 0-min (pre-match)
👉 60-min (end of half time)
👉 105-min (end of second half)
👉 120-min (break during extra time)
Blood samples, physical performance and cognitive function were assessed throughout the match 🔍
🍽️ Prior to testing participants were fed an optimal carbohydrate intake of 6 g/kg one day before a visit + 2.0 g/kg in the 2 - 3 hr period before the laboratory visit
Here is what they found ⬇️
Key Findings
There were no significant differences between conditions for…
❌ Sprint performance
❌ Loughborough soccer passing test
❌ Cognitive speed
❌ Cognitive accuracy
❌ Gastrointestinal symptoms
The higher dose (45g) of carbs did lead to significantly greater passing accuracy and ball handling than moderate dose (30g) 📈
But was not significantly different versus placebo ❌
Conclusion
Adherence to optimal pre-exercise carbohydrate intake the day prior to matches and in a pre-game meal is sufficient to support physical and cognitive performance in football players ✅
Carbohydrate intake during a match may have little to no benefit ‼️
Reference
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s44410-025-00015-5
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