Do elite soccer players meet nutritional requirements? A scoping review and meta-analysis
Study Details
This new meta-analysis synthesised 57 studies (41 studies in male players and 16 in female players) on energy expenditure and macronutrient intake in professional and semi-professional soccer players aged ≥16 years 🔍
Here are the key findings ⬇️
Key Findings
🪫 Male players consumed ~2758 kcal/day while estimated expenditure averaged ~3541 kcal/day (-741 kcal/day energy deficit)
🪫 Female players consumed ~2019 kcal/day versus expenditure of ~2570 kcal/day, (-544 kcal/day energy deficit)
🧮 After adjusting intake upwards by 19% for potential dietary underreporting, the deficit remained significant in males at ~146–212 kcal/day
↔️ In females, the adjusted energy deficit was ~153–158 kcal/day and was no longer statistically significant
🍞 Male carb intake averaged 5.42 g/kg/day pre-season and 4.62 g/kg/day in-season
🙋♀️ Female players averaged 3.79 g/kg/day carb in-season
📊 Average carb intake generally fell within UEFA recommendations, but tended to cluster towards the lower end of recommended ranges
🥩 Protein averaged 1.78 g/kg/day in males, within UEFA recommendations but again near the lower end
🙋♀️ Female protein intake averaged 1.57 g/kg/day, slightly below UEFA’s recommended 1.6–2.2 g/kg/day range
🥑 Fat intake was ~29.4% of energy in males and 30.4% in females, broadly aligning with recommendations
🏃 Wide players reported the highest carb intake at ~5.20 g/kg/day, while goalkeepers averaged ~4.15 g/kg/day
↔️ No clear positional differences emerged for energy, protein or fat intake
Conclusion
The findings suggest energy, carbohydrate and protein intake offer the greatest opportunities for nutritional optimisation in elite soccer 🎯
Practitioners should prioritise individualised energy and carbohydrate periodisation around training and match demands, alongside adequate daily protein intake ✅
Reference
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42693486/
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