Nutritional optimization for female elite football players—topical review

Abstract

In-season In-season In-season Pre-season Mid-season n= 15Post-season n= 17In-season Pre-seasonPost-season n= 14

Executive summary: Elite women’s football—Performance, recovery, diet, and health

“…Another important area of interest, which also is highlighted in the muscle metabolism paper discussed above, 4 is that of diet of elite women football players. This topic is covered in an extensive review of the current literature provided by de Sousa and colleagues 6 …”

“…This review also presents evidence that several ergogenic supplements, namely creatine, caffeine, bicarbonate, beta alanine, and nitrate, may potentially result in improvements in performance and recovery in elite women players. Also, considerations regarding the use of antioxidants and probiotics are discussed 6 …”

“…This topic is covered in an extensive review of the current literature provided by de Sousa and colleagues. 6 The most pertinent topics for attending physical demands in women players during training and matches were highlighted as being: energy intake, macronutrient and micronutrient requirements, and optimal composition of everyday diet, nutritional and hydration strategies to optimize performance and recovery, potential ergogenic effects of legal, relevant supplements, and future research considerations. In this review, the existing evidence suggests that during the season, a relevant proportion of women football players do not have sufficient energy intake to cope with the energy expenditure during training sessions and games.…”

“…Also, considerations regarding the use of antioxidants and probiotics are discussed. 6 On the same topic, Oliveira et al 7 reported the results of a survey exploring the current practices of elite women players regarding the prevalence of dietary supplements, including the types of dietary supplements, the rationale for their use, the sources of information, and the purchase venues. Overall, 82% of the elite players that participated in the study reported using dietary supplements at least once during the previous year, which highlights the need for better and clear information about the potential effects of supplementation.…”

Dietary Intake over a 7-Day Training and Game Period in Female Varsity Rugby Union Players

“…Carbohydrates (CHO) are the most important macronutrient to consume for individuals engaging in high-intensity stop-and-go sports as they help to restore liver and muscle glycogen reserves following a bout of exercise, where near exhaustion of these stores is associated with fatigue, impaired work rate, and loss of concentration [ 7 , 8 , 9 ]. Protein is also critical to the athlete’s diet due to its involvement in muscle protein synthesis, which can remain upregulated for ≥24 h following a bout of resistance exercise [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. Many female athletes may be unaware that the consumption of protein following a bout of resistance exercise is responsible for the preservation of lean tissue, in addition to the building, repair, and regeneration of muscle tissue [ 7 ].…”