Messi hasn't drunk soda or eaten pizza for 8 years. What should athletes pay attention to in their diet?

China Science and Technology News Network, November 30 (Jin Kaiyi) In order to extend his sports life, football player Messi has stayed away from soda and pizza under the guidance of nutritionists since 2014. Messi only eats whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables for breakfast, and only eats brown rice and tuna for dinner. The basis of his diet is mainly water, olive oil, whole wheat, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables. What are the dietary requirements of football players?

Arsenal's former head coach Wenger said: "Food is like gasoline. If you add the wrong type of gasoline to your body, it won't run fast." Football players have very strict requirements on their diet because they need a lot of physical support on the field, but football players also have many dietary taboos. Fried foods, high salt and high fat foods are all foods to be avoided.

It is very important for football players to have enough carbohydrates before the game so that they can maintain their motivation during the 90-minute game. Of the energy consumed by football players every day, 55%-65% should come from foods with a high glycemic index, such as brown rice, various cereals, biscuits, candies, cakes, vegetables, fruits, sugar and drinks; more than 200 grams of high-glycemic index foods should be consumed 3-4 hours before the game, and drinking drinks containing 30-60 grams of carbohydrates will help improve athletic ability. After the game, the athletes' muscles will be extremely tired, and they need to eat some carbohydrates and protein to restore the levels of glucose and carbohydrates.

As football becomes more and more professional, clubs are beginning to pay more and more attention to the details of players' diets. Today's clubs will give players detailed dietary advice, and some big clubs will even hire full-time nutritionists to customize diet plans for players.

Nowadays, the development of science and technology has also given nutritionists more tools, such as continuously tracking the heart rate and body fat percentage of players to obtain continuous data feedback. Blood tests can also detect whether players are lacking certain nutrients, such as vitamins or iron, and supplement them in their diet.

Most athletes eat five meals a day, start training after breakfast, continue training after lunch, eat an extra meal before dinner after training, and supplement some protein or eat some fruit before going to bed. These small changes in food will have a huge impact on the players.