At the same time, in recent years women's football has been gaining importance thanks to the creation of professional leagues. Although the situation of women's soccer in Spain is far from the situation in other countries, there are more than 20,000athletes Federated in this sport in our country. In the case of the club Athletic de Madrid women has 12 teams from first division to Benjamin.
Nutrition in women's football, introduction
In football, as in any other sport, has shown the importance of a good diet as a key factor in athletic performance. For this reason, are increasingly more clubs who are interested in having the figure of dietitian - nutritionist in his coaching staff.
In the case of women's football, tackling not only nutrition should take into account aspects related to this sport, but also certain peculiarities and differences being of women compared to their male counterparts.
My work in the Atletico de Madrid women
As Alimmenta has already published good articles related to nutrition in football, they have asked me to explain in a practical way my work in the Atletico de Madrid women and my experience with football players, so I'm going to focus on this.
My career in the Atletico de Madrid women began in the 2008 season. I have learned a lot during the five years that I've been working with them, my performance with respect to the players has been changing and adapting to the needs of the team. To explain the working of a dietitian - nutritionist must differentiate two parts: the action at the computer level, and which is made on a personal level.
Action at the level of equipment:
- Development and delivery of protocols of power for the various stages of the season (pre season, competition, travel, & breaks)
- Specific power pre and post party.
- Meals in concentrations and movement control.
- Nutrition education through educational talks.
- Anthropometry, weight control.
- At the individual level: assessment of nutritional status, consumption habits, health, nutritional plans according to the needs of each player.
1. WORK AT THE COMPUTER LEVEL:
Pre-season. It starts with the relevant anthropometric tests and taking of data from the new additions to the team. Here are two objectives from the nutritional point of view. On the one hand, that the players again prior to the holiday weight (in the case that have caught weight) and also to adapt the energy requirements taking into account the development of strength and increased muscle mass which is carried out in this period.
Competition season. You are performed anthropometric test on a routine basis. Also carry out various educational lectures in which is explained the Protocol of power that should be followed during the season, paying special attention in food the day before and the day of the party and to the most common doubts are resolved.
nutrition Soccer's Protocol is delivered at the start of the season and consists of options both breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as making preschool. It also gives them an example of weekly planning. But above all it affects much the importance of hydration throughout the week.
Another very important point to take into account are travel and trips carried out on weekends. We get in touch with the hotel where overnight to see the menu and the options that we offer and adapting it to the nutritional recommendations.
2. WORK AT THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL OF EACH ATHLETE:
Without a doubt, aside the protocols and specifications at group level, the basis of a good diet for an athlete is customize your diet, and adapt it to your needs, taking into account other parameters such as the intolerances, diseases, personal tastes... This is one of the reasons why it is important to have the figure of a dietitian - nutritionist who pause recommendations.
In the case of women's football, the players are dedicated not only to sports but which in turn study and work, making sure their schedules are overloaded, directly affecting its power and performance.
This early season are performed a record of 72 hours, as well as a personal interview and a record of the frequency of consumption of food. Data on their daily lives, as for example, where performs the meals, schedules can be obtained thanks to this, it has,who is the person that is in charge of cooking at home, which is the quality of your diet, etc.
In our case, the players live in the family home, in residences or shared flats, making it vary completely habits and feeding each other.
We must also take into account times during the week, since separate lesson time or work in which meals are made must be added training, normally at 20.00 h, and not returning home until after the 23, 00 h. Which snack is vitally important to ensure the supply of nutrients before the training and that can withstand up to dinner.
This irregularity at the times of meals together with little rest are the factors that affect your sports performance in my opinion more. It must be borne in mind that trips are usually performed by bus, after a game, they are many hours of travel and regardless of the time it arrived home the next day there is to get up early to go to work or school. Another point that I emphasize is not to leave the players buy food during trips or stops in service areas, because they will always tend to buy snacks or trinkets,so prep-planning is important and which prepare them a "picnic" lunch during the trip.
It must also take into account periods of inactivity, usually caused by injuries, whether they are short or long recovery. In these cases, in addition to the specific training that teaches them the physical trainer, is a dietary plan. Hence the importance for dietitian- nutritionist within a multidisciplinary team.
Finally mention it is important in terms of the body composition of a player that is within its weight and fat percentage suitable (between 20-23%), which tends to vary according to its position in the field. But it is not obsessed with the scale, but that its performance is optimal.
It should be noted that a correct not only power is focused on maintaining the weight,but in an anatomical functioning, prevent injuries, cramps, or nutritional deficiencies.
Moreover, sport involves some physical changes that often are difficult to accept for the girls, especially the younger. There is also a high physical demands, and on occasions, this external pressure can do to players seek to lose weight quickly having serious repercussions on their health and sports performance, or even in an eating disorder.
It is also important to mention the topic of supplementation or ergogenic. The first thing I leave clear each year to the players is that they should not take any product you have purchased or are provided them out of the club, or at least unless we have consulted previously. Let alone if they do not know its exact composition, since they could be counterproductive and even harmful to your health. Also to note in first division makes control doping, more reason to know the composition of any kind of substance that you are taking.
In short, the objective is to get that food is healthy, varied and balanced, which is the basis of sports planning.
Conclusion
Nutritional strategies are one of the key points in the performance of high competition. Important is both a nutritional education of the athletes from the base as a personalized follow-up of its power throughout the season. In the case of women athletes should take into account a number of factors that can affect your physical performance, what is known as the female athlete triad. Nutrition professionals must educate and influence especially power during pre and post competitive, since these are of vital importance for the development of their sport as well as the maintenance of optimal performance. Likewise, we must pay special attention to food during displacement and concentrations, so that they cover within the scheduled weekly power and do not bypass gastric problems or intoxication. To advertise the optimal feeding of each footballer it is important to know your eating habits, health, personal particulars as well as the position occupied in the ground.