There is no supplement that can replace a poor diet.
However, if you are consuming well-balanced and healthy meals that are specifically designed to support your routine, then taking supplements can be a practical approach to guarantee that you are meeting your nutritional requirements when your body is experiencing high levels of stress.
In soccer, players often use different products to improve their performance, particularly when they have a packed match schedule (UCL, FA, LEAGUES).
Because of soccer’s competitiveness, players are always looking for ways to gain an advantage in their diet, training, and performance. Supplements are one way to achieve this edge, but it’s important to choose wisely.
This article will focus on the health benefits of using supplements specifically for soccer players and provide practical advice on how to use them effectively.
What Are Supplements?
A supplement is a dietary product that you can take along with your regular diet.
These supplements contain vitamins, nutrients, or other ingredients that you may not get enough of through your daily meals. They come in the form of products such as vitamins, protein shakes, or isotonic drinks that you might have during halftime.
About 77% of adults take some type of supplement.
People take supplements for different reasons, but usually to improve their overall health or enhance their performance.
Supplements are available in various doses and combinations, and each one has a specific purpose. To get the most out of supplements, you should always have a clear goal in mind before taking them.
Don’t take supplements without a purpose, instead figure out which area you want to improve, then find a supplement that will help you reach your goal.
It’s important to remember that supplements should never replace a balanced diet that is rich in both macro and micronutrients.
What Do Supplements Do For Soccer Players?
Players can use supplements for various reasons, such as providing extra nutrients that may not be present in their diet, helping with recovery after games and training, increasing energy levels, and enhancing their performance on the field.
For instance, protein supplements can help in building and repairing muscle tissue, which is necessary for maintaining strength and endurance.
Supplements that contain carbohydrates can provide players with a quick source of energy during intense training or games.
It can also help players manage their weight and body composition, which is vital for improved performance on the field. Some may offer cognitive advantages, such as improved concentration and focus, which can be useful during training and games.
However, it’s really important to understand that not all are created equally, and some may have adverse side effects or interact with medications.
Therefore, soccer players should seek advice from a healthcare professional or registered dietitian before adding supplements to their routine.
Effective Supplements For Soccer Players
These supplements are aimed at meeting the three most important requirements of soccer players: the ability to run at high speeds for counter-attacks, maintaining endurance to sustain a fast pace for the entire 90-minute game, and promoting recovery after games and practices to ensure excellent performance every day.
Creatine
Creatine is a substance that has many advantages, but one benefit that is often overlooked is its function as a source of energy.
Similar to carbohydrates and fats, creatine is for energy. It is particularly effective at fueling intense quick activities like running. If you take creatine supplements every day, it can help to keep your muscles full of energy.
Also, studies have shown that creatine can boost power output, anaerobic running capacity, and muscle hydration. This last effect is due to creatine’s ability to draw water into muscle cells.
Despite its many benefits, creatine is surprisingly inexpensive. It usually costs between $15-20 and lasts a long time.
Some players choose to “load” creatine by taking 20-25g per day for five days, which can saturate muscles more quickly.
However, this approach may cause stomach problems. Instead, it is better to take a maintenance dose of 3-5g per day. There is no evidence that creatine needs to be cycled or stopped at any point, so it can be taken year-round.
Gelatin
Gelatin, in its purest powdered form, is high in protein. Protein is a necessary nutrient that the body requires in high amounts to function properly.
In recent times, gelatin has gained attention as a supplement that can aid joint repair, making it popular in the sports medicine and sports performance market.
However, some skepticism remains as to how effective it really is for soccer players, as tendons require more than just gelatin and vitamin C to remain healthy.
Gelatin contains lysine, which supports muscle and bone health by helping the body absorb calcium, keeping bones strong, and preventing bone loss.
One of the benefits of gelatin is that it can be mixed with juices to make tasty desserts.
While some nutrients may be lost in the process, players have found that tart cherry and other healthy juices work well.
It’s worth noting that the study performed on gelatin and its effects on tendon injuries was specific to nutrient timing and genetics, so it’s important not to discount the overall importance of eating a healthy diet to support the body’s various functions.
Eating a balanced diet that includes protein is crucial for building and maintaining body tissues, as well as for enzyme and hormone function.
Beta-alanine
Beta-alanine is a common supplement. However, it may not benefit most people who use it.
Its true benefit lies in increasing muscular endurance, which is important for soccer players, not necessarily for the average person. If you’ve taken a supplement containing beta-alanine before, you may have experienced the tingling sensation it can cause.
Studies have shown that beta-alanine can improve muscular endurance during high-intensity games.
Beta-alanine can also have anti-aging effects by reducing the accumulation of altered proteins associated with the aging process. This is due to its role as an antioxidant, a chelator of toxic metal ions, and an antiglycation agent.
When you play soccer intensely, your body produces acid, which leads to fatigue.
Beta-alanine help buffer this acid, allowing you to play at a high level for longer. It is stored in the muscle, along with carnosine (a molecule that contains beta-alanine), similar to how creatine is stored, so you don’t have to worry about taking it at a specific time.
Beta-alanine is released as needed during times of high lactic acid production during intense game plays.
L-Carnitine
Carbohydrates are the best type of energy for soccer players and athletes as they can fuel both high-intensity (short duration) and low-intensity (long duration) activities, making them the perfect fuel source.
The problem is that our body can only store a limited amount of carbohydrates.
On average, a person can store around 400-600g of carbohydrates as glycogen in their muscles and liver. This may seem like a lot, but it can be quickly used up during a long game time.
As a result, the body will turn to fat for energy. However, fat cannot keep up with the demands of high-intensity soccer games like carbohydrates can, making it not as ideal of a fuel source.
For instance, if you’re a defender and you run up and down the field, your body would not be able to produce enough energy from fat to keep up with your run, so you would have to slow down.
However, you eventually have to use fat because your body can’t store carbs at high levels.
Fats are not ideal for fuel because it takes a long process to turn fatty acids into energy. Nonetheless, we can make this process more efficient by supplementing with L-Carnitine.
Carnitine is a substance in the body that carries fat to the mitochondria of your cells. The mitochondria then turn these nutrients into energy.
The process of transporting fat to the mitochondria is the slowest part of burning fat. To speed it up, it is important to supplement with carnitine.
Besides its effect on fat burning during aerobic exercise, studies have also shown that taking carnitine supplements can improve anaerobic power output.
Ashwagandha
An ancient remedy is known as an adaptogen due to its ability to help people cope with stress.
For hundreds of years, people have used the roots and orange-red fruit of this herb for medicinal purposes, also known as Indian ginseng or winter cherry.
Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic herb, and a 2015 study explored its effects on endurance in healthy athletic men and women.
The study found that ashwagandha may have a calming effect on anxiety symptoms when compared to the drug lorazepam, a sedative and anxiety medication.
Also, the root extract could improve heart health by enhancing cardiorespiratory endurance.
Another study tested the effects of ashwagandha on the endurance of elite cyclists, and after 8 weeks of treatment, the cyclists taking ashwagandha took longer to feel exhausted during a treadmill test than those who received a placebo.
Extra option: Caffeine
In my opinion, caffeine isn’t just a supplement or a performance enhancer; it’s a part of our daily lives that we treat like any other food or drink.
Like creatine, caffeine is a relatively inexpensive compound that has been extensively researched and proven to be effective.
Studies have shown that caffeine can improve both anaerobic and aerobic performance, delay fatigue, and enhance reaction time, making it one of the best supplements for soccer players, as long as they don’t have any issues with tolerance.
Caffeine is commonly found in drinks and coffee.
However, over time, you may develop a tolerance and get addicted to it, so some people choose to cycle on and off. The appropriate dose of caffeine can range anywhere from 100 to 400mg, depending on an individual’s tolerance level. Check out soccer players who get addicted to drugs.
FAQs
Will supplements have an instant impact on performance?
In many cases, supplements can provide a boost.
When taken before a match, supplements can help improve focus instantly. Research has shown that consuming 200mg of caffeine during your pre-match warm-up can enhance specific abilities related to football performance. Caffeine has also been found to boost endurance levels, jumping performance, passing accuracy, and decision-making ability.
However, you should be realistic.
While supplements may give you an edge by helping you pass more accurately or outlast your opponent, they won’t transform you into a top-class player overnight.
Are all supplements the same?
In short, no. Each athlete has different performance requirements depending on their sport, which means their dietary needs and supplement requirements will be unique.
A soccer player who plays for 90 minutes will have different dietary needs compared to a cyclist who goes on a ten-hour bike ride or a bodybuilder who wants to gain muscle mass.
That’s why it’s important for athletes to choose supplements that are tailored to their individual needs in terms of ingredients, formats, and dosage levels.
It’s important to pick products that have been specifically designed to align with your performance goals.
Wrapping it up
Taking supplements can be a safe way for soccer players to boost their performance.
However, the effectiveness of some supplements requires more research to be established. Please be aware that all the supplements listed are intended for educational purposes and improvement only, and none are directly recommended by professional health experts, except where we have cited sources.
It is important to consult with a doctor before starting any new vitamin or supplement regimen.
