Fuelling Performance
Manachester United's Tony Strudwick took an amateur football team through a typical training session that he would run at Manchester United's Carrington Training Centre...more
The emphasis was on fine-tuning the weekly training, match-day strategies and on making sure that the players understand how they can best condition themselves.
-
Getting in the right frame of mind for the season
-
Take time out as a team to discuss the best ways of preparing for training and weekend fixtures. Commit to the principles that are set out amongst the squad.
-
Tuning the body for football
-
Concentrate on light footwork in a series of short and varied shuttle-runs. Work key muscle groups and look to improve the quality each week.
-
Sharpening up as a squad
-
Improve work-rate and efficiency with short, crisp passing drills. Build speed and pressure on the ball to ensure players are focused and alert.
Nutritional Advice from John Brewer
Carbohydrate is the essential fuel for the body during a football match. It provides the body with explosive energy for sprinting, jumping and turning as well as fuelling the endurance aspects of the game too. These movements all place a huge drain on the body's stores, and as carbohydrate levels reduce, feelings associated with fatigue will increase.
This is why it is essential to take on board as much carbohydrate as possible to fuel performance to the final whistle. But not all food and drinks are helpful to fuelling performance. Gassy drinks will leave you feeling bloated and fuller than you actually are, meaning that less carbohydrate can be taken on board. Whilst snacks such as chocolate contain a high amount of fat, which will take longer to be digested and therefore may sit in the stomach long into the game, causing stomach complaints or a stitch. Plain water contains zero calories, and as such will not fuel performance, but will go some way to hydrating you.
An isotonic drink has a scientific blend of fluid, carbohydrate and electrolytes designed to be rapidly absorbed by the body without causing any stomach problems. It is an ideal way to fuel performance during any physical activity. Extra carbohydrate can be taken on during natural breaks in play such as half-time. Lucozade Sport Carbo-Gels and bananas are 2 foods that are ideally taken at half-time as an extra way to get more carbs on board. They are easily digested and rapidly absorbed when taken with fluid such as water or an isotonic drink. Carbo-Gels in particular should always be used in training before a match as they may cause stomach problems in some people.
John Brewer is the Director of Sporting Performance at the Lucozade Sport Science Academy. He's one of the most respected figures in applied sports science and has previously worked with the England football team.
-
How many hours sleep is recommended the night before a match?
-
Sleep is very important for overall health, and is important for recovery and the learning of skills or tactics, hence it is particularly important in preparation for a match at any level.
The issue of the optimal number of hours sleep that people require has been debated for many years, with a range of 7 to 9 hours often quoted. These figures are fine, but I believe that the amount of sleep that you need is largely an individual issue and should ultimately be judged by sleep quality and not quantity.
Practically, if you don’t feel tired during the day then you are probably getting adequate sleep and the most important thing is to get into good routines that become habit. These lifestyle factors include going to bed at a similar time every night, together with good dietary choices to fuel your training and help you recover. That way, you should be in the best possible condition to perform in your match.
Tony Strudwick- Fuelling Performance
-
I was wondering whether you use any hydration products to enhance players mental and physical performance at Manchester United?
-
Yes, we do advise that players consume fluid during training and matches as dehydration is known to affect both aerobic and skill performance. This is obviously detrimental to high-level football performance.
We use a number of products to enhance the mental and physical performance of our players. On a match-day, some players take caffeine in the form of ‘Lucozade Sport with Caffeine Boost’ approximately 45 to 60 minutes prior to kick-off. Research has shown that caffeine increases both mental skill and physical performance.
Before, during and after matches, the players are advised to consume Lucozade Sport to increase fluid and carbohydrate delivery to the working muscles to enable the players to work at high-intensity and attempt to offset fatigue. These isotonic drinks are better than water as carbohydrate is the ‘football-fuel’, yet they also provide fluid and electrolytes to the muscle at a rapid rate to tackle the issue of dehydration that the players face during high-level matches.
Tony Strudwick- Fuelling Performance
-
To stay hydrated how much fluid should I have before a game?
-
It is important to start training or a competitive fixture in a well hydrated state. Current guidelines suggest that you should drink somewhere in the region of 350-500 ml of fluid 2-4 hours before exercise. If your urine is still yellow in the 60-90 min before then this is a sign that you are still dehydrated. At this stage it is recommended that you continue to drink further 200-400 ml of fluid up until kick off.
Tony Strudwick- Fuelling Performance
-
With the weather getting cooler, is it as important to drink as much fluid as when the conditions were warmer?
-
Towards the summer when the weather is hot people find it easier to remember to drink because your body temperature rises. During the winter months it gets more difficult to recognise that you need more fluid on board. Hotter weather obviously makes you sweat more to cool down, so replacing that is important, but it is also vital to stay hydrated in the cooler weather. Often when you exercise you lose more fluid from your lungs, which you will notice in the air and your body still needs to sweat to get rid of the increased heat produced by exercise. A good tip is making sure your urine is clear, but even better if you can weigh yourself before and after you will get a good idea of how much you sweat during a game – then it’s nice and easy to know exactly how much fluid you need to drink for the next game.
Tony Strudwick- Fuelling Performance
Tony Strudwick is the head of Sports Science at Manchester United and had a vital role in the back room team which orchestrated United's historic 2007/08 double winning season.
Tony Strudwick Profile
Tony Strudwick started his football career as a player for Colchester United before turning his attention to Sports Science having gained both a degree and PhD in the subject.
Tony has a wealth of experience at Premier League level, having previously worked as Blackburn Rovers' Fitness Coach for three seasons before moving to Manchester United in 2007. He has also previously worked with West Ham, Coventry and the FA.
Tony is in a great position to offer help them in what players understand which products and food groups footballers should be consuming before, during and after matches.
Tony Strudwick is the head of Sports Science at Manchester United and had a vital role in the back room team which orchestrated United's historic 2007/08 double winning season.