Football and food

As the England team know, fuel is a vital component of your training because if you haven't got enough energy in your body, you won't be able to complete your training at a high intensity. And therefore you won't experience any improvements in your fitness.

The key nutrients from your diet that give you energy are fat, protein and carbohydrate. Carbohydrate is the main fuel you will use during training and matches, and you need to try to have a high amount of this in your diet.

Foods containing large amounts of carbohydrate include bread, potatoes, pasta, rice and cereals. Carbohydrate is stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen, and in your blood as glucose.

However, your body only has a limited store of carbohydrate so it's vital you replace this following every training session and match.

Within one hour of a training session or match your muscles are still active and the energy you've used during training or matches will be replaced and stored more quickly in your body.

During this time, you should aim to drink 1 litre of fluid and eat at least one of the following carbohydrate foods:

• two slices of toast, crumpet, bagel or English muffin with jam
• bowl of cereal with semi-skimmed milk
• 2 bananas
• cereal bar

As soon as possible after this you should have a high carbohydrate meal to replace the remaining energy and nutrients that your body has lost.

Here are two menu plans that you should try to follow during a typical training day and match day.

The timings given are just a guide, you will need to adjust these to suit your own timetable, but remember to eat your carbohydrate snack and a pint of fluid within an hour of finishing your training. And have a meal 3 hours before kick-off on a match day.

Typical Training Day
9.30/10am	Bowl of breakfast cereal Mandarin oranges Glass of fresh orange juice 1 slice of toast
11.30am	Banana or toasted muffin with jam Pint of diluted fruit juice or fruit squash
1pm	Jacket potato with prawns and cheese (e.g. cottage cheese) Pint of diluted fruit juice or fruit squash
3pm	2 bananas Handful of grapes Pint of diluted fruit juice or fruit squash
5pm	Pasta with a chicken, broccoli and tomato sauce Low-fat yoghurt Pint of diluted fruit juice or fruit squash
7pm	Bowl of breakfast cereal or banana and a packet of raisins Glass of water
8.30-10pm	Training
10.30/11pm	2 slices of toast and jam Cereal and fruit Pint of diluted fruit juice or fruit squash

Typical match Day (2pm kick-off)
9.30/10am	Pint of water Cereal and fruit
11am	2 slices of toast and scrambled eggs, tomatoes Fresh orange juice
1pm	Sports drink Banana
Up to match	Sports drink
Half-time	Sports drink
After match	Sports drink Banana or cereal bar
5/6pm	Soup and bread Chicken, pasta, vegetables in BBQ sauce Bananas and custard Pint of diluted fruit juice or fruit squash
8pm	2 slices of toast and jam Pint of diluted fruit juice or fruit squash