Gary Fixter - Nutrition at halftime

Gary Fixter - What to eat at the football game break?

Do you know what to eat at the break of a football game? Wait! Let's go a little further ... I'm not going to say drink anymore, because it's the first thing we usually do when we get to the changing rooms ... Did you know that we have to eat something at halftime to reach a better level in the second half?

In this article we will give you some tactics to apply at the break of the game to optimize your performance as a soccer player for the second half.

Rest at the soccer game

We know very well that a soccer game has two periods of time and that, depending on the category you play in or your age, these parts last between 20 and 45 minutes. Also, depending on these levels, the rest will vary between a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 15 minutes.

Special cases are seen during pre-seasons or games that are played at extreme temperatures (with extreme temperatures, we mean the unusual ones), such as summer games, where there are breaks in the middle of the respective parts so that the players can rehydrate for several minutes. Once this is done, the match where they left off is restarted.

Gary Fixter -During halftime, players and coaches seek to relax physically and mentally while replenishing their strength through ergogenic aids. This "ergogenic" refers to the application of any method or maneuver (be it nutritional, physical, mechanical, psychological or pharmacological) that is carried out in order to improve the ability to perform a specific physical job.

In this article on "what do players do at half-time in a match", we talk about these aspects in a general way, giving light tips on how to take the break in an effective way. We touched on topics such as: what do the players do when they arrive at the dressing room, how the coaching staff invests and how they should communicate with the player, among other things. But, in this case, we will touch more on the nutritional issue of the soccer player.

soccer game

So what should we eat and drink during the game break? Also, is it worth any amount? Or, are there optimal amounts and set times that will help us better absorb nutrients? Let's take a look at per-game nutrition.

We take this opportunity to recommend this article in which we teach you to read food labels correctly, in order to be better informed and develop your own diets yourself. Knowing how to read them is the ABC of nutrition.

Carbohydrate intake during activity

As you know, carbohydrates are a great source of fuel and will be our main allies during the recovery for the second part. That is why a lot of emphasis is placed on the consumption of this nutrient and more, when soccer is a mixture of strength and endurance. Then, they will be the main choice when choosing what to eat at the break of a football game, to the detriment of the proteins or fats.

Gary Fixter -What foods to eat and how to hydrate at halftime

At last we will see with examples what to eat at the break of a football game. The goal is to accelerate recovery and fill all glycogen stores to increase our endurance until the end of the match. The best thing to do is to drink isotonic drinks (high in glucose, potassium, sodium chloride and electrolytes) or just water.

Some research has found that consuming these drinks improves sprint speed, motor skills, and even our mood. These positive effects are also observed when athletes start with an optimal level of glycogen before activity

Apart from the aforementioned drinks, the contribution of carbohydrates can be made through gels, bars (snacks), candies, fruit or dehydrated fruit.

We recommend consuming between 100 and 250 ml (usually) of drinks containing carbohydrates.

Thus, the football player's nutrition during halftime can be supplied in a varied way, always individualizing each case for greater efficiency.

Isotonic drinks

Isotonic drinks are those rehydrating drinks or sports drinks, that is, those with a high rehydration capacity. They include in their composition low doses of sodium, usually in the form of sodium chloride or sodium bicarbonate, sugar or glucose and, usually, potassium and other minerals.

Gels

Energy gels are one of the most widely used energy supplements and are made up of a combination of different types of carbohydrates.

Energy bars

Energy bars are a food supplement that increases the energy or nutrients provided by the diet, and they serve to meet specific needs.

Candies

There are some varieties so you can take advantage of the benefits of sweets without ingesting the highly processed nutrients from commercial companies. These are specific treats for you that will give your energy system an extra boost, so you can consume them without feeling bad about it.