How To Improve On Football Off The Field
Football performance does not just depend on how much you train on the field, so you need to make some changes in your routine to get better at football. So today we will give you some tips on how to do it.
Whether you play amateur or professional football, the tips we show you will help your attitude and ability to improve significantly every time you go on the field. Use them permanently and it will not be long before you start noticing their benefits.
Nutritional recommendations to improve your football performance
Nutrition is a key part of achieving a goal and progress in any activity. Furthermore, you will not get anywhere if you neglect it. Despite this , many players do not follow a special diet that suits their needs.
Lack of knowledge or interest, or underestimation of its significance are some of the reasons why many people do not adhere to a healthy diet. Not only that, but it is also common to believe in certain half-truths. For example, the myth that increased protein intake promotes muscle recovery.
Increase your carbohydrate intake
A study published in the Journal of Science in Sports and Exercise in 2019 says that diets with high carbohydrate delays fatigue on the track. They also improve football performance, optimize muscle glycogen and reduce net glycogen fatigue.
Think of carbohydrates as the gasoline in a vehicle. The larger the tank’s reserve (in this case stored as glycogen in the muscles), the greater the distance it can travel. As you can imagine, it will not be long before it stops if it is small.
Include protein in your diet
Protein is needed as a supplement to other food groups and not as the only option on your plate. In fact, research published in the Journal of Novel Physiotherapies in 2013 suggests that a diet that contains both carbohydrates and protein can increase endurance at the end of the game by up to 43%.
The proportions vary depending on age, weight and height, although evidence suggests that you can achieve good results with a daily intake of 55-60% carbohydrates, 25-30% lipids and 12-15% protein.
Drink plenty of fluids
Researchers note that fluid loss after a session, game or match is equivalent to 1.7% of body mass. Of course, you should hydrate before and during the game, but many forget to do so afterwards.
Drinking water helps you in many ways: it helps replenish sodium levels, helps muscle recovery, regulates body temperature and reduces the likelihood of seizures.
In addition, there are other nutritional recommendations you can consider:
- Avoid processed foods
- Trying to make your own food
- Avoid eating three hours before the match
- Eating smaller portions throughout the day instead of two or three large ones
Do this in practice, and you will see how your performance improves in just a couple of weeks. Read about Lewandowski’s nutritional diet to learn what an elite player’s diet is like. However, we suggest that you consult a nutritionist to create a personal plan.
Physical conditioning to improve football performance
We are not going to outline what you should do during training in this section, which is something you probably already know. However, you can always include some habits to improve it.
Set realistic goals
You should set goals to work on it if you really want to improve the technique, speed, pace change, definition and other features of your game. You will not get better otherwise.
What you should do is sit down and think about what aspects of performance you want to improve. Write them down and set realistic goals for the short, medium and long term. Make a plan to work on these goals weekly with the help of your coach or on your own.
Evaluate the results
Sit down and evaluate the results after using the tips above. For example, how much has your speed improved from one, two or three months ago? Also use objective data such as times over a certain distance on the track. This is because you do not know how much you have done without evaluating the results objectively.
It could be that your goals are too ambitious or that your training plan will not work if the improvement does not match your goals. It also means that you are not making the right effort if that is the case.
Do strength training
Strength training is an important part of any preparation routine on the court. However , it is one of the most underrated of all the recommendations for improving football performance. Why? Because many football players do not like it.
There are dozens of studies and research that support the use of strength training to improve the performance of football players. In fact, they have benefits at all levels, so it should be an integral part of their weekly routine.
Lifestyle and mindset to improve your football performance
There are several issues you can include in your lifestyle to improve your football performance as a supplement to the above. The most important of these is discipline. Even talent will be useless if you do not practice and train for it.
Just think of how the careers of some of the most promising players have been ruined due to a lack of discipline. In turn, brought others to honor because they have been preparing for it since they were younger.
Some simple guidelines include:
- Respect your rest times
- Skip tobacco, alcohol and drugs
- Get regular massage to improve muscle recovery
- Enjoy your free time to take your mind off the game
- Share with your teammates to build self-confidence and closeness
- Discover and correct group mistakes (football is a team sport)
- Watch footage of your favorite players training or playing, and emulate them
Make sure you enjoy the sport because otherwise it is not worth it. A person who is passionate about football will not have trouble implementing all the habits that will make them better players.
