A Soccer player is like a
high-performance automobile. You have to put the best fuel
in a car to get the best results out of it. It's the same
way with your body. Getting the right nutrients in the right
amounts every day is as important to your soccer performance
as drills and scrimmages. Here are some tips that will help
you fuel your body right for soccer.
Don't skip breakfast
As an active, growing person,
you need to at least three full, healthy meals a day. By starting
the day with a good breakfast, you get more of the nutrition you
need plus more energy for everything you do, from school to soccer
practice. There are lots of healthy options, from cereal and milk
to fruit smoothies. Choose your favorites.
Avoid Junk Foods
They may taste good, but foods
like snack chips, soda, and fried fast food will keep you from being
the best you can be on the soccer field and can cause serious health
problems later in life. There are alternatives to junk food that still
taste good. Instead of greasy hamburger, how about a nice turkey sub
with lots of veggies?
Drink Accelerade
Use a sports drink such as
Accelerade during every practice and game. Water isn't good enough.
It only replaces one out of three things your body loses during
exercise. You also need electrolytes, which are the minerals that
make your sweat salty, and carbohydrate, which is the main fuel
for your muscles. A good sports drink like Accelerade has the
water, electrolytes and carbohydrate you need to play harder, longer.
Tim Howard plays goalkeeper
for the MetroStars and the U.S. National Team. A native of North
Brunswick, N.J., Howard was named Major League Soccer Goalkeeper
of the Year in 2001.