Macro partitioning
Female elite football players should consume carbohydrates in the range of 7-10 g/kg body weight per day to optimize glycogen stores, with adjustments based on training load.
To perform well, female footballers need high carbohydrate intake, typically 7-10 grams per kilogram of body weight daily, especially during heavy training. Adjust this down to 3-6 g/kg on lighter days. Prioritize carbohydrate-rich foods like bread, rice, and fruits, and ensure you tolerate these amounts during training before using them in matches.
Available data suggest that a carbohydrate intake in the range of 7– 10 g kg−1 BW day−1 may be necessary to ensure optimal glycogen stores in periods with high training volume and frequency.
Why this rating
Based on consensus statements and physiological principles of glycogen storage.
Source
Nutritional optimization for female elite football players—topical review
Maysa Vieira de Sousa et al. · Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports · 2021
DOI 10.1111/sms.14102
More from this paper
- Female elite football players frequently exhibit low energy availability (EA <30 kcal/kg FFM/day) due to insufficient energy intake relative to expenditure, leading to hormonal disturbances, menstrual dysfunction, and increased risk of stress fractures.Good
- Protein intake for female elite football players should be optimized at 1.2-1.4 g/kg body weight per day, focusing on quality and distribution (e.g., 0.3 g/kg per meal) rather than supplementation.Good
Related findings · Macro partitioning
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- Resistance exercise training combined with sufficient dietary protein intake acts synergistically to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy, with protein intake saturating around 1.6 g/kg/day for general populations and potentially requiring 2.0-2.2 g/kg/day for resistance-trained individuals.Strong
- Trans fats should be completely eliminated from the diet, as they increase LDL cholesterol, decrease HDL cholesterol, and are directly associated with increased coronary risk.Strong
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