Research
Macro partitioning
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.
Aim for 1.2-1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily, spread across 4 meals (approx 0.3 g/kg per meal). Focus on high-quality sources like dairy, eggs, or meat to ensure complete amino acid profiles. Protein supplements are likely unnecessary if you eat enough whole foods.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
1.2– 1.4 g protein kg−1 BW day−1 is likely sufficient and may even be at the high end in some training periods... Protein supplements therefore seem not to be needed
Why this rating
Based on meta-analyses and consensus statements referenced in the review.
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
narrative_reviewCited 29×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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
- 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.Good
Related findings · Macro partitioning
- Total daily protein intake of 1.6 g/kg/day is sufficient for maximizing resistance training-induced muscle gains, with an upper confidence interval of 2.2 g/kg/day.Strong
- 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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