What is the best snack for soccer teams?
October 24, 2008 – 8:09 amLast year, my daughter’s soccer club participated in a research study conducted by Jennifer Sacheck at Tufts University in Boston to examine the effects of three different pre-exercise snacks on exercise intensity, fatigue, blood sugar and stress levels in children playing an indoor soccer match.
The results indicated that “pre-game snacks that are high in sugar and low in nutrients may not affect child’s performance in a soccer game but could affect how a child feels during and after the game.” The study was funded by the California Raisin Marketing Board which I think might have wanted a nice ad campaign: “Eat ten raisins and you score a goal.”
The study also concluded that:
- On average, soccer players burned only 122 calories per 50 minute game with no difference between boys and girls.
- In a 60 minute game, kids only spend 17 minutes per game in moderate to vigorous activity (34% of a 50 minute game). So 66% of the time children were lightly active or sedentary.
- Tie games resulted in an extra 4-5 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity.
Most youth soccer programs field 50% to 100% more players per team than required so the maximum playing time per player is half to 3/4 of a game. Goalies are essentially loitering for most of the game so if you remove those players from the average (1/6 in 6v6 indoor) then field players are actually spending 20 minutes of vigorous activity per game.
What snacks or pre-game meals do impact performance? Proteins and carbohydrates earlier in the day or the night before?
What is the best snack? Based on popularity alone, the orange slice at halftime seems to be the winner.
2 Responses to “What is the best snack for soccer teams?”
Bananas!..
They replace burned off potassum, and thwart cramps…
(they are also good right after a cramp has set in… 10 minutes later, you are back in the game.!!
By jack barry on Oct 27, 2008
I coached a 5th/6th grade co-ed soccer team. I agree that the orange slices are a big hit. Nothing tastes better than an orange at halftime.
I think there are too many sports drinks out there. I recommend water for the kids, and I tell parents not to bring cookies for the team.
I found the statistics on calorie burn during a game interesting. I prefer a smaller team so each kid gets more playing time. ALL the kids want more time in the game.
By maureen on Nov 5, 2008