Tis the season to … totally overindulge. While that may be true for many of us looking forward to a break from work, relaxing with the family and indulging this Christmas, it’s definitely not the case for top-level footballers.
Football is a particularly treasured part of British culture and outdates many other well-established Christmas customs. And so Boxing Day remains a staple of the footballing calendar. Beloved by fans as one of the highlights of the Christmas schedule, it can prove to be a tricky time for the players, who will be readying themselves for a heavy schedule of festive fixtures.
Boxing Day football means players must prepare like they would for any other game, and the prospect of training and travelling at some point on December 25th is the reality for many. So, while good food is a huge part of the Christmas festivities, the gruelling, physical demands of the beautiful game leave players and nutritionists counting the calories, and they can soon add up.
“Focus on preparation around the Christmas period is very high,” said Performance Nutritionist Ed Tooley. “It’s a very busy schedule match-wise, so performance and medical staff will be flat out making sure that players physically prepare and recover as best as possible. Injuries are managed, and players refuel after matches to prepare for the next with the short turnaround in games involved.
Tooley, who consults in elite and amateur sports and corporate business, has worked in top-level sports for well over a decade, with teams like Manchester City, Manchester United Academy, West Brom, Brighton, Norwich, and Crystal Palace engaging his services in recent years.
We asked Tooley, a huge advocate for gut health supplement brand Bimuno®, whether footballers enjoy some parts of a ‘normal Christmas’ and whether they can have their fill when it comes to the most epic roast of the year.
“A Christmas dinner happens to some degree at some stage,” added Tooley. “However, it may not be on Christmas Day as these are often days where teams will have some training or perhaps even travelling. So, a Christmas dinner on Christmas Day might be at home or as a squad, but without the trimmings. Or with the trimmings may have to be enjoyed before or after the big day depending on the schedule.”
For most of us, the Christmas period comes with a month full of Prosecco popping, chocolate gobbling and mince pie munching, not to mention your feast of choice on December 25th. Christmas is when we’re encouraged to have too much of everything; TV, food, time with family, and football.
From gorging on roast turkey and crispy roasties to a glass of fizz, a copious number of Quality Street, and many other Christmas non-negotiables, it’s easy to see why Christmas Day can represent a minefield of temptation for footballers.
“The majority of players are well adjusted to the schedule around the Christmas period, but they know the importance of it and how crucial that period can be to the team,” added Tooley. “If a player were to dip into a ‘normal’ Christmas Day during this busy schedule, practitioners like myself from the club often would have advised players on what and what not to do. This advice would include information around quantities, any foods to try to minimise or avoid and what to replace them with so that they can still enjoy a tasty meal but are not hampering their fuelling and/or recovery.”
Tooley added: “Most players now understand how important the Christmas period is and the tolls that a short turnaround can have on their bodies, so most players will be sensible around the Christmas eating and drinking. Some coaches do, of course, bring players in, and they will eat together, which adds a sense of control. However, this is often tied in with training and/or travel, and controlled food at the club ensures they fuel and recover well and enjoy a Christmas meal as a squad for some additional togetherness during a challenging schedule rather than trying to ‘moderate’ consumption. Also, you must remember that many teams now have very impressive teams of performance chefs, so the food isn’t only nutritionally ideal, it’s very tasty too.”
With the fixtures coming thick and fast over Christmas, players can’t afford to indulge to the extent the rest of us do. With that in mind, the prebiotic supplement brand Bimuno® is here to tell you how a professional footballer’s menu compares to your traditional Christmas feast.
YOUR CHRISTMAS DAY V A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLER
We start a day of festive feasting with: A family-sized tin of Quality Street, a couple of glasses of Buck’s Fizz and an avalanche of wrapping paper to force into the recycling bin.
They wake up to: A tasty breakfast containing protein and complex carbohydrates, such as poached eggs on toasted sourdough. And perhaps a smoothie alongside their typical tea/coffee. During these periods we would often look to support players’ immunity more than usual as they are susceptible to illness with the high workload and usual seasonal illnesses. This is where a product such as Bimuno® Immunity, a soluble powder that supports immune health might be found mixed into either their hot or cold beverage.
We gorge on: Endless tubs of chocolate and sweet treats! Think Quality Street, Celebrations, Roses, etc. And maybe an After Eight, too. Oh, and some posh crisps.
They snack on: Fresh fruit, yoghurts, nuts, biltong, hummus, or even perhaps some homemade/chef-made snacks like fresh cereal bars, flapjacks, protein balls, and let’s be honest, the odd hand into the sweet tin probably happens too.
We feast on: Roast turkey, pigs in blankets, roast spuds and all the trimmings, followed by Christmas pudding, Yule Log, or cheese and biscuits, all washed down with a glass or two of wine and maybe even a glass of port to finish.
They lunch on: Something very similar, but much less in quantity and minimal to no alcohol.
We glug: Buck’s Fizz, a couple down the local, sparkling wine to accompany lunch and potentially spirits we’d never ordinarily touch during the rest of the year.
They drink: Water or squash and the odd hydration/electrolyte drink to support pre-match hydration.
We unwind with: Several glasses of Baileys, perhaps a Mulled Wine, a couple of mince pies, followed by the inevitable snooze on the sofa.
They end the day with: A snack containing some protein and simple carbs, preferably some antioxidants in there too. Simple examples include granola with pouring yoghurt, berry fruit and honey (quick way to help refuel glycogen stores and repair muscles). Depending on kick-off times, the pre-bed snack would be similar, but might just be a bit more carbohydrate-dominant.
Main Photo Credit: Sandro Schush via Unsplash
What do footballers eat on Christmas Day? Football with an extra helping of football!
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Tis the season to … totally overindulge. While that may be true for many of us looking forward to a break from work, relaxing with the family and indulging this Christmas, it’s definitely not the case for top-level footballers.
Football is a particularly treasured part of British culture and outdates many other well-established Christmas customs. And so Boxing Day remains a staple of the footballing calendar. Beloved by fans as one of the highlights of the Christmas schedule, it can prove to be a tricky time for the players, who will be readying themselves for a heavy schedule of festive fixtures.
Boxing Day football means players must prepare like they would for any other game, and the prospect of training and travelling at some point on December 25th is the reality for many. So, while good food is a huge part of the Christmas festivities, the gruelling, physical demands of the beautiful game leave players and nutritionists counting the calories, and they can soon add up.
“Focus on preparation around the Christmas period is very high,” said Performance Nutritionist Ed Tooley. “It’s a very busy schedule match-wise, so performance and medical staff will be flat out making sure that players physically prepare and recover as best as possible. Injuries are managed, and players refuel after matches to prepare for the next with the short turnaround in games involved.
Tooley, who consults in elite and amateur sports and corporate business, has worked in top-level sports for well over a decade, with teams like Manchester City, Manchester United Academy, West Brom, Brighton, Norwich, and Crystal Palace engaging his services in recent years.
We asked Tooley, a huge advocate for gut health supplement brand Bimuno®, whether footballers enjoy some parts of a ‘normal Christmas’ and whether they can have their fill when it comes to the most epic roast of the year.
“A Christmas dinner happens to some degree at some stage,” added Tooley. “However, it may not be on Christmas Day as these are often days where teams will have some training or perhaps even travelling. So, a Christmas dinner on Christmas Day might be at home or as a squad, but without the trimmings. Or with the trimmings may have to be enjoyed before or after the big day depending on the schedule.”
For most of us, the Christmas period comes with a month full of Prosecco popping, chocolate gobbling and mince pie munching, not to mention your feast of choice on December 25th. Christmas is when we’re encouraged to have too much of everything; TV, food, time with family, and football.
From gorging on roast turkey and crispy roasties to a glass of fizz, a copious number of Quality Street, and many other Christmas non-negotiables, it’s easy to see why Christmas Day can represent a minefield of temptation for footballers.
“The majority of players are well adjusted to the schedule around the Christmas period, but they know the importance of it and how crucial that period can be to the team,” added Tooley. “If a player were to dip into a ‘normal’ Christmas Day during this busy schedule, practitioners like myself from the club often would have advised players on what and what not to do. This advice would include information around quantities, any foods to try to minimise or avoid and what to replace them with so that they can still enjoy a tasty meal but are not hampering their fuelling and/or recovery.”
Tooley added: “Most players now understand how important the Christmas period is and the tolls that a short turnaround can have on their bodies, so most players will be sensible around the Christmas eating and drinking. Some coaches do, of course, bring players in, and they will eat together, which adds a sense of control. However, this is often tied in with training and/or travel, and controlled food at the club ensures they fuel and recover well and enjoy a Christmas meal as a squad for some additional togetherness during a challenging schedule rather than trying to ‘moderate’ consumption. Also, you must remember that many teams now have very impressive teams of performance chefs, so the food isn’t only nutritionally ideal, it’s very tasty too.”
With the fixtures coming thick and fast over Christmas, players can’t afford to indulge to the extent the rest of us do. With that in mind, the prebiotic supplement brand Bimuno® is here to tell you how a professional footballer’s menu compares to your traditional Christmas feast.
YOUR CHRISTMAS DAY V A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLER
We start a day of festive feasting with: A family-sized tin of Quality Street, a couple of glasses of Buck’s Fizz and an avalanche of wrapping paper to force into the recycling bin.
They wake up to: A tasty breakfast containing protein and complex carbohydrates, such as poached eggs on toasted sourdough. And perhaps a smoothie alongside their typical tea/coffee. During these periods we would often look to support players’ immunity more than usual as they are susceptible to illness with the high workload and usual seasonal illnesses. This is where a product such as Bimuno® Immunity, a soluble powder that supports immune health might be found mixed into either their hot or cold beverage.
We gorge on: Endless tubs of chocolate and sweet treats! Think Quality Street, Celebrations, Roses, etc. And maybe an After Eight, too. Oh, and some posh crisps.
They snack on: Fresh fruit, yoghurts, nuts, biltong, hummus, or even perhaps some homemade/chef-made snacks like fresh cereal bars, flapjacks, protein balls, and let’s be honest, the odd hand into the sweet tin probably happens too.
We feast on: Roast turkey, pigs in blankets, roast spuds and all the trimmings, followed by Christmas pudding, Yule Log, or cheese and biscuits, all washed down with a glass or two of wine and maybe even a glass of port to finish.
They lunch on: Something very similar, but much less in quantity and minimal to no alcohol.
We glug: Buck’s Fizz, a couple down the local, sparkling wine to accompany lunch and potentially spirits we’d never ordinarily touch during the rest of the year.
They drink: Water or squash and the odd hydration/electrolyte drink to support pre-match hydration.
We unwind with: Several glasses of Baileys, perhaps a Mulled Wine, a couple of mince pies, followed by the inevitable snooze on the sofa.
They end the day with: A snack containing some protein and simple carbs, preferably some antioxidants in there too. Simple examples include granola with pouring yoghurt, berry fruit and honey (quick way to help refuel glycogen stores and repair muscles). Depending on kick-off times, the pre-bed snack would be similar, but might just be a bit more carbohydrate-dominant.
Main Photo Credit: Sandro Schush via Unsplash
Sorted Staff Writer
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