Tip of the week by Gloria Averbuch – Fatigue and Food in the World Cup

As time moves on in the World Cup, games have accumulated, and in this stage, some have gone into overtime (30 minutes of additional playing). Even during the regulation, the possibility of the effects of fatigue is apparent. Earlier in the tournament, Diogo  Ferreira , a Portuguese friend and Sports Nutritionist (http://thesoccerdiet.blogspot.com) commented, “ I was astonished watching Slovakia's third goal against Italy in the 88th minute. It revealed a great lack of attention from the Italian defenders! And that brings to mind the importance of fueling adequately before and during soccer games, to reduce the likelihood of losing focus before the game is over.”

Here is a tip from Food Guide for Soccer, which gives detailed information for “staying in the game,” with good nutrition.

STAY IN THE GAME

Some statistics reveal that the majority of goals are scored in the last five minutes of the first and second half of the game. And according to an analysis of goals scored at the 2002 men’s World Cup, the peak of scoring was between the 76th and 90th minutes of the matches. That means that most likely, fatigue and/or lack of focus has a major impact on allowing opponents to score. This is most apparent on the youth soccer level. Smart nutrition can keep you in the game, and competitive until the final whistle. (You can check my blog post on “Match day Nutrition for Soccer” - http://tiny.cc/6wiy5 - for helpful info)

Analysis by W.W.S. Njororai, African Journal for Physical, Health Education, Recreation and Dance.

Excerpted from Food Guide for Soccer—Tips & Recipes From the Pros, with Women’s Professional Soccer, by Gloria Averbuch and Nancy Clark, RD. Available on www.amazon.com or www.nancyclarkrd.com