Five important dietary supplements for football players

“Let food be thy medicine, let medicine be thy food”

- Socrates

Sports are not all about living on the field, and walking home drenched in sweat and never-ending emotions. It also deals with handling the metabolism of our body. I echo what Socrates said above. Food should be our only medicine, because every artificial medicine contains chemicals. On a medical note, every medicine, which contains chemical, is useful in a limited quantity. Else, they would develop immunity to our internal systems, and would turn carcinogenic in the latter part of our lives.

Football is the game of the world. It’s a field game in which we see the magic of the feet, the head and the chest of players, who exhibit great skills and stamina, as well as physical and mental strength. In this write-up of mine, I’d like to put some emphasis on nutrition in football. Here’s a list of foods to be taken as a diet for football players:

1) Venison: This is the flesh of an animal that’s hunted, usually that of a deer. Deer is here preferred for its high protein nature, and low cholesterol levels. The presence of amino acids, iron and Vitamin B-12 (Cyanocobalamine) increases the stamina and the endurance levels of the players. Proper care should be taken while buying this, as it is believed that chronic wasting disease (CWD), a transmittable one, spreads at a good rate from animal to humans when taken.

2) Mackerel: This is a forage fish mostly found on the edges of oceans and rivers. It is susceptible to human hunting, and is a favorite food for sea creatures like whales, sharks, dolphins and sea birds. As a fish by nature, it’s highly rich in oils and fatty acids. This is good for vision and digestion. Cholesterol levels are also low in mackerels. It is believed to play a good role in muscle metabolism, and thereby elevating the mood levels.

3) Broccoli: This is from the family of cabbage, rich in vitamin A, useful for the player’s vision. This is highly rich in vitamin C and anti-oxidants, facilitating good digestion. The good thing about this is that it safeguards the lungs, thereby increasing the player’s endurance and ensuring that he doesn’t get tired very early. As football players travel a lot, and get to encounter various foods and climates, broccoli protects their changing metabolism and thereby increases their immunity. However, players should only eat this raw, either slightly steamed or in salads – cooking destroys the anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties of this vegetable.

4) Almond: This nut is a good source of carbohydrates and dietary fiber. It has unique properties to remove brain debility, and strengthen the brain, thereby increasing the common sense of the player while guessing his partner’s pass, and passing the ball perfectly during pressure situations. The amino acid also facilitates for good blood flow, as it contains decent amounts of B-complex vitamins. While consuming it, it is suggestible to soak the nuts in water for two hours, grinding the blanched one into a smooth paste and adding to boiled and cooled water to get good almond milk.

5) Spinach: Spinach, like any leafy vegetable, contains a high amount of vitamin D, and is a rich source of anti-oxidants, which prevents the damage of the cell by free radicals. This aids the player attain better energy levels due to its good iron content. The calcium in spinach protects the player by providing better nourishment to his/her bony tissues. This improves the cardio-vascular endurance, fair transportation of blood around the body, a strong agent for improving the player’s vision. It also lowers the cholesterol levels.

Besides the above, foods like beetroot juice, curry spices, green tea, milk, banana are most helpful to football players. I would like to sum up my write-up with the following quote:

“Water is the most neglected nutrient.”