3 biggest mistakes female footballers make in preparing for the game

Three performance nutritionists who’ve worked with teams in the Women’s Super League and the Lionesses, as well as youth academies in the Premiership shed light on the three biggest mistakes female footballers are making... and it’s all about fuelling for the game.

1) Not eating enough carbs

Aimee Ellen O’Keeffe, is a co-founder of the Female Football Nutrition Network (FFNN: https://www.instagram.com/femalefootballnutrition/) bringing her wealth of experience as the former Performance Nutritionist for Manchester United Women’s team to this practical, science-backed educational nutrition platform specifically designed for women and girls participating in football. “One of the biggest mistakes that female footballers make is they just don’t consume enough carbohydrates in the 24 hours prior to kickoff.

With Manchester United, Aimee Ellen O’Keeffe

“Female footballers often underestimate the importance of carbohydrates - this is often due to a lack of understanding about the role of carbs and how they fuel high-intensity exercise. The misinformation around nutrition, different messages spread over social media and that stigma around carbs that’s been around for years combines with the social pressure around body image, all contributing to a reduction in carbohydrate consumption.

"Many players also believe that having just a bigger plate of pasta for dinner the night before the game is enough, but proper carbohydrate loading actually needs to begin 24 hours prior to kickoff time. So, one of the easiest things to do is to incorporate fluid-based carbs like sports drinks, smoothies and fruit juices as a really effective way to boost energy stores, better known as glycogen stores, without relying on the large portions of food which can often put a lot of female players off.”

2) Under-eating to avoid feeling sluggish for a game

Dr. James Morehen has over 10 years of experience in the nutrition field, spending four years at The Football Association with England Football and 18 months with the Lionesses in the run up to their 2022 Euros campaign. “What I've seen in practice is that players don't like to feel too heavy leading into a game. So what they will then tend to deviate towards is having meals with very lighter protein options or minimal food and fluid on the day of the game. This then results in an under-fuelled player leading into the fixture which is not ideal.

At Brentwood FC from left to right: Evan Bailey, Aimee Ellen O’Keeffe and Dr James Morehen

“Some of the solutions to this are looking at how the individual can increase carbohydrate - glycogen - content via liquids. And a strategy that we use in elite sport now includes a fruit-based smoothie to be consumed the morning of the game. This mixture of glucose and fructose hits about 50 grams of carbohydrates.

"Or you can look at some of the sport supplements like a maltodextrin powder boosting your carbohydrate intake during the morning leading into a game. The important thing to remember is that carbohydrate content is going to boost your performance because it ups your blood glucose levels and therefore your muscle glycogen.”

3) Still believing that snacking is bad

Evan Bailey has spent the past two years working with youth athletes, teaching them the importance of performance nutrition. His current role with Birmingham City FC as the Lead Academy Nutritionist focuses on promoting positive fuelling habits among players, parents and host families.

“From my perspective the biggest thing that I come across in practice is that youth athletes typically tend to under-eat. It’s ingrained into you from a young age that you shouldn’t be snacking, but this ultimately comes from a lack of awareness from both the player and the parent on like the sheer volume that they need to eat and what that should consist of. Foods that are high in calcium such as milk, yogurt and other sources of dairy and leafy greens, meat and pulses that are high in iron, protein and fibre all contribute to improved performance.

“Incorporating all these nutrients means more than eating just three times a day – snacking is essential. So I always speak to players about packing snacks for mid-morning, lunch and training breaks – especially at school when we know that the food selection is unlikely to support performance.

"We focus in on the pre- and post-training windows. What are they eating in the run up to training and games to the body? What are they eating after games from a refuelling and repair perspective? We talk about those pit stops – are you prepared with convenient on-the-go snacks that are energy dense and pack a lot of nutrients?”

Avoiding these three mistakes, understanding the nutrition needs of your body and changing your fuelling habits will increase energy, provide consistent focus and help you love your body as an athlete whether you play at grass roots or professional level.

Together, these three experts have crafted the Female Football Nutrition Network platform to be the ultimate resource for female footballers and parents. The FFNN provides easy-to-digest science-backed education, expert advice and a supportive community. Members have access to regular webinars, practical advice and solutions for pre-match preparation and post-game recovery, recipes, guest speakers, 1-1 consultations and much more, all designed to help them power up their game.

Martha Thomas plays striker for Tottenham Hotspur in the Women’s Super League and Scotland International, “Working with Aimee has been so helpful as a professional athlete. I knew the basics before - like carbs are important to fuel and protein is needed to help recover - but this expertise gives so much more information that’s not only easy to understand but also easy to apply. I now have such a better idea of when to eat certain foods not just what foods to eat. I used to worry about eating too much but Aimee really put my mind at ease with highlighting the importance of fuel and how to make sure my body is in the best place as an athlete.”

The Female Football Nutrition Network app launches Monday 28th October so female athletes and parents will be able to make informed choices and build fuelling habits that will benefit them on and off the pitch. For more information and to join, visit: https://female-football-nutrition-network.circle.so/checkout/general-subscription