That you should drink enough as a soccer player most people know. But what exactly should you drink and does it differ what you should drink before, during or after the game? In this blog, we answer this.
Here's what a soccer player drinks:
Before the game, during the game and at halftime, soccer players drink water. Some soccer players prefer to drink an isotonic sports drink, which is a sugary sports drink. After the game, soccer players drink water. This is to prevent dehydration and promote recovery.
When you read on, we explain more about what exactly soccer players drink before, during, at halftime and after the game. We also explain what an isotonic sports drink is, whether soccer players drink alcohol and what exactly professional soccer players drink. Finally, we also explain whether soccer players drink coffee and/or tea.
As you read in the intro, what a soccer player drinks varies from moment to moment. It also varies per footballer what his preference is. Below we explain in detail what a soccer player drinks before, during, at halftime and after a game.
Soccer players drink water or a fruit juice before a game. If you choose a fruit juice, it is important that no extra sugars have been added.
Take 400 to 600ml of water or fruit juice two to three hours before the match. This is about 2 to 3 glasses.
Just before a game it is also good to drink something (about 15 minutes beforehand). This will ensure that you don't get thirsty during the game. Preferably take water or an isotonic sports drink such as Aquarius or Dextro Energy.
Tip!
Drink what you drink 15 minutes before the game in one go. This reduces the chances of getting a sloshing sensation while running.
You drink this so your body has enough water. Water is important to avoid dehydration and to reduce the chance of injury. Learn more about this in our blog Why should you drink enough as a soccer player?
If there is a chance that you can also drink during the match, this is highly recommended. This is the time to prevent dehydration and re-supply your body with water that you lost during sweating.
This can be done, for example, when there is an injury treatment or a set piece moment.
Soccer players drink water during a game. However, do not drink too much to avoid a sloshing sensation.
At halftime, a soccer player once again drinks water. As you read in the intro, some soccer players choose to drink an isotonic sports drink. This provides the body with the right materials. These substances, including sugars, give the soccer player energy for the second half.
After a soccer game, it is best to drink water. Drink a bottle of water immediately after the game. Two or three glasses of water are also among the options.
By playing soccer, you lose a lot of water because you sweat. It is therefore important to replenish your water levels after a soccer game.
Some soccer players drink a protein shake after a game. The proteins contribute to muscle recovery.
Does drinking enough water help prevent injuries? You will find out about this in our blog How to prevent injuries in soccer (9 methods).
An isotonic sports drink is a drink consumed by many athletes. Especially in endurance sports such as running and cycling. Soccer players also choose this because they can cover quite a few miles during 90 minutes of play.
An isotonic sports drink contains several substances that contribute to keeping you performing longer. For example, it contains sugars, which contribute to having more energy during the game.
Sodium, magnesium and potassium are three other substances you will find in here. Among other things, these substances contribute to a good water balance in the body.
Earlier we mentioned that Aquarius is an isotonic sports drink. However, there are many other examples. Examples include Dextrose Energy and AA drink (not the orange variant) and Isostar (often available in powder form). However, there are many other different brands. These can be found in sports supplement stores.
Usually isotonic comes in powder form, you have to add water yourself because of this.
Yes soccer players, both amateur and professional, drink alcohol. However, it is not that they all do. Below we will go into this in more detail.
Yes amateur soccer players drink alcohol. Certainly not all of them will do this. However, most people do know that many soccer players go into the canteen after the game to have a social drink. Here beer is often the big favorite.
Yes professional soccer players drink alcohol; however, not all of them do. Although most soccer players do not drink alcohol during a season there are some soccer players who do have a glass of wine or a beer from time to time.
You often see soccer players like to have a drink after a season. Especially if they have become champions with the club, alcohol such as beer and champagne is handed out immediately after the match. Partly because of this, quite a few soccer players have already given interviews while drunk.
As we mentioned earlier, there are also soccer players who do not drink alcohol at all. There are several reasons for this:
Because of religion
Some footballers simply do not drink alcohol because of religion. For example, Mohamed Salah, Paul Pogba and Ribery are Muslim and therefore do not drink alcohol.
Because it has a bad influence on performance
There are also soccer players who are not Muslim and do not drink. Examples are Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane and Gareth Bale. They do not drink alcohol because it affects their performance and want to live as healthy as possible.
Because they are role models
Most professional soccer players are (world) famous and followed by millions of people, including children. For some footballers, being a role model is the reason they don't drink alcohol.
Because they don't like it
Some soccer players simply don't drink alcohol because they just don't like it.
Actually, a professional football player drinks everything that everyone else drinks. This has to do with many different factors.
There are an incredibly large number of professional soccer players
There are an incredibly wide variety of professional soccer players. This makes it very likely that there are footballers among them who drink different drinks. For example, player X might enjoy a glass of Coca Cola at home after a game.
You don't know what they drink at home
Because there are so many professional soccer players you simply don't know exactly what they drink at home, so this could be anything. Although the club they play for makes a diet for them, the club has no control over what they will and will not drink.
There is a difference between what they drink during and after the season
During a soccer season, most professional football players are incredibly disciplined. Many drink only water, coffee, tea or a sports drink. After a season, some players let go of the reins. Then there is room for a alcoholic drink.
Yes both amateur and professional soccer players drink tea. Especially in amateur soccer, tea is still drunk at halftime of a match. Professional soccer players drink tea in their free time. They do this because this is flavored and it does not contain sugar.
Both professional and amateur soccer players drink coffee. However, professional soccer players choose to drink the coffee without sugar. Whether some of them add milk is not known. Our guess is that they do.
Among amateur soccer players, it varies greatly. It depends on what the person likes best.
By now you know exactly what is best to drink before, during, at halftime and after a soccer game. If you choose water you are actually always right. If you want extra energy quickly, you can choose an isotonic sports drink.
It varies per soccer player (both amateur and professional) what they drink in their free time. Some pros sometimes drink alcohol where others never touch it.