Stamina vs Endurance Ludis Athletics

Building Stamina and Endurance in Soccer with Sports Nutrition

byEmily Mitchell

In soccer, both stamina and endurance are crucial for a player’s success on the field. With the right approach to sports nutrition, players can significantly boost these key attributes.

Stamina vs Endurance

Stamina in soccer refers to the ability to exert maximum force in short, intense bursts. It’s essential for actions like sprinting, leaping, or quickly changing direction during a match, enabling players to repeatedly perform these explosive movements without losing strength.

Endurance emphasizes the ability to sustain activity over a prolonged period without necessarily exerting maximum force. In the context of soccer, endurance plays a critical role in helping players cover long distances, maintain energy levels throughout the game, and recover quickly between plays. It’s the foundation that allows players to stay agile and alert, even as the match wears on.

Building Stamina in Soccer with Sports Nutrition

Dietary Fuel Ludis Athletics Sports Nutrition

Dietary Fuel

Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy and should be a foundational part of the diet. They are broken down into glucose, which is then used by the muscles for energy. Soccer players need to eat a variety of carbohydrates throughout the day (every 3-4 hours), in addition to before, during, and after games and practices. Good sources include bread, cereal, pasta, rice, fruits, and starchy vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, peas, corn, and winter squash.

Protein helps build and repair muscle tissue, and soccer players need to eat about 1.2-1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. Distributing protein throughout the day will maximize muscle growth and repair. Good sources include lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, legumes, and beans.

Fluids are vital for maintaining stamina. Soccer players should drink plenty of fluids before, during, and after games and practices. Dehydration can lead to fatigue, muscle cramps, and heat exhaustion. Players should aim to drink about 8-10 ounces of fluids every 20-30 minutes during exercise. They should drink at least half their body weight in ounces of water daily and ensure they replace any fluid lost during training sessions and matches.

Physical Conditioning

In addition to eating a healthy diet, soccer players can improve their stamina with regular conditioning exercises to enhance cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance, and flexibility.

Sleep

Soccer players should prioritize enough sleep, which is essential for muscle recovery.

Summary and Additional Tips to Maintain Stamina

  • Eat a balanced diet with carbohydrates, protein, and fluids.
  • Do regular conditioning exercises.
  • Get enough sleep.
  • Stay hydrated.
  • Listen to your body and take breaks.
  • Cross-train with other sports.
  • Manage stress levels.
  • Get regular massages.
  • Stay positive and motivated.

Building Endurance in Soccer with Sports Nutrition

As noted earlier, endurance in soccer is about sustaining energy, covering distances, and quick recovery throughout the game. It’s essential for staying agile and alert as the match wears on.

Sports Nutrition Tips for Soccer Endurance:

  • 3-4 Hours before a Competition: Eat a carbohydrate-rich meal; hydrate with 16-24 ounces of fluid, especially water.
  • 2-3 Hours before the Match: Eat a snack or meal; give your body time to digest the food.
  • 1 Hour before the Match: Hydrate with 8-12 ounces.
  • During the Match: Sip fluids and carbohydrate electrolytes to stay hydrated.
  • Halftime: Eat a light snack to refuel your body; Ex: banana, orange slices, peanut butter pretzels.
  • After Each Match: Rehydrate, repair muscles, and replenish energy sources with a snack (like chocolate milk with banana or Greek yogurt with berries and honey) and a nutritious meal containing carbohydrates (energy), protein (muscle building), vegetables/fruits, and healthy fats (for immunity).

Specific Foods for Endurance in Soccer:

  • Carbohydrates: Main source of energy; good sources include bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, fruits, vegetables.
  • Protein: Helps muscles repair and rebuild; good sources include lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs.
  • Healthy Fats: Help absorb vitamins and minerals; good sources include avocados, olive oil, nuts, seeds.
  • Limitations: Avoid foods that make you feel sluggish or tired, like sugary drinks, processed foods, excessive caffeine.

By integrating these nutritional guidelines, soccer players can effectively enhance stamina, endurance, and overall performance on the field. 

Emily Mitchell, MS, RDN, CSSD, CDCES – Lead Performance Dietitian – Ludis Athletics

References:

Oliveira CC, Ferreira D, Caetano C, Granja D, Pinto R, Mendes B, Sousa M. Nutrition and Supplementation in Soccer. Sports (Basel). 2017 May 12;5(2):28. doi: 10.3390/sports5020028. PMID: 29910389; PMCID: PMC5968974.

Purcell LK; Canadian Paediatric Society, Paediatric Sports and Exercise Medicine Section. Sport nutrition for young athletes. Paediatr Child Health. 2013 Apr;18(4):200-5. doi: 10.1093/pch/18.4.200. PMID: 24421690; PMCID: PMC3805623.

North, M., Kelly, A.L., Ranchordas, M.K. et al. Nutritional Considerations in High Performance

Youth Soccer: A Systematic Review. J. of SCI. IN SPORT AND EXERCISE 4, 195–212 (2022).

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