By Hibernian FC

1. Everything starts the day before

Players (or anyone with a game the next day) should avoid spicy and greasy foods, meals that contain a lot of sauces and cut out red meat because it takes a while to digest. They should also carb load. That means eating stuff like pasta and sweet potatoes. It’s all about focusing on less protein and more carbs.

2. Eat the right breakfast

This should be carbohydrate based. Our players eat fruit, porridge, toast and pancakes. Breakfast can also include protein sources like eggs but remember to prioritise carbs. Black pudding, sausages and bacon are sadly off the menu!

3. Stay hydrated

Our players drink plenty of water, sometimes with electrolytes in them. I think more casual footballers sometimes forget to keep themselves hydrated. Always bring a bottle of water to games. Dehydration has a massive and negative impact on your performance. During the game, our players also take in more carbohydrates via drinks, gels, or other supplements like caffeine.

4. Pre-match meal

This is the most important meal. I am sure you can detect a theme here, but carbs are key. Footballers eat the calories they need, but sometimes fall short on the amount of carbohydrates required. We can see if they don’t have enough since fatigue sets in earlier. Some players are superstitious about what they eat pre-match, so we adapt our meals to suit their needs since it’s so important for them.

5. Time to refuel

During the first hour after a game, our players (and those of you reading this who want to improve) need carbohydrates. Players use all the deposits they have in their muscles during the match. A lot of people think about protein, but in this case, especially with a midweek game, you have to replace the carbs you just used. So, our players eat things like chicken wraps, burritos, fruit salad… and sometimes even pizza! They also have recovery drinks like chocolate milk. When they get home, they will then eat a pretty substantial meal with their family or even a ‘cheat’ treat, which is totally fine. But before that happens, we must make sure their recovery is well under way. All that said, when you have two games in a week, like the current schedule, you have to be very strict!