Top 10 nutrition tips for female team sport athletes 🏆🏃‍♂️

Proper nutrition is not only essential but can be a GAME-CHANGER for female team sport athletes. From training intensity and match-day performance to recovery and injury prevention, how you fuel directly impacts how you play. In this blog, I'll share my top 10 evidence-based nutrition tips as a fellow team sport athlete and sports dietitian to help you beat fatigue, improve recovery and perform at your best all season long 💪

1. Fuel for training, not just game day
   Performance is built during the week and in pre-season, not just on game day. Under-fuelling midweek sessions = flat legs on game day and trouble adjusting to higher intensity efforts. Training should be a simulation of game day - so don't skip your pre-training meals or snacks 🍌

2. Carbs are your performance weapon, not the enemy
   Quality carbs charge our internal batter and power speed, repeat efforts and decision-making, especially in high-intensity team sports. Being strategic with your carb intake before and after training is essential to not only boost performance during exercise, but aid in proper recovery 🧘

3. Protein at every meal = better recovery
   Spreading protein across the day supports muscle repair, strength gains and injury prevention. We cannot store protein in our body (unlike carbs!) so we need a constant influx of quality protein throughout the day to saturate our muscles and connective tissue to keep them happy & healthy 🥩

4. Don’t ignore iron (especially in-season)
   Low iron is common in female athletes and can crush energy, endurance and focus. Iron helps us to transport oxygen around the body to help us produce energy and recover properly, so without this, our performance CRASHES. If you have a history of low iron (ferritin in-particular) or haven't had it checked for a while - this is your sign 🩸

5. Eat before you’re starving
   Waiting until you’re ravenous or hangry often leads to poor choices and missed fuelling opportunities. Have you ever not eaten after a game because you have 'no appetite' and then been 10x hungrier and raiding the pantry 2 hours later? Yep, thats what happens when we don't give our body what it needs 💥

6. Hydration affects skill, not just endurance
   Even mild dehydration can impact kicking accuracy, reaction time and concentration. Our brain is 75% water, so any dehydration automatically reduces how fast we can think/react which in sport - can be the difference between premiership glory and heartbreak 🏆

7. Recovery nutrition starts as soon as you finish a session
   Carbs + protein post-training accelerates muscle repair and prepares you for the next session. If you're training hard each day, you need to have a meal within 45 minutes of your session - otherwise, a protein and carb based snack is ESSENTIAL to get in ASAP until you can eat a regular meal 🚀

8. Your menstrual cycle matters
   Energy needs, recovery and cravings can change across the cycle - smart fuelling adapts with it. Knowing your body and your own personal requirements during your cycle can give you an edge over your opponents who may not be adapting their nutrition to their cycle 🏋️‍♀️

9. Supplements are optional, food is foundational
   Most athletes need consistency with their food, not more powders. Supplements should be targeted, not trendy. If you're not nailing the basics with your food which is 99% of the picture, the 1% you get from supplements won't even touch the sides 💊

10. Consistency beats perfection
    One “perfect” meal won’t change performance and one "bad" meal won't either - but solid habits, repeated daily, will. Food is fuel, but food is also love, happiness and social connection. Managing all of these in conjunction with one another will not only make you a better athlete, but a better family member, friend and teammate 🤝