Foods to be avoided by amateur football players

Food is a decisive factor, when it comes to the performance of a sports activity. Even if you strictly follow a diet plan, the food that you eat just before and after your performance can affect your physical as well as your mental health. Eating the right quantity of food is another thing to consider, because you would not want to upset your stomach or keep it empty. To feel energetic and have complete focus on the game, you should know what to eat and what not to eat. To guide yourself on what to eat and what not to better, you will have to gauge the effects of your exercise or sports, their duration, and type. If the sport or exercise is high-endurance, you may have to depend on a largely carbohydrate diet and eliminate other foods from the list. However, if the sport or exercise is very light-bearing, you can have a balanced diet with moderate amounts of protein, carbohydrates and vitamins. What you truly have to understand is, whatever the diet, there are a few foods that should be eliminated for all sports and exercise activities. Read on to help yourself with information on the foods to avoid for a sports performance. 

Fast Food

This encompasses a lot of foods from major food chains. These foods tend to be made of low-quality ingredients and are unhealthy in almost every way, featuring high amounts of fat, cholesterol, sodium and grease. They're loaded with unhealthy calories that are not good for your body to turn into energy, particularly when used for athletic performance.

Caffeine

The effect of caffeine varies from person to person. Some people may feel that it gives more energy to perform the sports activity, while others may get nervous and find it hard to concentrate after the consumption of drinks containing caffeine. Moreover, the intake of beverages such as tea and coffee can cause dehydration. Side effects such as nausea and headache are also associated with the consumption of drinks containing caffeine. Caffeine is also known to be a diuretic which means that it can cause the reduction of bodily fluids and can also affect fluid balance of the body. Caffeine may be an energy booster but it is said to have negative, drastic effects on the body if had in large amounts, and especially before that big game.

Soft Drinks

Soft drinks can damage athletes in a number of ways. First, they contain lactic acid, which builds up in muscles and contributes to muscle soreness. They can also dehydrate those who consume them, and the sugars provide cheap energy that is burned quickly and can lead to an energy crash.

Processed Foods

These foods, whether they're white flour, processed meats or other processed foods, have been changed through the production process to be more cheaply made. Most times, this results in the most healthy aspects of the food being removed, such as the whole grains in many grain foods when they are processed. These foods feature more empty calories, and refrigerated foods tend to have more sodium and preservatives used to make the food last longer, making it an unhealthy option.

Fried Food

Since fried food is loaded with oil, the body takes a long time to digest the fats present in it. You may feel drowsy and may not be able to concentrate on the activity, because fried food makes the stomach feel very heavy. Hence, the consumption of fried food should be avoided before the performance of sports.

Sugary Foods

Sugary foods, such as cakes, pastries, pudding, ice creams, sweets, biscuits etc, should be avoided before the performance of the sports activity because they can cause your blood sugar level to drop, which may, in turn, lead to fatigue. Foods rich in sugar also cause flatulence, lead to stomach bloating, puffiness and finally, the development of gas or indigestion.