When it comes to football, hitting your nutritional goals is so much more than carb-loading and protein-packing. It’s true the basic principles involve stocking up your carbohydrate stores and maximising muscle repair with protein – and your best way to do this is through your diet. But could you also take your supplements up a league?

With the help of our H&B sports nutritionist Emily Foster, we’ve delved deeper into some vitamins, supplements and products that could help you achieve your goals on and off the pitch.

Ease post-match aches with magnesium

“A magnesium lotion or bath soak is great if you get localised cramps after a match,” says Emily, who goes onto explain that studies have found a link between magnesium supplements and sleep quality, which has encouraged further research in the potential benefits of magnesium in sleep.¹ A relaxing soak in the bath will help get you ready for the next day’s training.

Not into baths? Magnesium can be found in green, leafy vegetables, legumes and wholegrains,² but you can also take it as a supplement, apply it as a lotion or spray format.

If you get regular cramps, speaking to your doctor should be the first port of call to check for any underlying issues.

RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for magnesium³

300mg a day for men
270mg a day for women

Vitamin D for strength and immune health

Concept of autumn supplementation. Closeup of a vitamin D capsule and yellow leaves.

“Vitamin D is really important for normal muscle function, muscle growth and bone health and immune health,” says Emily. That’s good news if you’re putting in the hours in all weathers and want to stay feeling your best.

“The government advises to supplement with at least ten micrograms (mcg) vitamin D in the UK between the months of October to March because we don't get enough sunlight.⁴

So whether or not you're playing football between the months of October to March, a vitamin D supplement would be beneficial.”

If you choose to take vitamin D supplements, 10mcg a day will be enough for most people, as too much over a long time period can have detrimental effects.⁴ Remember to follow the product label to take the correct dosage per day and speak to your doctor if you think you have a deficiency.

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Creatine for those short, sharp sprints

“Creatine is a really good one for footballers as it has anti-inflammatory properties,” says Emily. According to her experience working with footballers and anecdotally she says, “It can help with recovery, but it can also be used to increase energy in high-intensity exercises, such as the really short sprints you get on the pitch.”

"To minimise gastrointestinal discomfort, try splitting the intake into smaller doses"

Emily also has some important guidance for creatine newbies: “When taking creatine supplements, it's common to start with a loading phase followed by a maintenance phase – but the high dosage during the loading phase can sometimes cause gastrointestinal distress,” she says.

This can include diarrhoea and bloating, which she says typically subsides once the dosage is reduced during the maintenance phase. “To minimise gastrointestinal discomfort during the loading phase, a helpful tip is to split the intake into smaller doses, with no more than 10 grams per serving,”⁵ she explains.

Iron for women and other footballers with periods

Menstruating people have higher iron requirements, especially during their period. So Emily recommends making sure you get enough, whatever kind of exercise you’re doing.

“Symptoms of iron deficiency⁶ can include weakness, fatigue, loss of concentration – so you can just imagine how that will impact performance as well. Some really good sources of iron-rich foods would be poultry, fish, lean red meat,” she shares.

If you’re vegan or vegetarian you might have less iron in your diet too – but there are plenty of veggie sources you can add to your plate.

“Plant sources would be things like beans, lentils, spinach and dried apricots,” says Emily.

Lentil salad with veggies, healthy food, vegetarian and vegan snack

RDA for iron

8.7mg a day for men aged 19 and over
14.8mg a day for women aged 19 to 49
8.7mg a day for women aged 50 and over

If you are experiencing symptoms like weakness, fatigue, loss of concentration seek advice from a healthcare professional to get a blood test. This will determine if you are iron deficient or whether a dietary changes – possibly supported by a supplement or prescription – might be helpful.

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Electrolytes for when you’re getting your sweat on

“When sweat losses are high, it's really important that we're replenishing our lost salts through electrolytes,” says Emily. “I highly recommend gels too, just because they're a very easy way to get carbohydrates in and they’re portable, non-perishable and quick to consume.”

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athlete sitting with bottle of water and mobile phone on the railing on the stadium

Protein and beta alanine for muscle recovery (and, erm, tingles)

“We need to ensure that we're consuming enough protein to promote recovery in that window after exercise. Something like a whey protein shake or drink is ideal because it contains an essential amino acid called leucine^{7, 8} which has been found in some emerging studies to kick start recovery,” says Emily.

If you’re looking for ideas for protein sources for your post-match meal, check out nine sources of protein for vegetarians.

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You may not have heard of beta alanine, but Emily says, “it’s also great for muscle recovery.”

But there is an unexpected side effect: “It’s important to note that beta alanine often it comes with skin tingling. So, if you've ever had it before and you've noticed skin tingling, it's normally that – it’s something that people do get used to but don't be alarmed!”⁹

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Caffeine for extra focus on the field

“Caffeine has been long known to for its stimulant effects, increasing energy, alertness and performance,” says Emily.

"It takes a while to kick in, so coffee isn't really what we want at half time!"

“It's got a lot of research¹⁰ to back it, and you can have it in multiple forms. It can be in coffee, energy, drinks, gels, tablets and chewing gum,” she says. “One thing to know about caffeine is it normally takes about 20 to 60 minutes for the effects to kick in, so it's not really something that we want to be having at half time and is better an hour before kick off.”

“Because caffeine does stay in your body, you can still feel the effects up to ten hours later. So if you're playing an evening match and you're having caffeine, it might actually affect your ability to sleep later in the evening as well.” So go easy and time it right, as sleep will give you the focus and energy you need to feel ready for your next match.

RDA for caffeine

The recommend maximum caffeine intake is 400 mg a day.

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The final say

If you’re looking to give your pitch performance a boost, start by taking care of what you eat. You’ll find plenty of ideas in our ultimate guide to football nutrition.

On top of your healthy and balanced diet, there are a variety of ways suggested by our in-house nutritionist to top up your daily vitamin intake if you struggle to get these through your diet or increase your energy levels.

We strongly advise consulting with a healthcare professional before adding any new supplements to your routine to ensure their safety and suitability to you.

The advice in this article is for information only and should not replace medical care. Please check with your GP or healthcare professional before trying any supplements, treatments or remedies. Food supplements must not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.

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Reshma Aziz Merchant, Yiong Huak Chan, Denishkrshna Anbarasan, Seetharaman S, Au L, Vidhya Nachammai, et al. Impact of exercise and leucine-enriched protein supplementation on physical function, body composition, and inflammation in pre-frail older adults: a quasi-experimental study. Frontiers in Medicine. 2023 Aug 14;10.
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