Dietary supplements for consideration in elite female footballers

The physical demands of professional female football have intensified in recent years. Supplements are only advised in addition to a healthy, balanced diet, but may warrant a greater prevalence in the professional game to support well-being, recovery, and performance. Supplements used by players should be safe, legal, and scientifically proven to be effective. An individual approach should be taken to using supplements dependant on the needs and goals of the player. Female players should aim to improve the frequency of protein intake throughout the day, whilst tailoring doses to individual body mass. Vitamin D supplementation is vital throughout the winter months in countries with limited sun exposure, however doses should be administered based on individual blood test results. Iron is likely to be important to the well-being of female athletes throughout the season, in particular during the menses. Omega-3 and collagen may be of greater benefit to female than male athletes during recovery from soft tissue injury, whilst probiotics and creatine are beneficial throughout the season for reducing risk of illness and optimising recovery, respectively. Ergogenic supplements for football include beta-alanine, nitrate and caffeine. Caution should be taken with caffeine use due to the varying tolerance of difference athletes and sleep impairments that can follow

Dietary supplements for consideration in elite female footballers

The physical demands of professional female football have intensified in recent years. Supplements are only advised in addition to a healthy, balanced diet, but may warrant a greater prevalence in the professional game to support well-being, recovery and performance. Supplements used by players should be safe, legal and scientifically proven to be effective. An individual approach should be taken to using supplements dependant on the needs and goals of the player. Female players should aim to improve the frequency of protein intake throughout the day, whilst tailoring doses to individual body mass. Vitamin D supplementation is vital throughout the winter months in countries with limited sun exposure, however doses should be administered based on individual blood test results. Iron is likely to be important to the well-being of female athletes throughout the season, in particular during the menses. Omega-3 and collagen may be of greater benefit to female than male athletes during recovery from soft tissue injury, whilst probiotics and creatine are beneficial throughout the season for reducing risk of illness and optimising recovery, respectively. Ergogenic supplements for football include beta-alanine, nitrate and caffeine. Caution should be taken with caffeine use due to the varying tolerance of difference athletes and sleep impairments that can follow

Where do you go when your periods go?: A case-study examining secondary amenorrhea in a professional internationally-capped female soccer player through the lens of the sport nutritionist.

This case study follows a professional internationally capped female soccer player's two-year journey from eumenorrhea, through injury, to amenorrhea, and the challenges faced by the player and nutritionist. The two years are split into three sections: (1) longitudinal profiling of the player, (2) nutrition to support her return from injury, and (3) investigation into the observed secondary amenorrhea. The cause of amenorrhea was investigated through the assessment of energy availability via doubly labelled water, remote food photography, blood biomarkers and resting metabolic rate. Despite having secondary amenorrhea and anovulatory cycles, the player did not have low energy availability. This study shows the importance for practitioner's, particularly nutritionists, to not assume that all menstrual irregularities are caused by low energy availability and could be caused by a combination of factors (e.g. clinical, physiological, and psychological), which requires a multi-disciplinary investigation and intervention team. This study also showed that education needs to be provided about menstrual health to elite female soccer players as the player (i) believed that not having a period was beneficial for performance and unsure of possible health implications; (ii) was convinced that a one-day bleed indicated a regular menstrual cycle; and (iii) was reluctant to waste the practitioners time discussing menstrual issues and was nervous of finding out if she had an actual health issue. It is therefore crucial that players feel comfortable in discussing their menstrual status with practitioners to support their performance and long-term health

Seasonal training and match load and micro-cycle periodization in male Premier League academy soccer players

We quantified on pitch external loading of English Premier League (EPL) academy soccer players (n=76; U12-U18 age groups) over an entire competitive season. Mean accumulative weekly duration and total distance, respectively, was similar in the U12 (329±29 min; 19.9±2.2 km), U13 (323±29 min; 20.0±2.0 km) and U14 (339±25 min; 21.7±2.0 km; P>0.05 for all comparisons) age-groups, though all teams were less than U15 (421±15 min; 26.2±2.1 km), U16 (427±20 min; 25.9±2.5 km) and U18 (398±30 min; 26.1±2.6 km) players (P0.05 for all pairwise comparisons) though all squads were less than U15 (657±242 m and 49±98 m), U16 (749±152 m and 95±55 m) and U18 (979±254 m and 123±56 m) age-groups (P<0.05 for all pairwise comparisons). Data demonstrate that absolute weekly training volume in EPL academy soccer players increases throughout the academy pathway. Furthermore, although U16-U18 players are capable of achieving similar training and match volumes as previously reported in adult EPL players, they do not yet achieve the absolute intensities of adult EPL players

Cross-sectional comparison of body composition and resting metabolic rate in Premier League academy soccer players: Implications for growth and maturation

For the first time we aimed to: (1) assess fat-free mass (FFM) and RMR in youth soccer players, (2) compare measured RMR to estimated RMR using previously published prediction equations, and (3) develop a novel population-specific prediction equation. In a cross-sectional design, 99 males from a Premier League academy underwent assessments of body composition (DXA) and RMR (indirect-calorimetry). Measured RMR was compared to estimated values from five prediction equations. A novel RMR prediction equation was developed using stepwise multiple regression. FFM increased (P0.05). RMR in the U12s (1655±195 kcal.day−1), U13s (1720±205 kcal.day−1) and U14s (1846±218kcal.day−1) was significantly lower than the U15s (1957±128 kcal.day−1), U16s (2042±155 kcal.day−1), U18s (1875±180 kcal.day−1) and U23s (1941±197 kcal.day−1) squads (P>0.05). FFM was the single best predictor of RMR (r2=0.43; P<0.01) and was subsequently included in the novel prediction equation: RMR (kcal.day−1) = 1315 + (11.1 x FFM in kg). Both FFM and RMR increase from 12-16 years old, thus highlighting the requirement to adjust daily energy intake to support growth and maturation. The novel prediction RMR equation developed may help to inform daily energy requirements

Energy Requirements of Male Academy Soccer Players from the English Premier League.

PURPOSE: To inform the energy requirements of highly trained adolescent soccer players, total energy expenditure (TEE) was quantified in academy soccer players from the English Premier League (EPL). METHODS: Twenty-four male adolescent soccer players from an EPL academy (n=8 U12/13; n=8 U15; n=8 U18) were assessed for baseline maturity (maturity offset), body composition (DXA) and resting metabolic rate (RMR; indirect calorimetry). Subsequently, TEE, energy intake (EI) and physical loading patterns were assessed over a 14-day in-season period using doubly labelled water, the remote food photographic method and global positioning system technology, respectively. RESULTS: Under-18 players presented with greater RMR (2236±93 kcal⋅day) and TEE (3586±487 kcal⋅day; range: 2542-5172 kcal⋅day) than both U15 (2023±162 and 3029±262 kcal⋅day, respectively; TEE range: 2738-3726 kcal⋅day) and U12/13 players (1892±211 and 2859±265 kcal⋅day, respectively; TEE range: 2275-3903 kcal⋅day) (all P U15: 42.9±5.8 kg > U12/13: 31.1±3.5 kg; all P<0.01). Within age-groups, no differences were apparent between EI and TEE (U12/13: -29±277 kcal⋅day, P=0.78; U15: -134±327 kcal⋅day, P=0.28; U18: -243±724 kcal⋅day, P=0.37), whilst U18 players (3180±279 kcal⋅day) reported higher EI than both U15 (2821±338 kcal⋅day; P=0.05) and U12/13 players (2659±187 kcal⋅day; P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The TEE of male academy soccer players progressively increase as players progress through the academy age-groups. In some individuals (evident in all age-groups), TEE was greater than that previously observed in adult EPL soccer players

The cytoskeleton in cell-autonomous immunity: structural determinants of host defence

Host cells use antimicrobial proteins, pathogen-restrictive compartmentalization and cell death in their defence against intracellular pathogens. Recent work has revealed that four components of the cytoskeleton — actin, microtubules, intermediate filaments and septins, which are well known for their roles in cell division, shape and movement — have important functions in innate immunity and cellular self-defence. Investigations using cellular and animal models have shown that these cytoskeletal proteins are crucial for sensing bacteria and for mobilizing effector mechanisms to eliminate them. In this Review, we highlight the emerging roles of the cytoskeleton as a structural determinant of cell-autonomous host defence