Aspetar Magazine 2026

96 ASPETAR MAGAZINE NUTRITION & PERFORMANCE In elite football, the margin between performance and fatigue is often defined by recovery. During major tournaments, where matches are played every few days and external factors such as travel and climate come into play, nutrition becomes a critical tool in sustaining performance. From a clinical perspective, tournament football presents a unique set of physiological and logistical challenges. Understanding how to fuel, recover, and adapt under these conditions is essential, not only for performance, but for long-term athlete health. Nutrition and Performance for Major Tournaments: 6 Key Questions How do the demands of tournament football differ from the regular season? From a clinical nutrition perspective, the physiological and metabolic demands on football players increase significantly during major tournaments compared to the regular competitive season. Research highlights that fixture congestion, often involving matches every 2–3 days, leads to sustained metabolic stress. Players experience repeated glycogen depletion, elevated muscle damage, and prolonged inflammatory responses, all while having limited time for recovery. This differs from the regular season, where weekly match cycles allow for more complete physiological repair. As a result, maintaining adequate energy availability and accelerating recovery processes become critical priorities during tournaments. How can players optimise energy availability during congested schedules? To optimize energy availability and glycogen replenishment during congested periods, it is important to follow a structured fueling protocol. Players are advised to consume carbohydrates before, during, and after training and matches, with intake adjusted according to training load and duration. Pre-exercise carbohydrate intake helps ensure adequate glycogen stores, while carbohydrate consumption during prolonged sessions can support performance and delay fatigue. Immediately after matches, players should consume carbohydrates ideally within the first hour and continue regular intake every few hours to maximize glycogen resynthesis. Daily carbohydrate intake should also be sufficient and distributed across meals and snacks to meet the increased energy demands. A sports dietitian can assist athletes to define their needs and tailor personalized nutrition plan accordingly. Players are advised to consume carbohydrates before, during, and after training and matches.