ence the rate of glycogen synthesis. Glycogen
restoration is impaired after eccentric exercise
and after exercise causing muscle damage (Blom
et al. 1987; Widrick et al. 1992). In most team
sports the players are often performing some
eccentric exercise and muscle damage can occur
due to physical contact. It has been demonstrated
that an increased ingestion of carbohydrate
can partially overcome the effect of the muscle
damage on glycogen resynthesis (Bak & Peterson
1990). Thus, also in this respect the players can
benefit from a high carbohydrate intake follow-
ing match-play and training.
Fluid intake in team sports
In many team sports, the loss of body water,
mainly due to the secretion of sweat, can be large
during competition. For example, under normal
weather conditions the decrease in body fluid
during a soccer match is approximately 2 l, and
under extreme conditions the reduction in body
water can be higher, e.g. in a World Cup soccer
match in Mexico, one Danish player lost about
4.5 l of fluid. Such changes in body fluid can
influence performance negatively during match-
play (Saltin 1964). Thus, it is important for the
players to take in fluid during a game and also
during a training session to maintain the effi-
ciency of the training. The question is what and
how much to drink before, during and after a
training session or a game.
Before a training session or match
It is important that the players are not dehy-
drated before a match. The players should begin
the process of ‘topping-up’ with fluid on the day
before a match. For example, an additional litre
of juice can be drunk on the evening before a
match, which will also provide an extra supply of
sugar.
On the match day, the players should have
plenty to drink and be encouraged to drink even
when they are not feeling thirsty. The content of
sugar should be less than 10%. During the last
584 sport-specific nutrition
hour before the match, the players should not
have more than 300 ml (a large cup) of a liquid
with a sugar concentration less than 5% every
15 min.
The intake of coffee should be limited, as coffee
contains caffeine, which has a diuretic effect and
causes the body to lose a larger amount of water
than is absorbed from the coffee.During a training session or match
Besides reducing the net loss of body water, the
intake of fluid can supply the body with carbohy-
drates. As low muscle glycogen concentrations
in some team sports might limit performance at
the end of a match, intake of carbohydrate solu-
tions during a match is useful.
Questions remain concerning the optimum
composition of the drink, particularly with
respect to its concentration, form of carbohy-
drates, electrolyte content, osmolality, pH,
volume and temperature. These considerations
depend, among other things, on the temperature
and humidity of the environment, which should
determine the ratio between the need for fluid
and need for carbohydrates. In a cold environ-
ment, there is little need for water, and a drink
with a sugar concentration up to 10% can be
used, whereas in a hot environment the carbohy-
drate content should be much less. Before using
drinks with high sugar concentrations in a
match, however, the players should have tried
these drinks during training to ensure that
stomach upset does not occur. There are large
individual differences in the ability to tolerate
drinks and to empty fluid from the stomach.
While some players are unaffected by large
amounts of fluid in the stomach, others find it
difficult to tolerate even small quantities of fluid.
The players will benefit by experimenting with
different drinks and drinking habits during
training. For further discussion of the composi-
tions of the fluid, see Chapters 17 and 39.
During a match, small amounts of fluid should
be drunk frequently. It is optimal to drink
between 100 and 300 ml with a 2–5% sugar con-