Planning a diet plan for a
selected sportsperson
Assignment 5
, Introduction to sports person
Name: Raheem Sterling
Sport and details about their role: Raheem Sterling is a professional
footballer. He is an exciting, attacking player who is capable of playing as
a central striker or on the left or right side of midfield.
Period of the season/year they are training for/competing in: I am
going to plan a diet for Raheem Sterling during the regular season where
he will be playing 2 competitive football matches per week on top of
training on most days. Raheem will get some rest days to help him
recover from competitive matches.
Particular needs of diet: Football players need to have a well-balanced diet to allow them to
maintain performance at the highest possible level. Eating regular meals is important to continue
with a steady intake of calories to maintain energy levels, help the body and muscles to recover
and ensure that performance is always at its maximum.
Footballers need to consume healthy carbohydrates throughout the day to maintain slow release
energy levels. Eating good quality, lean protein alongside protein supplements to help the body
recover and repair muscular tissue that is damaged. It is also important that football players
consume the recommended level of vitamins and minerals to help boost immunity, allow for body
tissue to repair and to sustain energy metabolism.
Hydration is another important consideration and football players must ensure they are well
hydrated to make the blood less viscous and therefore aid the transportation of nutrients
around the body allowing for maximum performance
, Food Diary – Day 1 – Saturday
Details of the day – Premier league game Vs Chelsea 3:00 KO.
Breakfast Grilled tomatoes and scrambled eggs. Low GI cereal (Porridge). Two slices of whole meal bread with low fat spread and a
thin layer of jam.
Lunch Brown rice with tuna steak and mixed vegetables including carrots, sweetcorn and peas. Raisin and nut flapjack.
Dinner Fillet steak with low fat oven chips peas and grilled tomatoes. Small piece of vanilla cheesecake with raspberries
Snacks Small chocolate bar, Banana, Grapes and Pineapple pieces
Hydration 4 litres of water throughout the day. Glass of fresh orange, 2 cups of tea, isotonic sports drink.
What nutrients will this meal plan give Raheem Sterling?
The grilled tomato is full of vitamin C. Scrambled eggs will provide protein and vitamins and minerals such as vitamin D, Zinc and copper. The porridge and whole meal
bread will provide slow release carbohydrates to use for energy. The bread also has sodium and fibre which are needed for a balanced diet. The low fat spread
provides small amounts of fat for energy, protection and insulation and the jam will provide simple carbohydrates for energy. Brown rice provides high levels of fibre
and low GI carbohydrates. Tuna steak is full of omega 3 and lean protein. The mixed vegetables contain many vitamins and minerals such as potassium. Banana’s and
other fruit contain simple carbohydrates fibre, vitamins and minerals. The raisin and nut flapjack is a good source of simple and complex carbohydrates used for
energy, as is the chocolate bar. Fillet steak has some fat, lots of iron and lean protein and the chips are a low fat source of carbohydrates. Cheesecake will provide
fats for energy and a source of calcium from dairy. 4 litres of water will hydrate the body and the fresh orange will provide vitamins C. The isotonic drink will give
carbohydrates in the form of glucose and electrolytes.
How will this meal plan aid recovery/provide energy/improve performance (link to the activities today/yesterday/tomorrow)?
Vitamin C from the tomatoes for breakfast will provide an antioxidant that neutralises free radicals, which can prevent illness and disease. This is good for Raheem,
as it keeps his immune system up, meaning that he is less likely to get ill, and therefore less likely to miss training or games. He will also perform better if he has
better health. The whole meal bread and porridge for breakfast will provide Raheem Sterling with slow release carbohydrates, which gives him energy that can be
released throughout the day. Similarly, the brown rice for lunch will have a high carbohydrate content, which will provide Raheem with a high amount of energy. The
energy will be stored as glycogen in the muscles, so it can be released when needed. This is good on a match day, because he will need a large store of energy so that
he can perform at his best during a match, without getting too tired. The brown rice and whole meal bread also contains fibre which will aid Raheem’s digestion. This
will make it less likely for him to get stomach cramps during the match. These carbohydrates will be more useful at this time of day than simple carbohydrates, as
they can be released too quickly. Raheem would not benefit from this at breakfast or lunch. However, his small chocolate bar and banana would be good to eat before
the match, to give him a quick burst of energy. The tuna steak for lunch will provide him with omega 3 can help with joint stiffness, which will allow Raheem to move
more easily and comfortably. It also helps with general brain activity. This will benefit Raheem, especially on match day, as it will improve his reaction time, as well as
allow him to think about tactics of the game. Tuna also contains lean protein, which repairs any tears in the muscle fibres, so that they can repair and grow. This will
help to heal any outstanding damage before the match. The fillet steak for dinner, after the match, is beneficial to Raheem, as during the match, he is likely to have
damaged his muscles, and caused small tears in the muscle fibres. These tears need to repair ready for the next match. They will have recovery time on his rest day
tomorrow, but he also needs to protein to assist with the healing. The cheesecake is also a good dessert, as it provides Raheem with calcium. This helps to keep your
bones strong, and less brittle, so his body will be more likely to support impact. Finally, as it is a match day, it is vital that Raheem stays hydrated. He should drink 4
litres of water, as this is easy to digest, and will therefore hydrate him the fastest. The orange juice will provide him with extra vitamin C, which again will prevent
illness and disease. This along with the tea, will also add variation to Raheem’s diet. It is so important that he stays hydrated, but drinking water all day can get
boring. In order to make sure that he drinks enough, he needs to stay interested in drinking. Finally, the isotonic sports drink should be consumed after the match.
This will replace carbohydrates used up during the match in the form of glucose and electrolytes. As they are in a liquid, they can be quickly digested. Plus, it tastes
nice, so he will probably drink it quite quickly, returning his body back to a normal steady state as quickly as possible.
