Nutrition guide
Recovery meals for footballers
Recovery nutrition has one job: refill glycogen, supply protein for repair and replace fluid, fast enough to be ready for the next session. In a congested week that job is the difference between sharp and heavy.
The targets below are per kilogram of bodyweight — the macro calculator on the nutrition page turns them into your own numbers.
The first thirty minutes
1.2g/kg carbohydrate and 0.4g/kg protein. A pint of flavoured milk plus a banana, or a recovery shake with a bagel, gets a 70kg player most of the way there and travels well in a kit bag.
This window matters most when the next session is within 24 hours. With two full days before you play again, total daily intake matters more than the timing.
The meal within two hours
Build the plate: a large carbohydrate base (rice, pasta, potatoes), a palm of protein (chicken, fish, beef, eggs, tofu), vegetables for colour, and fluid alongside. Chicken and rice with vegetables, salmon with new potatoes, or a bean chilli with rice all work.
Add a fruit or dairy dessert — it is an easy extra 40–60g of carbohydrate at a point in the day when you can use it.
Overnight and the next day
30–40g of slow-digesting protein before bed — Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese or milk — supports overnight repair after a hard session.
The next morning, eat a full carbohydrate-led breakfast even if you feel flat. Skipping it is the most common reason a player is still empty at the following evening's session.
Common questions
- What should I eat straight after football training?
- Carbohydrate and protein together within thirty minutes — roughly 1.2g/kg carbs and 0.4g/kg protein. Milk-based drinks with a banana are the simplest option.
- Do I need to eat immediately after every session?
- Only when the next session or match is within about 24 hours. Otherwise hitting your total daily carbohydrate and protein matters more than the timing.
More nutrition guides
Turn these numbers into your numbers
The macro calculator on the nutrition page converts every per-kilogram target here into daily protein, carbohydrate and fat for your bodyweight and training load.