The Best Natural Remedies to Support Football Training

Whether you are a willing amateur, a budding future star or a fully-fledged professional, training plays an essential role in supporting your efforts as a footballer.

However, what you do on the training pitch is only one of the elements you need to consider if you want to maximise your performance.

Numerous research studies have shown that there are several natural remedies you can utilise to support your football training. Read on as we look at some of the best.

Protein Intake

Playing football at any level requires you to be physically fit, particularly when it comes to the building and maintaining the core muscle groups.

You can find out how much protein you need to build muscle on numerous health websites and it easy to incorporate the recommendations into your diet.

Whole foods such lean cuts of meat, Greek yoghurt and eggs are among the items you should eat on a regular basis to the optimum amount of protein.

Try to calculate your protein intake to hit a target of 1.2-1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, and you will be in the right ballpark.

Hydration

If you want to perform at your best as a footballer, you must ensure your body is suitably hydrated whenever you undertake physical activity.

Drinking six to eight cups of water per day helps reduce the possibility of muscles being damaged and plays a key role in the rest and recovery process.

If you become dehydrated while playing football, you will feel more fatigued and place a much greater strain on your heart.

Athletes who hydrate properly recover much more quickly than those who don’t, meaning they can return to action in a timely manner.

Cold Water

Studies have revealed there are plenty of health benefits to be garnered from swimming in cold water or having an ice bath.

When you immerse yourself in cold water you speed up your metabolism, which helps you burn calories more quickly and maintain a healthy weight.

Cold water immersion also improves your circulation, reduces muscles inflammation and helps to flush toxins out of your body.

Just a few minutes immersed in cold water can have a significant impact on your health and wellbeing, making it the ideal tool to support your training activities.

Sleep

Many people make the mistake of thinking that training is solely about the level of activity you undertake, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Rest and recovery has been proven to enhance performance, so it is essential for every footballer to ensure they get the requisite amount of sleep each night.

Generally speaking, most people need an average of seven to nine hours per night. Anything less than the lower amount can be detrimental to your health.

Power-naps can also be useful providing they are no longer than 20 minutes. A quick snooze can give your mind and body a quick boost without impacting your sleep at night.