Nutritional support in professional German football clubs and youth academies—a descriptive study

Abstract

Proper nutrition is considered important for the maintenance of health and performance in football players. The more demanding the match and training schedule, the higher the requirements for nutritional advice are. Still, the amount and level of nutritional support is unknown in many (semi-)professional settings. Therefore, the goal of this study was to provide an overview of nutrition practices in clubs of the highest German football leagues and their youth academies. An online survey about nutritional support was distributed to 97 professional male (Bundesliga, 2nd Bundesliga, and 3rd division), female (Women’s Bundesliga), and academy club representatives of which 52 (54% response rate) replied. We found that ~83% (n = 43) of clubs provide some nutritional advice, mostly for the professional male (69%, n = 35) and academy teams (65%, n = 34), while only 32% (n = 12) of professional female teams receive support. Nutritional advice is primarily provided by either full-time coaches (27%) or external nutritionists (27%). In about 60% of elite German clubs, daily nutrition offers include one whole meal, sports foods and micronutrient supplementation. Clubs’ representatives (75%) concur that nutrition significantly impacts football performance. Challenges in the implementation of advice are seen in professional players being often quite resistant to advice and in the topic still being “very coach-dependent”. In conclusion, nutrition is regarded an important topic within surveyed clubs, but consistent support by nutrition professionals is sparse, especially for female players. To enhance the quality of nutritional support, professional clubs and academies might consider employing a full-time qualified nutritionist or dietitian.