Food & The Referee…

As well as training regularly your everyday choice of food is going to be a key factor in maintaining your target weight, and/or reducing the percentage of body fat.

Thought - It is estimated you consume 5 to 8 times your body weight in food in any one year - that is an average of over 450kg (1000 lb.) of food, not counting the weight of what you drink.

Usually your body is very efficient and is able to sort through all this mixture and extract what is needed to keep you functioning. It is not just the quantity of food that is important but the right balance.

Fact - You need nutrients, which are the basic raw materials required to build and repair the body. These would include proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water.

Fact - You need fiber, found in natural plant substances, to aid the passage of the food through your body.

If you are eating nearly half a ton of food each year, it is just about impossible to go short of the basic nutrients. On average you eat about twice as much protein as you actually need, and if you are eating a varied diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, cereals and some fish, eggs, meat and dairy products, you should also be getting sufficient vitamins and minerals.

Advice - Unless there is a particular medical reason for you to do so, your body does not need vitamin and mineral supplements as an extra.

As a result of all the meat, dairy products and refined foods being eaten today, the one real shortage area is likely to be that of dietary fibre (roughage). This is part of the food we eat that is not digested and as it passes through the body, it absorbs and retains water, making the waste materials easier to move. Fiber is found in bread (especially whole meal), cereals, potatoes, peas, beans, lentils, leafy vegetables and fruit - all plant foods - and not in food that comes from animals.

Advice - Where you know you eat plenty of refined foods, you should consider doubling the amount of fiber in your diet.

For those of you carrying a few extra pounds, you probably have too much fat in your diet and would benefit by reducing your fat intake by at least a quarter. This may seem like a major change in your eating habits, but it is not as difficult to achieve as it sounds.

Tips - Follow these simple suggestions and your fat intake will be reduced substantially.

If losing weight is a priority it is quite safe to cut down on sugar. Sugar has no nutritional value other than its energy content.

Fact - The average person in America / Britain eats about 100 pounds of sugar per year.

Thought - That amount would provide you with enough energy to walk from Manchester to Barcelona AND BACK.

The message is clear. Far too much sugar is being eaten. The trouble is, sugar is a standard ingredient in a huge variety of foods and in alcoholic drinks. Apart from the obvious foods like sweets, jam, marmalade, cakes, biscuits and pastries, it can also be found in the syrups of tinned fruits, in savory sauces and in many sweetened drinks.

Eating sensibly will be of benefit to all referees and will go a long way towards helping you achieve the right weight for your height. Being the right weight is the singularly most important fitness factor for referees operating within local football. That is why the first five activities of your Fitness Awareness Profile concentrate on your weight and fat content.

Advice - Revisit Activities 1-5 of your Fitness Awareness Profile regularly.

The onset of fatigue coincides with a decrease in the quality of your performance. However, fatigue can be delayed or reduced by correct nutrition. In fact, eating the right foods really can make the difference between being in the 'right place at the right time' or not. The amount of energy you will need to referee will vary according to your age, body weight (there it is again), how hard you work and at which level you are refereeing.

Advice - FIFA recommends that you should obtain 60-70% of your total energy intake from carbohydrates, 20-25% from fat, and approximately 15% from protein.

Fact - When you eat any food containing carbohydrate, your body into glycogen converts much of the carbohydrate, which is stored in your liver and muscles. When you train or referee you need a lot of energy quickly and the glycogen acts as the fuel to your muscles. However, your stores of muscle glycogen are quite limited and only sufficient for around 90 minutes of activity. Once the glycogen stores are depleted, fatigue occurs quickly.

Tip - To delay the point of fatigue it is important to start any training session or match with your fuel stores full of glycogen. This is achieved by eating plenty of foods containing a lot of carbohydrate.

Advice - For your main meal on the day, prior to a match, eat a meal based on the foods above.

Tip - Up to 1 hour prior to a training session or a match, top up your fuel supplies with a 'Carbohydrate Snack'. These include:

Immediately following a training session or a match you need to start refueling with carbohydrates as soon as possible. It is vital not to wait too long before refueling, as your rate of recovery will be quicker if you can refuel during the first few hours after training or a match.

Advice - Eat a 'Carbohydrate Snack' as soon as you can following ANY training or a match, e.g. chocolate bar, banana, sandwiches, biscuits etc. Eat a carbohydrate-based meal within 2 hours of the game or training session.

Tip - Arrange to eat your main meal of the day after training or a game.

During training and in matches you will lose fluids, up to 1-2 liters per hour in sweat. Dehydration will occur and will result in poor physical performance. Even small fluid losses from the body can impair the accuracy and skill of your performance, whilst larger losses can affect temperature control, the cardiovascular system and become life threatening as shown in the following Table 3.

Loss of up to 1 liter	100% performance, but you will begin to feel thirsty
Loss of 1.5 liters	100% performance, but maximum effort required
Loss of 2 liters	5% drop in performance. You feel very tired
Loss of 2.5 liters	10% drop in performance, occasional stops needed
Loss of 3 liters	15% drop in performance, more frequent stops, nearing exhaustion
Loss of 3.5 liters	20% drop in performance, loss of motor co-ordination
Loss of 6 liters	Performance collapses, urine production down 50%, disorientated, co-ordination problems, sluggish
Loss of 9 liters	Loss of consciousness, life in danger, could be fatal

Remember - Thirst is a poor indicator of hydration. If you only drink when you feel thirsty, it is already too late as thirst is the emergency signal that your body is already dehydrated.

Advice - Take plenty of fluids on the day of the game and between 20-30 minutes prior to a match (or training), drink about a half liter of cool water or a sports drink.

During training try to stay well hydrated. Choose drinks that are cool and palatable and take in fluid about every 15 minutes throughout the session more frequently if it is hot.

During a match, always have a drink at half time whether you feel thirsty or not.

At the end of a training session or a match drink plenty of fluid - at least 1 liter.

Warning - Alcohol should be avoided during the first two hours after a training session or a match because it is a diuretic, which causes water loss. Alcohol should only be consumed once the weight lost from sweating has been replaced. The passing of clear urine is a simple indicator of when dehydration has occurred.

Progress in any sport invariably means participants having to pay attention to the smallest detail if they wish to improve and compete with the best. Improving as a referee and officiating at higher levels brings with it certain expectations of the officials and any advantage the referee can gain must be to his/her benefit. Every avenue must be explored and 'fine tuning' your diet may just give you that extra edge.

The 'basics' already outlined are the same for all referees, but progress brings higher physical demands and the need to maximize your energy output. Ensuring your glycogen supplies are fully topped up prior to entering the field of play may make the difference between completing the game with energy to spare or fading badly in the last 15 minutes with serious consequences.

Although you should be conscious of your diet every day, particular attention should be paid to what you eat on the day prior to a match and on match day.

Breakfast Cereals	1 large bowl	Pasta (cooked)	2 mugs
*****		Rice (cooked)	1 mug
Baked Potatoes	5 egg size	Tinned Spaghetti or Ravioli	1 standard can
Jacket Potato	1 medium with skin	Baked Beans	3 quarters of a standard can
		*****
Mashed Potato	5 scoops	Bread	4 slices
Chips	3 quarters of a shop portion	Rolls	2
*****		Current Buns	2 soft/crusty
Bananas	2 large	Tea Cakes	2
Apples	4 medium	Fruit Scones	2
Oranges	4 medium	Jam Tarts	3
Tinned Fruit in Juice	1 standard can	Digestive Biscuits	5
*****		Ginger Nuts	7
Chocolate Bar	1&half 50g bars	Jaffa Cakes	6
Kit Kat	8 fingers	Crackers	10
Mars Bar	1 standard bar	*****
Snickers	1&half standard bars	Milk	2 pints
Liquor ice Allsorts	1 medium bag	Fruit Juice	1 pint
Fruit Pastilles	2 tubes	Isotonic Drink	2 cans
*****		Ribena (diluted)	2 glasses
Pizza	Half a 9" base	Lemonade	2&half cans