Contemporary elite soccer features increased physical demands during match-play, as well as a larger number of matches per season. Now more than ever, aspects related to performance optimization are highly regarded by both players and soccer coaches. Here, nutrition takes a special role as most elite teams try to provide an adequate diet to guarantee maximum performance while ensuring a faster recovery from matches and training exertions. It is currently known that manipulation and periodization of macronutrients, as well as sound hydration practices, have the potential to interfere with training adaptation and recovery. A careful monitoring of micronutrient status is also relevant to prevent undue fatigue and immune impairment secondary to a deficiency status. Furthermore, the sensible use of evidence-based dietary supplements may also play a role in soccer performance optimization. In this sense, several nutritional recommendations have been issued. This detailed and comprehensive review addresses the most relevant and up-to-date nutritional recommendations for elite soccer players, covering from macro and micronutrients to hydration and selected supplements in different contexts (daily requirements, pre, peri and post training/match and competition).

Nutrition is an undeniable part of promoting health and performance among football (soccer) players. Nevertheless, nutritional strategies adopted in elite football can vary significantly depending on culture, habit and practical constraints and might not always be supported by scientific evidence. Therefore, a group of 28 Portuguese experts on sports nutrition, sports science and sports medicine sought to discuss current practices in the elite football landscape and review the existing evidence on nutritional strategies to be applied when supporting football players. Starting from understanding football’s physical and physiological demands, five different moments were identified: preparing to play, match-day, recovery after matches, between matches and during injury or rehabilitation periods. When applicable, specificities of nutritional support to young athletes and female players were also addressed. The result is a set of practical recommendations that gathered consensus among involved experts, highlighting carbohydrates periodisation, hydration and conscious use of dietary supplements.

HTHRGC was found essential for optimizing representative preparation of high molecular weight samples and enabling fingerprinting of heavy fractions of crude oils and associated paraffinic deposits in production pipelines. Laboratory experiments aimed at simulating the process of paraffin deposition could also be easily evaluated. A comparative investigation of the performance of cold on-column and SPI (PTV type) injectors, in conjunction with high temperature capillary columns, for analysis of high molecular weight fractions, was also conducted during the course of this work.

It is crucial to ensure an adequate nutritional support for young soccer players under high physical stress situations, including match days and high training load days. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the dietary intake of young male soccer players from a Portuguese first league soccer club, both on match day and on the highest training load day of the week. All players recorded their ingestion at these moments for 3 consecutive weeks, by completing a food diary and making a photographic record. On match day, the intake of carbohydrates (5.2 ± 0.6 g.kg -1 . d -1 ), proteins (2.1 ± 0.2 g.kg -1 . d -1 ), and fats (1.0 ± 0.2 g.kg -1 . d -1 ) represented 55.1 ± 5.0 %, 22.3 ± 1.52 %, and 23.9 ± 5.1%, respectively, of the average daily energy intake. Regarding the highest training load day, the intake of carbohydrates (5.2 ± 0.9 g.kg -1 . d -1 ), proteins (2.0 ± 0.3 g.kg -1 . d -1 ), and fats (1.0 ± 0.3 g.kg -1 . d -1 ) represented 54.8 ± 5.3 %, 21.8 ± 1.8 %, and 24.6 ± 4.6 %, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between intakes during match day and on the highest training load day, for all the variables analyzed, except for percentage of fat intake (Energy intake p = 0.873; Protein p = 0.335; Carbohydrates p = 0.814; Fat p=0,000). The results obtained are in line with previous research and reveal that energy and carbohydrate intake are below the recommendations for this population.

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