The Indonesian national team is currently undergoing a training camp (TC) in Turkey in preparation for the 2023 Asian Cup which will be held in Qatar from 12 January to 10 February 2024.
However, the behavior of one of the players was in the spotlight and made many fans disappointed. The reason is, Indonesian National Team midfielder, Marselino Ferdinan, uploaded a portrait showing one of his colleagues, who is suspected to be Witan Sulaiman, cooking instant noodles in their hotel room.
Marselino Ferdinan may upload his colleague’s actions on Instagram exclusively on Monday (25/12/2023) local time. This portrait spread through uploads from supporters’ accounts on Instagram, Tuesday (26/12/2023).
“So I want to eat fried noodles,” wrote the Instagram account @footballabroadindonesia, in the caption of his upload on Instagram.
The news about the Indonesian national team players cooking instant noodles then went viral. Garuda supporters also expressed various criticisms because of this negative action.
Realizing that he had caused a stir, Marselino Ferdinan is said to have apologized via the X account @medioclub. The football account then revealed what the 19 year old man said.
Nutrition for Footballers
TC for footballers is not only about physical training and forming game strategies, but also paying attention to every nutrient that enters the body.
The reason is that a footballer’s diet is an important aspect of his performance and fitness. Pre-season is about getting them fit and able to reach peak performance.
So choosing high quality foods and being consistent with their diet provides a strong foundation to help players perform at their highest potential. Players need the right mix of carbohydrates, protein, fat, and maintain good hydration.
Players should avoid refined carbohydrates, including white bread, cakes, instant noodles, candy, pies, high-sugar cereals, soda, and juice. Meanwhile, instant noodles and some processed foods such as sardines, instant spaghetti, instant sausages and corned beef contain a lot of sodium.
Sodium increases water absorption which can cause a person to feel dehydrated during exercise and exercise which of course can interfere with their performance. The following are the diet rules for football players at training camp.
Carbohydrates fuel players
Athletes need lots of carbohydrates. Likewise, footballers rely heavily on glycogen stores for energy. Carbohydrates are the primary energy source for intermittent sports, such as soccer, where glycogen stores are often depleted during exercise and training.
Choosing a variety of whole grain breads, pasta, rice, potatoes, fruits, and vegetables ensures players not only get the carbohydrates necessary to perform, but also essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which have many important functions.
Protein builds and repairs muscle
Footballers need enough protein to stimulate muscle protein synthesis (build muscle), and also to repair muscle damage that occurs during training. Choosing high-quality, lean protein at meals, but also before and after each workout is critical.
Call it skinless chicken or turkey, lean red meat, nuts, eggs and fish. And those coveted branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are easy to find in dairy and meat products, so you don’t need to take supplements.
(good) fats are important – in moderation
Footballers need fats too, but good ones. Too much fat (usually the saturated variety) can put players at risk of gaining fat mass, which will only slow them down and kill their performance goals.
Too little fat can affect nutrient absorption and ultimately impact performance as well, so moderation is key. Fat is not only calorie dense, meaning little goes a long way, but it will also keep players full when eating.
Include 1 to 2 servings of fat in the diet in the form of fatty fish, nuts and peanut butter, whole grains, meat, dairy products, avocado, and olive oil.
Don’t forget to snack
Snacking on real food about 2 to 3 times a day can allow players to get enough fuel between meals. Optimizing performance means footballers need large amounts of nutrients to reduce their calories and whole foods win the nutrient density competition every time.
If they want to play at the top of their game, they also have to get rid of junk food. Instead of instant noodles, think whole fruit like an apple and banana with ¾ cup of cottage cheese or low-fat yogurt, a handful of nuts or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter on a slice of whole wheat toast.
Hydration is key
Dehydration is no joke and is something that footballers should take very seriously. Ter