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energy, even in the ninetieth minute. Hungry players will possibly experience light- headedness and fatigue and will find their ability to make quick decisions impaired. Fueling up properly will store glycogen in the body, which provides on-demand energy for

hardworking muscles.

Nuts are a good in-game snack to give players an energy boost.

If it is a tournament situation and the game is in the morning, players should have eaten a carbohydrate-rich meal the night before. Options include whole grain pasta dishes or rice and vegetables like squash, beets, and corn. Then the morning meal for a 10 a.m. start should be finished no later than 7 a.m. Try to eat breakfast (or whatever the main meal is before start time) at least three to four hours ahead of kickoff. That breakfast might include whole grain cereal with low-fat milk, a banana, toast with peanut butter, and Greek yogurt. sometime in the afternoon, no later than three hours before kickoff. This meal should balance carbs and protein. Examples of options include lean meat such as chicken, fish, or turkey (or extra lean beef), with a baked potato, carrots, fruit, and some low-fat milk. For an evening game, you will need to eat another full meal

Me being a center midfielder I focus on my aerobic base. It’s a lot of long-distance running, a lot of 800s. I do a lot of sit-ups and push-ups and strength stuff. “ ”

– Carli Lloyd, two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist and World Cup champion

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