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Nutrition support for team sport athletes

Team sports share repeated sprints, changes of direction, contact and skill under fatigue, yet every game loads players differently. We offer online nutrition support for team sport athletes and clubs, built around your sport, position and fixtures.

At a glance

  • Shared demand: Repeated high-intensity efforts with incomplete recovery
  • Key fuel: Muscle glycogen for sprints and skill
  • Main variables: Position, match format and fixture density
  • Common gap: Recovery between closely spaced matches


What team sports share, and where they differ

Most team sports are intermittent: bursts of sprinting, jumping, tackling or changing direction separated by lower-intensity movement and short rests that are rarely long enough for full recovery. That pattern draws heavily on muscle glycogen, and when it runs low, high-intensity output, skill and decision-making all tend to decline late in a game. Fuelling for the hardest moments, not the average ones, is the common thread.

The differences matter just as much. Collision sports such as rugby and American football add muscle damage and body composition goals, court sports such as netball, basketball and volleyball add repeated jumping and landing, and cricket swaps intensity for long days and heat. Match length, substitution rules, indoor or outdoor venues and whether competition comes as weekly fixtures or tournament blocks all change what, when and how much players should eat.

Players' lives vary too. Professional athletes may have catering and support staff, while many university, club and amateur county players fit training around work or study. Female team sport athletes can be at risk of unintentional under-fuelling, with consequences for health and performance. We take all of this into account, so each plan reflects the sport, the athlete and the week they actually live.


Nutrition priorities across team sports


Periodise carbohydrate to the load

Team sport training ranges from light skill days to heavy conditioning. General guidance runs from about 3–5 g/kg/day on light days to 5–7 g/kg/day for moderate training and 6–10 g/kg/day in heavy phases, which we individualise. [1]


Protein across the day

Contact, eccentric loading and strength work all increase repair needs. Around 1.4–2.0 g/kg/day, in 20–40 g servings every 3–4 hours, supports recovery and adaptation. [2]


Fast recovery for congested fixtures

When games come close together, carbohydrate at about 1.0–1.2 g/kg per hour for the first 4 hours, alongside protein and fluids, speeds glycogen restoration. [1]


Hydration for kit, heat and halls

Protective kit, summer tournaments and warm sports halls all raise sweat losses. We aim to keep losses within 2% of body mass with a personalised plan. [1]


Adequate energy availability

Under-fuelling can affect hormones, bone health, injury risk and performance in any team sport. Our RED-S specialist dietitians screen for it and work with GPs where medical input is needed. [3]


Supplements with anti-doping care

Caffeine and creatine have evidence for repeated high-intensity exercise, but contamination is a real risk for tested athletes, so we only recommend batch-tested products such as those certified by Informed Sport. [4]


A typical team sport match day

  1. Day before: Base meals on carbohydrate, keep foods familiar and moderate fibre if your gut is sensitive, and prepare match-day food and drinks in advance.
  2. 1–4 hours before the start: A familiar pre-match meal with roughly 1–4 g/kg of carbohydrate tops up glycogen, with timing adjusted to start time, travel and your position. [1]
  3. During the match: For matches and warm-ups lasting an hour or more, 30–60 g of carbohydrate per hour from drinks, gels or chews at breaks helps sustain repeated efforts; shorter games may need only small amounts. [1]
  4. After the match: Start recovery with carbohydrate, about 0.3 g/kg of protein and fluids, then a full meal. On tournament days, begin refuelling before the next game straight away. [1]

General guidance from sports nutrition consensus statements. Your practitioner will tailor amounts to you.


Sports we support in this category


Football

Repeated sprints across a long match and congested fixture weeks make periodised carbohydrate and fast recovery the main focus.


Rugby union

Set-piece strength, collisions and lean-mass goals put protein, energy surplus planning and recovery from contact at the centre.


Rugby league

High tackle counts and repeated line-speed efforts make in-game fuelling and post-match repair priorities.


Gaelic football

Amateur players with high training loads need fuelling strategies that fit evening sessions after a working day.


Hurling and camogie

Skill at very high speed means fuelling must protect concentration and hand-eye accuracy late in games.


Hockey

Rolling substitutions and tournament formats make carbohydrate for repeated shifts and between-game refuelling key, with goalkeeper hydration in heavy kit.


Netball

Repeated jumping and landing in a mainly female sport put energy availability, iron and bone health first.


Cricket

Long days, heat and touring make hydration, concentration and role-specific fuelling for fast bowlers the focus.


Basketball

Fast court play with frequent jumps and a heavy game schedule calls for consistent daily fuelling and quick recovery.


Lacrosse

Field running with stick skills and contact, plus tournament weekends, makes carbohydrate timing and recovery between games important.


Volleyball

Repeated maximal jumps across multiple sets and tournament days, indoors or on the beach, make steady fuelling and hydration central.


American football

Short, explosive plays with very different positional needs mean nutrition varies widely, from linemen's energy needs to skill players' speed.


What we help with

  • Fading physically and mentally late in matches
  • Slow recovery during congested fixture periods
  • Building strength and size without losing speed
  • Match-day gut discomfort and appetite problems
  • Fuelling training around work, study and travel
  • Under-fuelling and low energy availability, including RED-S
  • Choosing supplements safely under anti-doping rules


Ongoing support, not one-off sessions

We do not work with athletes on a one-off basis. Sports nutrition works best when it adapts to your training, so we recommend an initial consultation followed by at least three follow-ups.


Sports in this group


Who you could work with


Book your consultation

Book an initial consultation or book a free discovery call to talk it through first. All consultations are online.


Explore more

See all the sports we work with, our RED-S nutrition support, or meet the team.


Frequently asked questions


Who will I work with?

Depending on your sport and goals, you may work with Jenaed Ruddock RD or Beatriz Ribeiro RD, our sports dietitians and RED-S specialists, or Tom Hill MSc, our SENr Sports & Performance Nutritionist, who specialises in football, rugby, body composition and strength. Melissa Bosch, our Eating Disorder Nutrition Specialist, supports athletes where under-fuelling or disordered eating is a concern.


My sport is not listed. Can you still help?

Very likely, yes. The principles of intermittent, high-intensity team sport apply widely, and we adapt them to the format, positions and season of your sport. Tell us how your training and competition are structured and we will build from there.


Do you work with whole teams, clubs or universities?

Yes. Alongside one-to-one consultations, we deliver live online sports nutrition webinars and seminars for athletes, coaches and staff. Our founder leads sports nutrition support at Imperial College London and Cambridge University, and university partnerships are tailored and quoted individually.


How many consultations will I need?

Team sport seasons change from pre-season to fixture-heavy periods and tournaments, so we do not work with athletes on a one-off basis. After your initial consultation we recommend a minimum of three follow-up consultations, so we can adjust your plan as your training load, fixtures and goals change.


Is RED-S a concern in team sports?

It can be. Low energy availability is often linked with endurance and aesthetic sports, but team sport athletes can under-fuel too, particularly with heavy schedules, body composition pressure or busy lives. We screen for it as standard and recommend medical assessment where symptoms suggest it is needed.


Do you support young team sport athletes?

These pages are for adult athletes. Young players are supported through our paediatric team, who work with families and take growth and development into account alongside training and matches.


References

  1. Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016;116(3):501–528.
  2. Jäger R, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:20.
  3. Mountjoy M, et al. 2023 International Olympic Committee (IOC) consensus statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). Br J Sports Med. 2023;57(17):1073–1097.
  4. Maughan RJ, et al. IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(7):439–455.
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