Everton
Terrace pasties are out and protein is in for the Toffees during Season 2011/12
Backed by a team of experts and supported this season by the UK's leading sports nutrition brand, Maximuscle – you can be sure Everton are doing everything possible to get a result, whether it's away at Swansea or at Goodison for the Merseyside derby. In the interest of every fan who wonders how to develop a physique like one of the players – we get the facts from Everton's head of Sports Science, Dave Billows.
Dave, how important is protein for Premier League Footballers?
It's essential for every player to get the right balance of carbohydrates, healthy fat and protein. While each nutrient is important, protein is vital for strength, muscle repair, recovery power and well being. In general, we recommend a diet containing 60% carbohydrates, 30% protein and 10% fat. However, because the players require a high calorie diet, 30% of that is a lot of protein!
Protein benefits:
- Repair muscle damage sustained after training and games
- Aid lean muscle growth and strength development from weight and power training
- Help prevent injuries
- Support immune health
OK, so the players need their protein! But which foods are best?
The best protein to support performance comes from lean animal proteins and high quality protein drinks. The players eat approximately 6 servings of protein per day.
Quality proteins for footballers:
- Organic fillet steak
- Organic chicken breast
- Slices of organic lean meat
- Fish
- Organic eggs
- Cottage cheese
- High quality Maximuscle protein shakes
Everton are Maximuscle Premier League Ambassadors for 2011/12 - but what are the benefits of high quality sports nutrition drinks?
Linking-up with Maximuscle has had two big benefits. Firstly, they have over 15 years of experience in supporting the needs of elite athletes. Secondly, they offer us very high quality, concentrated protein and pre-training energy drinks which offer convenience, plus research proven benefits for the players. The two key high protein products we use are Promax and Maxi-Milk and the pre-training/game energy we use are Maxipower and Viper.
Promax – a very pure whey protein shake that is research proven to support lean muscle recovery, muscle growth and strength development. Promax is very convenient and helps us to optimise the squad's protein intake without excessive solid food intake.
Maxi-Milk – a bottled nutrition drink which offers a very convenient option at the training ground, travelling to away games, for the players at home and before/after matches. Maximilk contains a blend of quality proteins plus carbohydrates, making it ideal to replenish energy and kick-start repair.
Maxipower – a pre workout drink that helps reduce the build up of lactic acid and increase blood flow to the working muscles for increased energy supply and delayed onset of fatigue.
Viper Active – a high carbohydrate energy drink that helps to optimise the players blood sugar levels during intense training sessions and matches.
Both protein products also have the added benefit of being rich in an amino acid called glutamine, which offers specific support for the players' immune systems. Due to the stress of modern football, infections and sickness are a constant risk, so glutamine rich protein drinks can be a real help.
Thanks to Dave for giving us the inside scoop on powering optimal performance.
