Assessment of Dietary Intake among Elite Jordanian Football Players

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Nutrition and Food Technology, School of Agriculture, The University of Jordan, Jordan

2 Department of Nutrition and Food Technology, School of Agriculture, The University of Jordan, Jordan,

3 Department of Sport Sciences, Jordan Football Association, Amman, Jordan

4 Department of Movement Sciences and Sports Training, School of Sport Sciences, The University of Jordan, Jordan

10.30476/ijns.2026.107622.1512

Abstract

Background: With elite players often competing in matches and facing limited recovery time, dietary strategies must be optimized to support energy availability, enhance recovery, and reduce the risk of fatiguerelated injuries. This study assessed dietary intake of macronutrients and micronutrients among elite Jordanian football players and the adequacy of their intake in relation to international sports nutrition guidelines.
Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on 30 male professional football players from the Jordanian national team. Dietary intake was assessed using a 7-day food record, and nutrient analysis was performed using specialized dietary analysis software. Macronutrient and micronutrient intakes were compared to established reference values for athletic populations.
Results: Significant differences in carbohydrate and fat intake were noticed. Approximately 74% of players consumed less than recommended carbohydrate intake, and 70% had low fat intake despite falling within the acceptable macronutrient distribution range (31%). Additionally, 63% of players failed to meet their estimated energy requirements. Protein intake was generally adequate, with most players meeting or slightly exceeding the recommended levels. Most micronutrients showed statistically significant differences, indicating that the majority of players consumed levels below the recommended dietary intakes, except significantly for vitamin C and vitamin B5. Intakes of vitamins A, D, K, biotin, choline, calcium, iodine, magnesium, and potassium were significantly below recommended.
Conclusion: Elite Jordanian football players present with suboptimal intake levels of calories, carbohydrates, and multiple essential micronutrients. These findings underscore the need for targeted nutrition education and intervention to optimize high-level athletes’ performance, recovery, and metabolic health.

Highlights

Hadeel Ghazzawi (Google Scholar)

Keywords

References

  1. Langdon S, Goedhart E, Oosterlaan J, et al. Heading exposure in elite football (soccer): A study in adolescent, young adult, and adult male and female players. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2022;54:1459. DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002945. PMID: 35482757.
  2. Aguinaga-Ontoso I, Guillen-Aguinaga S, Guillen-Aguinaga L, et al. Effects of nutrition interventions on athletic performance in soccer players: a systematic review. Life. 2023;13:1271. DOI: 10.3390/life13061271. PMID: 37374054.
  3. Oliveira CC, Ferreira D, Caetano C, et al. Nutrition and supplementation in soccer. Sports. 2017;5:28. DOI: 10.3390/sports5020028. PMID: 29910389.
  4. Nédélec M, McCall A, Carling C, et al. Recovery in soccer: part II—recovery strategies. Sport Med. 2013;43:9-22. DOI: 10.1007/s40279-012-0002-0. PMID: 23315753.
  5. Mountjoy M, Sundgot-Borgen J, Burke L, et al. The IOC consensus statement: beyond the female athlete triad—relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S). Br J Sports Med. 2014;48:491-7. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2014-093502. PMID: 24620037.
  6. Kerksick CM, Wilborn CD, Roberts MD, et al. ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: Research & recommendations. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018;15:38. DOI: 10.1186/s12970-018-0242-y. PMID: 30068354.
  7. Sheikhani Shahin H, Koushkie Jaromi M, Kardeh E, et al. The effect of aerobic exercise on bone mineral density and bone mineral content in female athlete patients following kidney transplantation in Shiraz, southern Iran. World Appl Sci J. 2013;27:23-27. DOI: 10.5829/idosi.wasj.2013.27.01.7566.
  8. Dehghanpisheh S, Daryanoosh F, Jafari H, et al. Effect of 8 weeks of aerobic training on serum level of visfatin and tnf-α in non-athletic young women. Gorgan Univ Med Sci J. 2014;16:40-4.
  9. Dehghanpisheh S, Daryanoosh F, Mehrabani D, et al. The effect of eight weeks aerobic exercise on visfatin level in non-athletic young women, southern Iran. Middle-East J Sci Res. 2014;21:314-319. DOI: 10.5829/idosi.mejsr.2014.21.02.8255.
  10. Collins J, Maughan RJ, Gleeson M, et al. UEFA expert group statement on nutrition in elite football. Current evidence to inform practical recommendations and guide future research. Br J Sports Med. 2021;55:416. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2019-101961. PMID: 33097528.
  11. Maughan R, Burke L, Kirkendall D. F-MARC Nutrition for Football Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 2010;(September 2005). Available from: www.FIFA.com.
  12. Burke LM, Loucks AB, Broad N. Energy and carbohydrate for training and recovery. J Sports Sci. 2006;24:675-85. DOI: 10.1080/02640410500482602. PMID: 16766497.
  13. Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:20. DOI: 10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8. PMID: 28642676.
  14. Maughan RJ, Burke LM, Dvorak J, et al. IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2018;28:104-25. DOI: 10.1123/ijsnem.2018-0020. PMID: 29589768.
  15. Montero-López E, Santos-Ruiz A, García-Ríos MC, et al. The relationship between the menstrual cycle and cortisol secretion: Daily and stress-invoked cortisol patterns. Int J Psychophysiol. 2018;131:67-72. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.03.021. PMID: 29605399.
  16. Daryanoosh F, Sharifi GR, Jafari M, et al. The effect of running exercise and calcium supplementation on femoral bone strength in ovariectomized rats. Global Vet. 2013;11:694-700. DOI: 10.5829/idosi.gv.2013.11.6.81189.
  17. Cook CJ, Fourie P, Crewther BT. Menstrual variation in the acute testosterone and cortisol response to laboratory stressors correlate with baseline testosterone fluctuations at a within-and between-person level. Stress. 2021;24:458-67. DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2020.1860937. PMID: 33287617.
  18. Książek A, Zagrodna A, Słowińska-Lisowska M. Assessment of the dietary intake of high-rank professional male football players during a preseason training week. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17:8567. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17228567. PMID: 33218191.
  19. Bettonviel AEO, Brinkmans NYJ, Russcher K, et al. Nutritional status and daytime pattern of protein intake on match, post-match, rest and training days in senior professional and youth elite soccer players. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2016;26:285-93. DOI: 10.1123/ijsnem.2015-0218. PMID: 26630203.
  20. Raizel R, Godois A da M, Coqueiro AY, et al. Pre-season dietary intake of professional soccer players. Nutr Health. 2017;23:215-22. DOI: 10.1177/0260106017737014. PMID: 29037118.
  21. Brinkmans NYJ, Iedema N, Plasqui G, et al. Energy expenditure and dietary intake in professional football players in the Dutch Premier League: Implications for nutritional counselling. J Sports Sci. 2019;37: 2759-275967. DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2019.1576256. PMID: 30773995.
  22. Iglesias-Gutiérrez E, García Á, García-Zapico P, et al. Is there a relationship between the playing position of soccer players and their food and macronutrient intake? Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2012;37:225-32. DOI: 10.1139/h11-152. PMID: 22380725.
  23. Rico-Sanz J, Frontera WR, Molé PA, et al. Dietary and performance assessment of elite soccer players during a period of intense training. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 1998;8:230-40. DOI: 10.1123/ijsn.8.3.230 . PMID: 9738133.
  24. Giada F, Zuliani G, Baldo-Enzi G, et al. Lipoprotein profile, diet and body composition in athletes practicing mixed an anaerobic activities. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 1996;36:211-6. PMID: 8979651.
  25. Jacobs I, Westlin N, Karlsson J, et al. Muscle glycogen and diet in elite soccer players. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1982;48:297-302. DOI: 10.1007/BF00430219. PMID: 7200872.
  26. Bangsbo J, Nørregaard L, Thorsøe F. The effect of carbohydrate diet on intermittent exercise performance. Int J Sports Med. 1992;13:152-7. DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-1021247. PMID: 1555905.
  27. Hassapidou MN, Grammatikopoulou MG, Liarigovinos T. Dietary intakes of Greek professional football players. Nutr Food Sci. 2000;30:191-4.
  28. Schubert MM, Sabapathy S, Leveritt M, et al. Acute exercise and hormones related to appetite regulation: a meta-analysis. Sport Med. 2014;44:387-403. DOI: 10.1007/s40279-013-0120-3. PMID: 24174308.
  29. Caruana Bonnici D, Akubat I, Greig M, Sparks A, Mc Naughton LR. Dietary habits and energy balance in an under 21 male international soccer team. Res Sport Med. 2018;26:168-77. DOI: 10.1080/15438627.2018.1431537. PMID: 29366354.
  30. National Academies of Sciences and Medicine E. Factors affecting energy expenditure and requirements. In: Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy. National Academies Press (US); 2023.
  31. Dehghanpisheh S, Daryanoosh F, Jafari H, et al. Effect of 8 weeks of aerobic training on serum level of visfatin and tnf-α in non-athletic young women. Gorgan Univ Med Sci J. 2014;16:40-4.
  32. Williams C, Rollo I. Carbohydrate nutrition and team sport performance. Sport Med. 2015;45:13-22. DOI: 10.1007/s40279-015-0399-3. PMID: 26553494.
  33. 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;116:501-28. DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2015.12.006.
  34. Tsagari A. Dietary protein intake and bone health. J Frailty Sarcopenia falls. 2020;5:1-5. DOI: 10.22540/JFSF-05-001. PMID: 32300728.
  35. Urhan M, Yıldız H. Assessment of diet quality and nutrition status of Turkish elite adolescent male soccer players. Spor Bilim Derg. 2022;33:19-31. DOI: 10.17644/sbd.954537.
  36. Ghazzawi HA, Hussain MA, Raziq KM, et al. Exploring the relationship between micronutrients and athletic performance: A comprehensive scientific systematic review of the literature in sports medicine. Sports. 2023;11:109. DOI: 10.3390/sports11060109. PMID: 37368559.
  37. Carter JL, Lee DJ, Fenner JSJ, et al. Contemporary educational and behavior change strategies improve dietary practices around a match in professional soccer players. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2024;21:2391369. DOI: 10.1080/15502783.2024.2391369. PMID: 39133100.
  38. García PMR, García-Zapico P, Patterson ÁM, et al. Nutrient intake and food habits of soccer players: Analyzing the correlates of eating practice. Nutrients. 2014;6:2697-717. DOI: 10.3390/nu6072697. PMID: 25045939.
  39. Ruiz F, Irazusta A, Gil S, et al. Nutritional intake in soccer players of different ages. J Sports Sci. 2005;23:235-42. DOI: 10.1080/02640410410001730160. PMID: 15966341.
  40. Sebastiá-Rico J, Soriano JM, Sanchis-Chordà J, et al. Dietary habits of elite soccer players: variations according to competitive level, playing position and sex. Nutrients. 2023;15:4323. DOI: 10.3390/nu15204323. PMID: 37892399.

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics