Outside the Box: Are protein bars good for football players?

Our ever enthusiastic football loving content writer once again returned to the Crucial Environmental Stadium this week - home of Worthing Women’s Football Club. Buoyed by the women’s recent away success in the league last Sunday, which saw them notch up a 4-1 win at Saltdean United, and stocked with an extremely generous car boot serving of plant-based protein bars from Pulsin, there was certainly no need for an individual taste test in week three of Outside the Box. Pulsin’s sincere generosity means that each Worthing Women’s football player has enough protein bars to satisfy them for their entire season! 

Do football players need protein?

Yes, absolutely! Both male & female footballers require enough protein to build and repair muscle. Protein Snacks are also used as an Energy source when a soccer player's carbohydrate stores have depleted.

Protein intake should be spaced throughout the day, so with this in mind it is important that soccer players consider high quality sources of protein both before and after every game or training session.

Are protein bars good before soccer games?

For the majority of soccer players, it seems there is very little wrong in consuming an energizing protein bar before a match or training session, as long as this is consumed alongside a highly balanced and healthy eating plan. However, while protein bars may fuel a workout, consuming an adequate amount of protein after physical activity should provide a footballers Body with the right amount of Amino Acids it needs to recover after exercise. 

How much protein does an active woman need?

A general guideline that the physically active players of Worthing Women’s FC could use is that of the American College of Sports Medicine, who recommend 1.2 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, depending on training. On this assumption, one Worthing Women's player weighing in at 150 pounds (or 10st, 9lb) could consider consuming approximately 80 - 136 grams of protein a day, which is almost double of what the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends for the average female, which is just 46 grams per day.

What footballers are plant-based?

A well known women's American football player is Alex Morgan of Orlando Pride. Alex is widely regarded as one of the games most successful players but is also a well publicised vegan athlete too. Closer to home and here in the UK, former men's England international player Jermaine Defoe (currently at Glasgow Rangers) has been known to dabble with a plant-based diet during the season - this may explain why he's still regularly scoring goals at 37!

Is Pulsin vegan?

Yes! The brand new Pulsin Chocolate Fudge Plant Based Protein Bars that each Worthing Women’s player tried are Gluten Free, Dairy Free and suitable for vegans & vegetarians. Each bar is also free from artificial ingredients, preservatives and palm oil too!

*Keep an eye on each individual Worthing Women's player's social media accounts, as I am sure you'll see the odd Pulsin bar or two in their kit bags for those long distance away games*

Are protein bars worth it?

It’s clear that a footballers protein intake not only depends on the level of physical activity but also on each individual soccer player's rate of healing or growth. And while protein bars may not completely replace the nutrient composition of whole foods, they should provide the women of Worthing Football Club with a convenient way to add protein, carbohydrates, Vitamins, and Minerals to their overall diet.

Follow Worthing Women @worthingfcwomen on Instagram and @WorthingFCWomen on Twitter.

A BIG thank you to Sophie at Pulsin for making this all happen.