Diet is an essential part of the life of a soccer player. And you would agree that players have to ensure they treat their bodies right to give their best in each game.
Generally, there are many foods soccer players are discouraged from taking as they do more harm to their bodies than good. However, there are other foods whose benefits are controversial as some believe it has a good impact on the body while others think otherwise.
Ice cream is one of those foods. It is a food with some of the energetic and growth nutrients. However, it is also a food with some nutrients that might have questionable use for a soccer player. This article will examine the benefits and disadvantages of soccer players taking ice cream.
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Can Soccer Players Eat Ice Cream?
Some of the qualities expected of any soccer player include energy, strength, hard work, resilience, and fitness. To ensure the players give their all, they monitor most aspects of their lives as what they take in affects the body one way or the other; disrupting their performance.
One part that is majorly focused on is the diet. Many players have their dietitians who tell them what they eat and when to eat it. Often, their preference and dietitians differ on the proper food intake they need. This is why many players eat ice cream while many others do not.
Of course, ice cream is a sweet food, but it poses some advantages and disadvantages. And while some players avoid it totally, you cannot take away, fully, the benefits it brings to the body. So, to the question, can soccer players eat ice cream? It depends on many factors, including their preferences and dietitians.
Is Ice Cream Bad for Soccer Players?
This is one of the many frequently asked questions by soccer players who wish to stay fit and play the game professionally. Most soccer players love ice cream and want to know the ratio of defects or limitations the food will bring to their growth and development.
The question mostly goes like this: how much does ice cream limit in getting speed, strength, acceleration, agility, and sheer power? Many dietitians and health practitioners state that ice cream has some harmful effects on the body.
How? They claim ice cream contains fats that may stunt a player’s speed, strength, and sheer power as it gives the body more flesh than it is needed. Nevertheless, here are some in the ways through which ice cream is terrible for soccer players:
High Sugar intake
A soccer player should remain fit and healthy for any and every game. However, there is a limit of sugar intake a soccer player should take daily. The limit is often pushed by the intake of a cup of ice cream alone. How does this happen?
As we all know, ice cream is mostly sugar and every other thing. The high percentage of sugar in the ice cream makes it a bad choice for athletes who want to remain fit and avoid illnesses such as obesity and heart disease.
Most soccer players would love to play this beautiful game until they are quite ready for retirement. Plus, they would also want to bow out of the game of their own accord and not because of some illness, so they must remain fit and healthy.
Not a balanced meal
True, ice cream has some nutrients, but it is not a balanced one. As a soccer player, you should not pick ice cream over veggies and fruits, as these give more nutrients and minerals to the body than ice cream.
As an occasional treat, ice cream is great, but as a main meal, it is not advisable. This is because the nutrients it provides can be found in other foods in addition to many other ones.
Just like you would not prefer eating only carbohydrates, you should hope to get more nutrients than the few provided by ice cream.
Filled with chemical substances
Most of the additives and flavors found in ice cream are chemicals, and they have adverse effects on individuals. Therefore, soccer players must be watchful of what they take into their bodies to preserve their health.
However, this cannot be achieved if they take in every processed food with chemical substances. While these foods are pretty easy to make, taste sweet and are delicious, they may be harmful to the body.
Whatever flavor you love, ensure its preservatives and additives do not harm your health as a soccer player.
A High Intake of Fats
What less does a soccer player want than to be called fat or said to have added more flesh? For people looking to increase and be bigger, continuous take of ice cream might be a start. But for soccer players who love to reduce their fats and ensure they are all muscle and bones.
A cup of ice cream puts a player at the risk of exceeding the rate of fats for each day. This also puts such a player at the risk of what high cholesterol brings to the body. And this doesn’t speak well of a professional soccer player and should avoid ice cream as much as possible.
Lactose Intolerant
Some soccer players cannot digest lactose. This means they cannot take anything that has milk in it. However, some people do not have this lactate digesting enzyme, which means they would have difficulty digesting any milk food.
Unfortunately, ice cream has a lot of milk in it, as it is one of its main ingredients. To avoid taking ice cream close to a game that may disturb the soccer player’s performance, a lactose intolerant soccer player should stay clear of ice cream.
Bloating
There have been cases where we see a friend or an individual with a big tummy after finishing a big bowl of ice cream. Most times, we assume they are full, and there is no problem with that.
But, in fact, there is a problem. The problem is called ‘bloating.’ Ice cream stores gas in our tummy, making it bigger. These gases otherwise have adverse effects on our health.
And for soccer players, it makes them uncomfortable and unable to play a match freely or train without hassles. To avoid cases such as these, you should avoid excessive ice cream, or the intake of ice cream should be avoided.
Tooth Decay
If you have ever had a toothache, you know how painful and uncomfortable pain in the tooth can be for the whole body. For example, a toothache during a match would affect a soccer player’s performance as he would not give his all to the game.
How does tooth decay relate to ice cream? There is a protective layer called ‘enamel’ that protects the teeth from decay and ache. It is the outer layer of the teeth. There are bacterias in the teeth that can grow on carbohydrates.
When these organisms contact ice cream, which has a high sugar intake, it ferments into an acid that affects the enamel and causes tooth decay over time. And trust us, tooth decay is not suitable for a soccer player before a match.
Is Ice Cream Good for Soccer Players?
Arguments are made that Ice cream is suitable for soccer players as it contains most of the nutrients they need to gain the qualities they should have. For instance, Ice cream contains carbohydrates that burn and give energy, which translates to strength, power, and agility.
Plus, ice cream also contains minerals and vitamins that strengthen the bones and the body. So if you need stamina and stability, ice cream should be one of the foods you consider. To fully explain, these are the good ice cream can do to the body:
It gives energy
As a soccer player, you need fast food to give you the energy you need to play so well in your game. And ice cream is the best bet. It is a carbohydrate food that strengthens the body as quickly as it can.
While some foods can take a very long time before digesting and give you the energy you need, ice cream would take a shorter time. As a soccer player, ice cream is an excellent alternative to your usual energy-boosting food. It falls under carbohydrates.
Strengthens the bones
Soccer is a physical game that needs strength and bodily stamina. Sometimes we see a heavily built striker bodying a defender to get beside him and score a goal. And in that moment, you wish to be as-built and have strong bones as the striker.
The striker’s strength and bodily stamina are derived from the bones. The usual suspect that gives the body a strengthened bone is Vitamin D, and it is readily available in ice cream.
Generally, you can consider ice cream as the cheat code for soccer players who do not have sufficient stamina. How? It provides the necessary nutrients you need to get strong bones and stamina.
Great immune system and vision
In a soccer game, a professional tends to have excellent sight and can see their teammate who is free, even when far away from the game. This professional sights the teammate and plays a long pass, allowing enough time to round the goalie and score an amazing goal.
Generally, sight is essential in the game of soccer. However, an excellent sight can only be gotten through regular intake of Vitamin A. This vitamin helps the eyes to be strong and see as far as possible.
The vitamin is very much available in ice cream, and anyone taking the treatment is doing the eyes a great favor. Plus, the vitamin also helps establish a great immune system and form organisms that fight strange and harmful microorganisms in the body.
Aids the self-healing functions of the body
Soccer players often have injuries that may take them off the game for weeks and months. There is hardly any soccer player who has not been injured during a game or training before.
As soon as soccer players have an injury, they try their best to ensure they get back to shape as soon as possible. These players undergo many physiotherapy sessions and take fruits and a specified diet.
While they are eager to get back to the field, there is a treatment they should not forget; ice cream. Some may ask why? Ice cream contains Vitamin C, which helps repair the body tissues and heal the body quickly. Additionally, it hastens the soccer player’s return to fitness and the field.
Gives you happiness
When a soccer player is in a good mood, it does a lot to their performance. There is a spring in the way the person walks; there is a smile to the co-workers; there is a zeal to do and be more.
As you’d expect, a happy soccer player gives his best to the team and ensures his performance is top tier. The soccer player exudes positivity and happiness to the other teammates, helping the team grow and progress as a unit.
Some people, unknowingly, may ask the secret of the joy and synergy in the team; they may not know that ‘ice cream’ alone does the magic. How? You may ask how.
Ice cream stimulates serotonin, which is a hormone of happiness and helps reduce stress levels in the body. This stimulation has a chain effect that affects the performance and outlook of the ice cream taker.
Provides other vitamins and minerals
Ice cream also provides vitamins like Vitamin B and minerals like calcium and phosphorus to the body. These all help the body grow strong and fit.
The soccer player needs these minerals and vitamins to stay fit and healthy. In addition, calcium and phosphorus help in making the teeth and the bone strong. It also aids the Vitamin D in giving the body what it wants and makes the whole body strong as possible.
Conclusion
This article examined the benefits and disadvantages of ice cream for a soccer player.
In addition, it examines the way these benefits and drawbacks can affect the performance and gameplay of the soccer player by listing and linking those effects of the ice cream to the game of soccer.
So, can a soccer player eat ice cream? Depends on the player, dietitian, and goal. Nevertheless, as stated in this article, ice cream has its good and bad, and players should watch its effect on their performance.
Hi there, I’m Jay.
Soccer is everything in my life! My friends and I have created this blog with all our enthusiasm, passion, and understanding after years of playing pro soccer. Hope you will enjoy it!