Nutrition is recognised as one of the most important off-field factors that contribute to on-pitch performance, but is often left unspoken about in women’s football. WSL Football has announced a new female-focused nutrition initiative aimed at improving player’s knowledge around nutrition.
With support from Subway, the programme will develop guidance which will help women across the game manage their nutrition in a ‘female-focused fuelling’ workshop for women playing sports. It will help develop their deeper understanding of how nutrition may impact other aspects of their lives.
Everton defender Maz Pacheco will take on the player advocate role, acting as a representative for players across the WSL and WSL2 for any concerns, queries, or comments they may have. She said:
“I’m so excited to be supporting WSL Football and Subway in raising awareness around the importance of nutrition in football and beyond. Throughout my career I’ve seen huge progress in this space, so to now play a part in spreading that message – and hopefully helping not only players, but all women – think about how they fuel their bodies to be the best they can be feels incredibly meaningful.”
Surveys conducted by WSL Football show that 80 per cent of players had low knowledge about how nutrition and diet can impact their menstrual cycle, and 20 per cent reported their periods had stopped for over three months, which has possible correlations to nutrition-based issues. Clubs would happily welcome more support in female-focused nutrition advice to ensure these athletes are at the top of their game at all times both on and off the pitch.
REDS (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) is caused by women not taking on adequate fuel to support the amount of energy they use while playing and training. Under fuelling also poses extra concerns and risks for women in sport, impacting recovery time, menstrual cycles, and hormonal functions, which can pose long-term risks if unmanaged.
Medical staff at all the clubs in the top two divisions have been provided with a document with the best guidance on female-focused fuelling and REDS, funded by Subway, to support and champion physical activity and to empower female athletes.
Andy Hudson, Head of Performance Support for WSL Football, believes that this can have a societal impact:
“Whether it’s a professional player or a young woman playing football recreationally, the importance of nutrition cannot be underestimated.”
Matt Flint, Senior Brand and Strategy Manager for Subway, stated:
“By investing in this groundbreaking research, we’re helping to transform how female athletes fuel their bodies and, ultimately, how they perform. The findings around REDS and under fuelling are sobering, but they represent a real opportunity to drive lasting change across women’s sport at every level.”
This is an important step to ensure the women’s game is at the highest possible level and ensuring the physical and mental wellbeing of players is well maintained.
