Pasta, breads, rice, and cereals: They’re the carb-loaded foods that fuel our bodies for high-intensity exercise and sports. So as the 2024 footy (soccer) season kicks off, making sure AFLW athletes get enough of the good stuff is key for peak performance.

New research from the University of South Australia shows that AFLW players need to increase their pre-game intake of carbohydrates to ensure sufficient and sustained energy levels across a game.

The research is published in the journal Nutrition & Dietetics.

Evaluating the match-day diets of AFLW players (in 2021) and comparing these to recommended nutrient intakes, researchers found that while 71% of athletes met their predicted daily energy requirements, 82% failed to meet minimum carbohydrate recommendations.

The study also found that no athlete met the carbohydrate recommendations in the preceding two hours of a match, and only 24% met recommendations during matches. However, all athletes met post-match carbohydrate requirements.

This is the first study to capture and compare AFLW athletes’ match day dietary intakes to recognized sports nutrition recommendations. Nutrient recommendations for optimal health and performance of AFLW athletes is 6-10 gram/kg/day.

UniSA researcher Dr. Alison Hill says we need to better educate athletes about the importance of carbohydrates for sports performance and recovery.

“AFLW players cover about 8-10 km per match with frequent bursts of high intensity running and whole-body strength needed to mark the ball and fend off opponents,” Dr. Hill says.

“Consuming carbohydrates before and during a match can affect an athlete’s performance as it helps maintain blood glucose and muscle glycogen so provides an immediate source of energy for the high demands of AFLW. Post-match, carbohydrates replenish fuel stores and along with protein, support muscle recovery and growth.

“Our study found that players consumed most of their daily energy and carbohydrates after a game, which has little benefit towards performance, and only really aids in an athlete’s recovery. An under-fueled athlete has a greater risk of performance detriments—such as decreased jumping and tackling capabilities, as well as slower reaction times—so to ensure our AFLW athletes are performing at their best, we need to make sure they are well-educated about their diet and are supported to reach their peak nutrition needs.”

Georgia Bevan, Performance Dietitian with the AFLW Adelaide Crows team, says an optimized diet is one of the most important factors for elite athletes to help them reach their peak performance.

“A well-balanced and purpose-designed diet ensures the team gets enough energy for their bodies to perform and recover from high workloads. It also provides building blocks for muscle and tissue, as well as vitamins and minerals to keep them healthy and injury free,” Bevan says.

“Our body is hardwired to use our carbohydrates as fuel first, especially at higher intensities. So, the longer you train and the higher the intensity of the exercise, the more your body needs carbohydrates.

“Carbohydrates are also our brains’ favorite fuel. In many sports, decision-making and coordination are crucial. By meeting your body’s carbohydrate needs, you can keep pushing hard and keep making good decisions during training and games, plus you will have stable mood and energy in everyday life.

“As three-time AFLW premiers, the Adelaide Crows team are well-versed in nutritional requirements, particularly in relation to fueling their bodies before and after games. However, as many athletes also work and/or study, they can face additional barriers to fueling properly, as they try to fit in everything they need into their busy schedules.

“This is why we prioritize regular education and support for the team to understand the importance of fueling their bodies for the work required.

“Our focus this season is to take their fueling to the next level, harnessing the power of carbohydrates to maximize their performance in training and games.”