Fueling Women’s Football: Evidence-Informed Practical Nutrition Strategies for Performance and Health

Maughan RJ, Shirreffs SM. Nutrition and hydration concerns of the female football player. Br J Sports Med. 2007;41(Suppl 1):i60–3.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Collins J, Maughan RJ, Gleeson M, Bilsborough J, Jeukendrup A, Morton JP, 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(8):416.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Aguinaga-Ontoso I, Guillen-Aguinaga S, Guillen-Aguinaga L, Alas-Brun R, Guillen-Grima F. Effects of nutrition interventions on athletic performance in soccer players: a systematic review. Life. 2023;13(6):1271.

Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Randell RK, Clifford T, Drust B, Moss SL, Unnithan VB, De Ste Croix MBA, et al. Physiological characteristics of female soccer players and health and performance considerations: a narrative review. Sports Med. 2021;51(7):1377–99.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Holtzman B, Ackerman KE. Recommendations and nutritional considerations for female athletes: health and performance. Sports Med. 2021;51(s1):43–57.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

De Sousa MV, Lundsgaard AM, Christensen PM, Christensen L, Randers MB, Mohr M, et al. Nutritional optimization for female elite football players—topical review. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2022;32(S1):81–104.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Sims ST, Kerksick CM, Smith-Ryan AE, Janse De Jonge XAK, Hirsch KR, Arent SM, et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutritional concerns of the female athlete. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2023;20(1).

Harkness-Armstrong A, Till K, Datson N, Myhill N, Emmonds S. A systematic review of match-play characteristics in women’s soccer. PLoS ONE. 2022;17(6):e0268334.

Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Panduro J, Ermidis G, Røddik L, Vigh-Larsen JF, Madsen EE, Larsen MN, et al. Physical performance and loading for six playing positions in elite female football: full-game, end-game, and peak periods. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2022;32(S1):115–26.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Mohr M, Krustrup P, Andersson H, Kirkendall D, Bangsbo J. Match activities of elite women soccer players at different performance levels. J Strength Cond Res. 2008;22(2):341–9.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Smith-Ryan AE, Mock MG, Ryan ED, Gerstner GR, Trexler ET, Hirsch KR. Validity and reliability of a 4-compartment body composition model using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry-derived body volume. Clin Nutr. 2017;36(3):825–30.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Holmes CJ, Racette SB. The utility of body composition assessment in nutrition and clinical practice: an overview of current methodology. Nutrients. 2021;13(8):2493.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Nolte J, Kirmse M, De Marées M, Platen P. Effects of short-term low energy availability on metabolism and performance-related parameters in physically active adults. Nutrients. 2025;17(2):278.

Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Melin AK, Heikura IA, Tenforde A, Mountjoy M. Energy availability in athletics: health, performance, and physique. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2019;29(2):152–64.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Mathisen TF, Ackland T, Burke LM, Constantini N, Haudum J, Macnaughton LS, et al. Best practice recommendations for body composition considerations in sport to reduce health and performance risks: a critical review, original survey and expert opinion by a subgroup of the IOC consensus on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). Br J Sports Med. 2023;57(17):1148–60.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Campo SS, Vaeyens R, Philippaerts RM, Redondo JC, de Benito AM, Cuadrado G. Effects of lower-limb plyometric training on body composition, explosive strength, and kicking speed in female soccer players. J Strength Cond Res. 2009;23(6):1714–22.

Article  Google Scholar 

Todd M, Scott D, Chisnall P. Fitness characteristics of English female soccer players: an analysis by position and playing standard. Science and Football IV2002. p. 374–81.

Clark M, Reed DB, Crouse SF, Armstrong RB. Pre- and post-season dietary intake, body composition, and performance indices of NCAA Division I Female Soccer Plauers. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2003;13(3):303–19.

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Oliveira R, Francisco R, Fernandes R, Martins A, Nobari H, Clemente FM, et al. In-season body composition effects in professional women soccer players. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(22):12023.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Roelofs E, Bockin A, Bosch T, Oliver J, Bach CW, Carbuhn A, et al. Body composition of national collegiate athletic association (NCAA) Division I female soccer athletes through competitive seasons. Int J Sports Med. 2020;41(11):766–70.

PubMed  Google Scholar 

Stanforth PR, Crim BN, Stanforth D, Stults-Kolehmainen MA. Body composition changes among female NCAA Division I athletes across the competitive season over a multiyear time frame. J Strength Cond Res. 2014;28(2):300–7.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Fields JB, Merrigan JJ, White JB, Jones MT. Body composition variables by sport and sport-position in elite collegiate athletes. J Strength Cond Res. 2018;32(11):3153–9.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Lukaski H, Raymond-Pope CJ. New frontiers of body composition in sport. Int J Sports Med. 2021;42(7):588–601.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Gould LM, Cabre HE, Brewer GJ, Hirsch KR, Blue MNM, Smith-Ryan AE. Impact of follicular menstrual phase on body composition measures and resting metabolism. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2021;53(11):2396–404.

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Hicks CS, McLester CN, Esmat TA, McLester JR. A comparison of body composition across two phases of the menstrual cycle utilizing dual-energy X-Ray absorptiometry, air displacement plethysmography, and bioelectrical impedance analysis. Int J Exerc Sci. 2017;10(8):1235–49.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Prado CM, Gonzalez MC, Norman K, Barazzoni R, Cederholm T, Compher C, et al. Methodological standards for body composition-an expert-endorsed guide for research and clinical applications: levels, models, and terminology. Am J Clin Nutr. 2025;122(2):384–91.

Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Joniak KE, Moore SR, Ladan AN, Cantú EI, Britton ME, Smith-Ryan AE. Custom regional segmental lower limb lean soft tissue analysis in male and female Division I athletes. J Strength Cond Res. 2025;38(8):868–74.

Article  Google Scholar 

Ong JN, Ducker KJ, Furzer BJ, Dymock M, Landers GJ. Measures of body composition via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, ultrasound and skinfolds are not impacted by the menstrual cycle in active eumenorrheic females. J Sci Med Sport. 2022;25(2):115–21.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Kuikman MA, McKay AKA, Minahan C, Harris R, Elliott-Sale KJ, Stellingwerff T, et al. Effect of menstrual cycle phase and hormonal contraceptives on resting metabolic rate and body composition. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2024;34(4):207–17.

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Bongiovanni T, Lacome M, Rodriguez C, Tinsley GM. Tracking body composition over a competitive season in elite soccer players using laboratory- and field-based assessment methods. J Strength Cond Res. 2024;38(3):e104–15.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Blue MNM, Hirsch KR, Pihoker AA, Trexler ET, Smith-Ryan AE. Normative fat-free mass index values for a diverse sample of collegiate female athletes. J Sports Sci. 2019;37(15):1741–5.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Jagim AR, Harty PS, Jones MT, Fields JB, Magee M, Smith-Ryan AE, et al. Fat-free mass index in sport: normative profiles and applications for collegiate athletes. J Strength Cond Res. 2024;38(9):1687–93.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Burkhart TA, Schinkel-Ivy A, Andrews DM. Tissue mass ratios and the reporting of distal lower extremity injuries in varsity athletes at a Canadian university. J Sports Sci. 2013;31(6):684–7.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

McCaskie C, Sim M, Newton R, Heasman J, Rogalski B, Hart N. Preseason body composition is associated with in-season player availability in elite male Australian footballers. J Strength Cond Res. 2023;37(5):1089–95.

Article 

Comments (0)

No login
gif