An evaluation of energy requirements and nutritional practices in male academy soccer players: implications for growth, maturation and player development

Stables, R (2025) An evaluation of energy requirements and nutritional practices in male academy soccer players: implications for growth, maturation and player development. Doctoral thesis, Liverpool John Moores University.

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Abstract

Soccer academies in the EPL and EFL aim to develop players to play for their first team. While transitioning through the development pathway, players experience growth and maturation whilst completing high volumes of pitch-based loading, non-pitch-based work and full-time education. This thesis aims to quantify the acute fuelling and recovery practices of academy players and determine the response of bone (re)modelling markers in the hours before and after pitch-based training. Players (U12-U21 age groups, n=48) self-reported their energy and macronutrient intake (RFPM) in the 4 hours pre- and post-training (Chapter Four). Pre-training CHO intake ranged from 0.8 ± 0.4 g.kg-1 (U21) to 1.5 ± 0.9 g.kg-1 (U12), post-training CHO intake ranged from 1.6 ± 0.8 g.kg-1 (U12) to 0.9 ± 0.5 g.kg-1 (U14) highlighting sub-optimal fuelling and recovery practices. In using doubly labelled water academy players (n=8, U13) displayed greater daily energy expenditure over 14-day period (ACAD: 3380 ± 517 kcal.d−1, NON-ACAD: 2641 ± 308 kcal.d−1; p < 0.05) compared to their non-academy counterparts (n=6, U13) (Chapter Five). To determine the response of high (TRAIN HIGH; 1.5 g.kg-1, 60 g, 1.5 g.kg-1 and 1.5 g.kg-1 consumed at 08:00, during training, 12:30 and 13:30, respectively) and low CHO availability (TRAIN LOW; 0 g.kg-1) upon markers of bone (re)modelling (Chapter six) players completed two trials separated by one week, preceded by a REST trial. AUC for bCTX and PINP was greater (p < 0.01 and p = 0.03) in TRAIN LOW compared to TRAIN HIGH. Utilising the COM-B framework, players, parents and staff members highlighted a lack of understanding of acute nutritional requirements and a lack of opportunity to consume food and drink, as barriers to optimal nutritional intake (Chapter 7). Data presented provides the first assessment of the acute nutritional practices of academy soccer players using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Soccer; Youth Soccer; Nutrition; Bone remodelling; Growth and maturation; academy
Subjects:	T Technology > TX Home economics > TX341 Nutrition. Foods and food supply G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure > GV561 Sports
Divisions:	Sport and Exercise Sciences
Date of acceptance:	28 August 2025
Date of first compliant Open Access:	14 October 2025
Date Deposited:	14 Oct 2025 10:50
Last Modified:	14 Oct 2025 10:51
DOI or ID number:	10.24377/LJMU.t.00027283
Supervisors:	Morton, J, Close, G, Hannon, M and Costello, N
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/27283

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