Carbs! They have recently replaced fats as the "evil" macronutrient ever since that guy Atkins decided that they are the enemy. While attacking a broad range of all carbohydrates together may seem like a good idea, it's not, especially when it comes to athletes. While sedentary people should be reducing their carb intake to only vegetables and some fruits, soccer players need carbohydrates to adequately fuel and replenish our glycogen storages. Our glycogen storages are what we use for explosive moments, such as sprinting, jumping, changing directions quickly, fighting for a 50/50 ball… get the point? Soccer players need carbs, but we need to be careful with how many carbohydrates and what kind of carbohydrates we are taking in.

Your body only stores around 300 to 500 grams of carbs at one time. This means that before and after a day of hard work, such as a practice and lifting or a game, you need to be managing your glycogen storages through eating carbs. While this may seem like a call to action to eat whatever you want, it is not. You need to be aware of which carbs are good to be filling up on and which ones should be avoided, and unfortunately, this is a complicated issue. Luckily, I come with some science on my side.

First, lets start off with where you should NOT be getting your carbs from

• High fructose corn syrup and sugar. This is obvious, but up to 50% of the carbohydrates Americans eat are from these! They are absolutely terrible for you and can lead to insulin resistance, diabetes and obesity.
• Processed foods. These foods are usually not real foods. They are chemically constructed and tend to be found in the snack isle and include cookies, chips and crackers.
• Foods with gluten. Yes, I've said it. Avoid gluten. We will hash out this battle later on, but for now, check out this study, "New Approach to Celiac Testing Identifies More at Risk" and read this article here.

While this list cuts out most of the carbohydrates you've been eating your entire life, e.g. bread and pasta, you'll be a better soccer player once you make the change. If you haven't already noticed effects of these crappy sources for carbohydrates, then you're probably thinking to yourself right now "I don't need to make a change, I feel fine", and it's true. You probably feel fine, but is fine good enough for someone trying to reach their potential as a soccer player? Professional athletes of all sports are moving towards gluten-free diets and are not afraid to talk of the benefits. Give gluten-free a try, you'll be glad you did.

Now let's get into where you should be getting your carbohydrates from

• Plants. Eat lots of them. You can never eat too many vegetables; they are digested slowly and are nutrient dense. However, they tend to be pretty low in calories, so on really intense training days, you're going to need to take your carb intake up a notch.
• Fruits. Fruits are packed with nutrients and fiber, so although they are a simple carbohydrate, they are slower to digest and have many benefits for your body.
• White Rice. Yes, I known this is another controversial thing to recommend, but it's true. White rice is one of the best ways to restore your glycogen storages and it won't mess with your body like brown rice will. Brown Rice is similar to other cereal grains in that it contains phytic acid, which causes problems for your digestion and nutrient absorption.
• Root Vegetables. This includes yams, sweet potatoes and potatoes, and I am so glad they are good to eat. Yams (commonly mistaken for sweet potatoes) are my personal go-to when I need to get my carbs for the day. Poke holes in it with a fork, toss it in the microwave for 5 minutes, flip it, another 5, drizzle olive oil on it, sprinkle with cinnamon, and enjoy. You're welcome for that tip, your life just got better.

If you didn't notice, the carbohydrate recommendations are in line with the Japanese Village-style Diet, a culture that has a history of low obesity, diabetes and most diseases that plague our Western culture. As a soccer player, you need carbohydrates, just make sure you're getting the correct ones. To dive deeper into carbohydrates, read my article dedicated to them here.