The most important thing for soccer players is making sure you are giving your body the fuel it needs to work every single day at high intensity levels. The recommended number of calories a soccer player should be eating is 22-24 calories per pound of body weight. So, for most college players, this will put you in the range of 3,500 to 4,000 calories a day. If you want to maintain or gain weight, get prepared to eat. A lot. The next question is what kind of food should be making up your caloric needs.

Lets look at how your 3,500 to 4,500 calorie diet should be constructed by in terms of macronutrients. Macronutrients are simply the three main sources of calories: protein, carbohydrates and fats. These Macronutrients all provide energy in the form of calories for your body, but in different ways and with different roles. Let's take a look at each one individually.