Christopher Curtis, Christopher Carling, Edward Tooley and Mark Russell 2024. ‘Supporting the Support Staff’: A Narrative Review of Nutritional Opportunities to Enhance Recovery and Wellbeing in Multi-Disciplinary Soccer Performance Staff. Nutrients. 16 (20). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16203474
| Title | ‘Supporting the Support Staff’: A Narrative Review of Nutritional Opportunities to Enhance Recovery and Wellbeing in Multi-Disciplinary Soccer Performance Staff |
|---|---|
| Type | Journal article |
| Authors | Christopher Curtis, Christopher Carling, Edward Tooley and Mark Russell |
| Abstract | Background With ever-increasing training, match-play and travel demands in professional soccer, recovery is vital for athletic performance, a statement amplified in tournament and in-season scenarios. However, alongside supporting the tasks associated with these increased demands, the recovery and wellbeing strategies recommended for playing staff are often unavailable to their support staff counterparts, who routinely experience extended working hours over and above scheduled player attendance. Methods Focusing on the contributions of nutrition to this undoubtedly multifactorial issue, this narrative review aimed to (1) identify potential strategies to enhance recovery and wellbeing in multi-disciplinary soccer support staff and (2) highlight future research opportunities exploring the benefits of nutrition for those staff in soccer performance-related support roles. Results The potential health and wellbeing consequences of chronic sub-optimal practices suggest that chrononutrition strategies may be an area of future interest. Notably, nutritional strategies that enhance sleep hygiene and immune function warrant consideration. Individualizing such strategies to maximize recovery and wellbeing in multi-disciplinary soccer support staff should offer an adjunct and complementary strategy to the holistic performance-focused support provided to professional soccer players. Conclusions Policymakers responsible for organizational and club structures aligned with soccer performance could consider ‘Supporting the Support Staff’ when seeking to improve overall performance. |
| Journal | Nutrients |
| Journal citation | 16 (20) |
| ISSN | 2072-6643 |
| Year | 2024 |
| Publisher | MDPI |
| Publisher's version | License CC BY 4.0 File Access Level Open (open metadata and files) |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16203474 |
| Web address (URL) | https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16203474 |
| Publication dates | |
| Published | 14 Oct 2024 |