Caloric Requirements

The caloric requirements for a football player are more than someone who doesn't play any sports. The reason for that is because an athlete burn many more calories a day than someone who sits around and doesn't do anything. Football players need to eat more of the macronutrients to have their bodies being able to preform at the top of their abilities. The main part of a football player's caloric intake would be from carbohydrates so they can get the energy they need. Another big part of the caloric intake would be from protein. Protein is important is the player wants to get stronger and bigger. It is important that an athlete doesn't eat to many calories that are bad and that will not help the athlete any and will slow him down and create fat. 

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are important to any one, but especially in a teen athletes life. Carbohydrates give the first source of energy when you do an activity. Carbohydrates can burn for close to 30 minuets before fat starts to get burnt. When carbohydrates are stored they are stored as glycogen. There are good and bad carbohydrates, the good ones include fruits, vegetables, and whole grains because they deliver the proper nutrition like minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients. 

As an athlete high levels of carbohydrates are best because they need to burn a lot of energy and they have to have the carbohydrates in their bodies. Some carbohydrates that an athlete can eat is pasta, rice, bread, and fruits and vegetables. If you eat white bread and white rice it is not as healthy as eating brown rice and wheat bread. 

The primary source for a football player to burn are carbs because it is a stop and go sport and doesn't require long periods of time with constant movement. When a football player starts the season it is important to keep their carb intake high because they will need it during the practices and season.