At B1 Soccer Academy, we are really concerned with the physical and psychological health of our players and that is the reason why we provide specific guidance and services in order to help them achieve an optimal health state.
Recently, the B1 Players have been visiting our new physio, Dani Jimenez, to undertake the fat test. The main objective of Fat Test Day is to measure the skin folds in order to assess the fat deposits in the human body.
“This will give us information on the total body fat percentage which is crucial in the understanding of the player’s physical health. In addition, it will give us precious information on which of our players needs more attention.”
In order to execute the fat test, a measurement of specific folds has to be done in both the lower and upper limbs. In our case, Dani made the measurements of the thigh, supra-iliac, axillary, pectoral, subscapularis, triceps, and abdomen.
An exact measurement was made taking into account each anatomical place, to locate the exact folds necessary for the test. Each of the folds was measured with a skinfold Caliper which measures the thickness of the fat under the skin.
To maximize the precision of the measurement, Dani measured the skinfolds up to three times and calculated the average in order to have an optimal precision.
To finish the formula (Jackson & Pollock), the sex, age, and weight of the player were needed.
Once all of this obtained, the formula will give us the percentage of fat of the player, the body density, the fat-free mass, and the fat mass.
Moreover, In B1 we consider that a percentage fat of 10.5 or less is equivalent to the player being in optimal form.
In the case that the percentage of fat is between 10.5 and 12, the player’s condition will be regular and therefore B1 will work on that player to improve his condition.
Finally, if the body fat percentage is higher than 12, the physical condition of the player will be deficient, which means our implication will be more urgent.
Invisible training
The Fat test that took place in one of our many implications in the health of our B1 Players. We have also been guiding our players into having healthy nutrition which is closely related to the Fat test.
Nutrition should help optimize everyone’s health, but for athletes it also optimizes performance and it is a key component for reaching one’s maximum physical development.
A popular saying in recent years is, nutrition is invisible training. However, we can now say that it has lost its invisible cloak, as it has been proven it can help athletes in numerous ways.
“Increasingly, athletes are paying more attention to nutrition and they are far more aware of its benefits.”
The everyday diet should promote the strategic intake of carbohydrates and protein before and after key training sessions to optimize adaptation and enhance recovery.
Solid or liquid carbohydrate consumption should begin during the first hour after training or match play to speed the recovery of glycogen. Taking food or drinks that contain protein at this time may promote recovery processes.
A well-chosen diet can offer many benefits to our players such as:
- Optimum gains from the training program
- Enhanced recovery within and between workouts and events
- Achievement and maintenance of ideal body weight and physique
- Reduced risk of injury and illness
- Confidence in being well-prepared for training sessions or matches
That is why we are providing our B1 Players with the necessary attention concerning this specific topic in order to guide them into having a healthy and correct eating behaviour.
We believe that every player needs to be informed about the diet that is beneficial to a football player in order for them to set personal nutritional goals.
Therefore, we provided all of our B1 Players a nutrition booklet during training with crucial information about the proper food to consume.
Inside the booklet the players can find the recommended nutrients that should be included in the daily diet, but also specific meals such as before/after training and matches or during recovery.
In that way, our players are completely aware of what they should eat if they want to reach the next level in football!