What Do Football Players Have on The Sidelines During Winter Games?

This football season, you may have noticed coolers labeled “broth” and “hot chocolate” on the sidelines, or maybe it came to your attention after Twitter had a field day with LSU’s football team for having these beverages when they played Arkansas earlier in the 2022 season. Comments of who was making the broth, and that Gatorade should be mixed in for electrolytes and recovery purposes were made, but from a nutritional perspective, having these beverages available makes A LOT of sense. So let’s clear some things up.

If athletes are competing in a climate they are not used to, in this case the cold, athletes could potentially struggle with dehydration, internal temperature regulation and thus are more injury-prone. In order to assist in raising internal core temperature, and promoting blood flow to muscles, warm beverages are essential EVEN if spectators don’t perceive the temperature to be “cold enough” to warrant them.

Sweat losses

Despite the cold(er) temperatures, athletes are still sweating and exerting energy. Especially in sports like football where heavy gear is worn, sweat losses are still occurring during games and practices. In order to maintain proper body temperature, energy levels and muscle contraction, electrolyte replenishment is imperative. Broth is packed with sodium, which the most abundant electrolyte lost through sweat. Depending on the type and concentration, a cup of chicken broth can pack anywhere from 300-900 mg of sodium.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates, aka sugar, are the body’s preferred source of energy. Particularly for sports and optimal athletic performance, carbohydrates are needed before, during and after exercise in order to ensure there are readily available resources for energy production. A cup of hot chocolate typically contains somewhere between 25-45 grams of sugar (sometimes more). This is a perfect amount to replenish glucose levels throughout the game AND increase internal core temperature as players are sitting on the sidelines.

So next time you’re playing in the colder weather, pack some warm beverages high in sodium and carbohydrates to keep you warm and fueled!

-Claire Igoe MS, RD