The Vertical Diet for Soccer Players
Soccer players are high-performance athletes who need sustained energy, lean muscle mass, and quick recovery between matches and workouts. The Vertical Diet, created by bodybuilder and powerlifter Stan Efferding, is a simple, nutrient-dense approach to eating that emphasizes easy-to-digest foods and consistent nutrient absorption. While the Vertical Diet was originally designed for strength athletes, it can be effectively adapted for soccer players to boost endurance, fuel muscle recovery, and maintain optimal performance.
In this post, we’ll break down how the Vertical Diet works, why it’s beneficial for soccer players, and how to customize it for the demands of the game.
What Is the Vertical Diet?
The Vertical Diet’s goal is to provide athletes with a high-calorie, high-nutrient diet that is easy to digest. It focuses on reducing digestive stress by using simple, whole foods that your body absorbs efficiently, ensuring you get maximum nutrition without bloating, discomfort, or wasted calories.
The diet is called "vertical" because of its structure:
"Vertical foods" (the foundation) are nutrient-dense and easily digestible, allowing athletes to "stack" calories as their needs increase.
"Horizontal foods" (secondary foods) provide micronutrients and fiber to support health and recovery without overwhelming the digestive system.
The diet is built around a few core foods, such as red meat, white rice, low-FODMAP vegetables, and fruits, which are supplemented with healthy fats, dairy, and small amounts of other nutrient-rich foods.
Why the Vertical Diet Works for Soccer Players
Soccer players have unique nutritional needs due to the demands of the sport, which involves:
High-intensity sprints that require explosive power.
Endurance over 90 minutes of play.
Frequent training and recovery cycles, often with multiple matches per week.
The Vertical Diet’s emphasis on easily digestible carbs and high-quality proteins can help soccer players maintain consistent energy levels, build lean muscle, and recover quickly.
Benefits for Soccer Players
Sustained Energy: White rice and fruit provide quick-digesting carbs for energy without causing digestive issues.
Lean Muscle Growth and Recovery: Red meat is rich in essential amino acids, B vitamins, iron, and zinc, which are crucial for muscle repair.
Improved Digestion: By focusing on low-FODMAP vegetables and cutting out hard-to-digest foods, players avoid bloating and discomfort.
Micronutrient Density: The inclusion of low-FODMAP fruits, full-fat dairy, and eggs ensures that players get essential vitamins and minerals.
How to Customize the Vertical Diet for Soccer
While the original Vertical Diet is great for bodybuilders and powerlifters, soccer players need to tweak it for their sport-specific needs:
1. Prioritize Carbohydrates for Energy
Carbs are king for soccer players, as they fuel high-intensity efforts and prevent fatigue. The Vertical Diet’s focus on white rice and fruit is perfect for providing quick, digestible energy.
White Rice: A cornerstone of the Vertical Diet, white rice provides fast-digesting carbs without causing bloating or digestive issues.
Potatoes: Another excellent carb source for soccer players. They’re easy to digest and offer additional nutrients like potassium, which helps prevent cramps.
Low-FODMAP Fruits: Oranges, strawberries, and bananas provide natural sugars and antioxidants to boost energy and support recovery.
Pre-game Tip: Eat a meal of white rice and lean meat 2–3 hours before a match for sustained energy.
2. Add High-Quality Protein for Muscle Repair
Protein is essential for building and repairing muscle tissue, especially for soccer players with frequent training sessions. The Vertical Diet emphasizes red meat, which is rich in amino acids, iron, and B vitamins. Soccer players can diversify their protein sources to avoid monotony and better suit their needs.
Grass-Fed Beef or Bison: The primary protein in the Vertical Diet. Rich in nutrients that support muscle repair and overall health.
Hormone-Free Chicken: A leaner option for players who want variety while keeping their fat intake moderate.
Eggs and Full-Fat Dairy: Excellent sources of protein and healthy fats. Full-fat yogurt and cottage cheese are great for recovery snacks.
Wild-Caught Salmon: Adds omega-3 fatty acids to reduce inflammation and improve heart health.
Post-game Tip: After a match, combine lean beef with white rice and a fruit like pineapple or berries for a recovery meal that restores glycogen and repairs muscle.
3. Focus on Anti-Inflammatory Fats
Healthy fats support hormone production, brain function, and recovery. The Vertical Diet avoids processed vegetable oils and prioritizes unprocessed fats like beef tallow, butter, and egg yolks. Soccer players can include more omega-3-rich fats to manage inflammation and support joint health.
Beef Tallow or Grass-Fed Butter: Great for cooking without harmful additives.
Avocados: A source of healthy monounsaturated fats and potassium.
Wild Salmon or Fish Oil: Packed with omega-3s to reduce inflammation and promote recovery.
4. Choose Low-FODMAP Vegetables
Soccer players need micronutrients from vegetables, but high-FODMAP vegetables (like broccoli, onions, and cabbage) can cause bloating and discomfort. The Vertical Diet recommends low-FODMAP options that are easier on the digestive system.
Spinach, Carrots, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Bell Peppers: Easy to digest and packed with vitamins and minerals.
Cook Your Vegetables: Lightly cooking vegetables makes them easier to digest while preserving nutrients.
5. Optimize Hydration and Electrolytes
Hydration is critical for soccer players. The Vertical Diet emphasizes maintaining proper electrolyte balance to avoid cramping and fatigue.
Bone Broth: A Vertical Diet staple, bone broth provides sodium, potassium, and magnesium, all of which are essential for hydration and recovery.
Coconut Water or Electrolyte Supplements: Great for replenishing electrolytes lost during intense training sessions.
6. Avoid Problematic Foods
Certain foods can slow digestion, cause inflammation, or lead to energy crashes. The Vertical Diet eliminates foods that can aggravate the digestive system. Soccer players should also avoid these when aiming for peak performance:
High-FODMAP Vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, and onions.
Brown Rice and Whole Grains: Harder to digest and may cause bloating.
Processed Vegetable Oils and Added Sugars: Can promote inflammation and reduce recovery efficiency.
Sample Vertical Diet Meal Plan for Soccer Players
Here’s a sample day on the Vertical Diet for a soccer player. Adjust portion sizes to fit your calorie and energy needs.
Breakfast
3 whole eggs cooked in butter
1 cup white rice with spinach and bell peppers
1 small orange
1 glass of full-fat milk
Mid-Morning Snack
Full-fat Greek yogurt with strawberries and honey
1 boiled egg
Lunch
6 oz grass-fed beef
1.5 cups white rice
Steamed carrots and zucchini
½ avocado
Pre-Training Snack
1 cup white rice with 3 oz chicken breast
1 banana
Post-Training Meal
8 oz salmon
1.5 cups white potatoes
Spinach sautéed in butter
Bone broth
Dinner
6 oz bison steak
1 cup white rice
Roasted carrots and cucumbers
1 small bowl of mixed berries
The Vertical Diet is a great option for soccer players looking to fuel their performance, build lean muscle, and recover efficiently. By focusing on high-quality, easily digestible foods, you’ll reduce digestive stress and ensure your body absorbs the nutrients it needs to perform at its best.
Customizing the Vertical Diet for soccer means prioritizing carbohydrates for endurance, protein for recovery, and healthy fats for inflammation control, while staying mindful of digestion and hydration.
Want to take your nutrition game to the next level? Start by tracking how your body responds to these foods and adjust portions to match your training demands. A consistent, nutrient-dense diet will help you become a stronger, faster, and more resilient player!
