INTRODUCTION:

Guidelines for carbohydrate (CHO) intake have been systematically updated. Although CHO are determinant to soccer performance, few systematic reviews or meta-analyses described the CHO ingestion among male soccer players.

OBJECTIVES:

This systematic-review, with meta-analyses, examined the CHO intake in male soccer players according to the competitive schedule (preparatory season, season and off-season). Additionally, the variability of CHO intake considering playing position was described.

METHODOLOGY:

Three databases were consulted: PubMed, SPORTDiscus and Web of Science Core Collection. Studies were included according to the following eligibility criteria: (i) male soccer players, (ii) age ≥ 18.0 years, (iii) CHO intake expressed in g.kg-1.day-1.

RESULTS:

Initially, 1992 manuscripts were identified. Of those, 11 manuscripts were considered eligible for the systematic review and 10 manuscripts were included in the meta-analyses. The results of the current meta-analysis showed that male soccer players consumed, on average, 4.3 g.kg-1.day-1 and 5.0 g.kg-1.day-1 of CHO during the season and in the preparatory period, respectively. Surprisingly, no studies reported CHO intake during off-season. Only three studies examined CHO ingestion by playing position. Although samples were limited, goalkeepers seemed to ingest less CHO than outfielders.

CONCLUSIONS:

Considering the limitations associated with CHO intake reporting, nutritional strategies to confirm that athletes meet the intake of this macronutrient are needed.

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