Gatorade has collaborated with UEFA to optimise female match officials’ health and performance during the UEFA Women’s EURO.
As part of their continued commitment to women in football, the program seeks to assist elite female match officials with a range of personalised consultations on hydration, sports nutrition, and menstruation. They are also making use of the innovative Gx Sweat Patches during the games for continued assessment and data.
Match officials represent a unique group of athletes that have historically not had the same level of support as professional players yet are expected to achieve the same levels of performance on the pitch.
To tackle this, and champion elite female match officials, the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) is providing them with access to a range of educational tools in sports nutrition – the same level of training received by professional athletes.
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The officials were also provided with education around menstrual cycles in relation to health and physical performance, with the ambition to break down barriers and normalise conversations about the impact of menstruation on sport.
Each match official had access to individual nutrition counselling and personalised advice from GSSI scientists on how nutrition can be used to their advantage during physical training.
SVP and chief marketing officer at PepsiCo, Mark Kirkham, said: “We support everyone who wants to play, and this goes beyond just players on the pitch, but everyone in the sport, including the elite match officials who put themselves through the same rigorous training.
“Utilising our heritage and the expertise of GSSI we can help nurture and enhance performance to help take the game to new heights. Through working with the UEFA Women’s EURO, we have an amazing opportunity to make a meaningful difference in women’s football.”
UEFA sports scientist and training expert, Prof. Werner Helsen added: “The female match officials are the unsung heroes of elite football, and we are grateful that through our ongoing partnership with Gatorade, they are getting access to expert knowledge and advice to help advance their skills and performance on the field.
“Looking to the future, our ambition is to further build on the success of this program, which we have delivered with the help of Gatorade Sports Science Institute over the last 8 months to continue to provide the dedicated support the match officials need.”
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