"Should youth footballers use supplements?"

With how much marketing there is around supplements now, it can start to feel like they’re a normal part of football development, even at a young age.

I’ll be honest, my own views on this have changed over the years.

Earlier on, like many people in sport, I paid a lot more attention to supplements.

But after working with thousands of young players over a long period of time, one thing has become very clear:

When it comes to youth footballers, we’re often overcomplicating things.

For the vast majority of young players, supplements aren’t necessary, and more often than not they become a distraction from what actually makes the biggest difference.

Time, money and attention get pulled towards powders, shakes and products, when the real answers are usually sitting right in front of us, in everyday food.

One of the main reasons I’ve never wanted to create my own range of supplements is exactly this.

I don’t believe young players need another product to buy in order to develop properly.

Too often we look for shortcuts because they’re convenient, even though they’re usually inferior to getting things right through food.

Another big factor, and one I see regularly, is how supplements make young players feel.

A lot of players struggle with bloating, stomach discomfort and digestive issues from powders and shakes.

That doesn’t just affect health, it affects confidence, comfort and how a player feels moving on the pitch.

If a player feels heavy, bloated or unsettled in their stomach, it impacts how freely they play.

Health, energy and performance all start in the gut.

If digestion isn’t right, everything else suffers.

In my opinion, whole or minimally processed foods do the job better.

It’s not about eating bland meals, not about cutting foods out unnecessarily, just consistently choosing good quality foods most of the time.

Meat, fish, eggs, dairy, fruit, vegetables, potatoes, rice and oats are all sprayed or processed to some degree...

But they’re still nutritionally dense and provide energy, protein, fats, vitamins and minerals together, in a form the body recognises and uses well - especially during growth.

If organic options are available at times, great.

Not because organic is magic, but because it generally means fewer pesticides, fewer additives and a lower overall chemical load going into a body that’s still developing.

Aside from the actual foods though, one of the biggest issues I see with young players is simply not eating enough.

They’re training, growing, learning and playing all at once.

When calories are too low, progress stalls, recovery suffers and energy drops.

There’s also the research side to consider...

Most supplement studies are conducted on fully grown adults.

The evidence base for regular supplement use in youth players is far more limited, especially when it comes to long-term use through growth and puberty.

That’s why sensible guidance in youth sport almost always comes back to a food-first approach.

Here’s the question I always come back to.

Do you really want your child to feel like they need supplements just to perform?

To be tied into buying powders and products for the rest of their career to feel ready?

Or would you rather build habits that stand on their own, will always be affordable, that work anywhere, anytime, without relying on products?

That doesn’t mean supplements are always wrong.

In adults, things like creatine and whey protein powder can have a place in certain contexts.

There’s decent research behind them for fully grown athletes, and they can support strength and power development.

But even then, it’s always a balance.

You’re choosing an isolated, manufactured substance over a whole food source.

That doesn’t automatically make it wrong, but it does raise a sensible question:

If the body can get what it needs through food, in a form it recognises and tolerates well, why move away from that unless there’s a clear reason?

This is where context matters.

Adults have finished growing, their digestive systems are more stable, and the risk profile is very different.

Even so, many adults still experience bloating, stomach discomfort or simply feel “off” when using supplements, which is a reminder that more isn’t always better.

That's certainly been my experience.

For youth players, that balance shifts even further towards food.

Their bodies are still developing, their gut is more sensitive, and the long-term implications matter more than short-term gains.

Building habits around real food creates a foundation that supports health, performance and longevity, without relying on products.

Used carefully, supplements can be a tool.

But food should always be the base, and for young players, it’s almost always enough.

The simple stuff works. It’s just not marketed as loudly.

James

Matchfit Football

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