Nutrition in cricket: food for thought

Cricket is the second most popular sport in the world. Having the right nutrition for cricket players is important for peak performance and critical for injury prevention. Despite the growing interest in nutrition among cricket players, the role of nutrition in cricket has not been formally synthesized in the scientific literature. To fill that gap, this narrative review was drafted to summarize the current literature on the nutritional needs of cricketers and provide strategies for achieving optimum nutrition before, during, and post-match to maximize performance. As a moderate intensity sport, cricket players require 300 to 600 kcal per hour when playing, and it is preferable that the calories come from whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, and not from refined sugars, starches, and engineered sports nutrition products. The carbohydrate requirement of a player is 3 to 8 g/kg of body weight per day, with professional players requiring at the higher end of the range, whereas the protein requirement is 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg body weight per day and fat intake is recommended at 20% to 35% of total energy intake. As a game that is played in hot and humid conditions, hydration is important with players recommended to drink ~1.5 L leading up to the match and stay hydrated throughout the game. Further, the role of supplements including energy drinks, creatine, and caffeine is discussed. A number of factors that influence the nutritional needs of cricketers including a player’s age, sex, profile, playing format and frequency, and season are also addressed. The article provides the necessary knowledge so that cricket players at all levels can make informed dietary choices to promote long-term health and performance.