For youth footballers, getting lean isn’t about having a six-pack or chasing an ultra-low body fat percentage. It’s about finding the right balance — enough body fat to fuel performance and recovery, but not so much that it hinders speed, endurance, or agility on the pitch.
Too much focus on fat loss can lead to dangerous habits, like restrictive eating and overtraining, which increase the risk of eating disorders and burnout. Below I break down why body fat matters for youth footballers, how to safely reduce excess fat if necessary, and why following a balanced, performance-focused training and nutrition plan is the best long-term strategy.
The Role of Body Fat in Football Performance
Body fat serves several critical functions for footballers:
Energy Storage: Fat provides a key source of energy during long-duration efforts and helps maintain energy balance.
Hormone Production: Essential fats help regulate hormones like testosterone, which supports muscle growth, recovery, and overall athletic performance.
Injury Protection: A healthy amount of body fat provides cushioning for joints and protects internal organs.
However, too much body fat can hinder performance. Excess fat adds unnecessary weight, which slows acceleration and increases fatigue during repeated sprints. It can also negatively affect stamina, making it harder to sustain high-intensity efforts across a full match. The goal isn’t to chase a specific number on the scales but to aim for an optimal range of body fat that supports both performance and recovery.
The Risks of Getting Too Lean
Some players (or parents) mistakenly believe that lower body fat percentages are always better. However, having too little body fat can negatively impact performance and even increase the risk of injury.
For boys, body fat levels below 7-8% can lead to hormonal imbalances, reduced energy levels, and impaired recovery. For girls, dropping below 12-14% can disrupt menstrual cycles and cause long-term health issues like osteoporosis.
Players with ultra-low body fat levels are more likely to experience:
Increased fatigue and slower recovery times
Increased risk of injuries due to weakened connective tissues
Compromised immune function
Decreased mental sharpness and focus on the pitch
Focusing too heavily on fat loss can also lead to disordered eating behaviours. Research shows that athletes in sports with an aesthetic or weight-focused culture are at greater risk of developing eating disorders. In football, the focus should always be on performance, not aesthetics.
For boys, an optimal body fat percentage typically falls between 8-15%. At this level, players will have enough fat to support essential physiological functions, maintain energy reserves, and protect against injury while still being lean enough to maximise speed, agility, and endurance on the pitch. Dropping too far below this range can increase the risk of fatigue, illness, and even hormonal imbalances that affect recovery and performance.
For girls, the ideal range is slightly higher, around 15-22%, due to the role of oestrogen in maintaining reproductive health and bone density. Girls naturally carry more body fat, particularly around the hips and thighs, which is essential for long-term health and performance. Falling below this range can negatively impact hormonal health, leading to irregular menstrual cycles (or amenorrhea), reduced bone density, and increased risk of stress fractures and overuse injuries.
The Challenge of Measuring Body Fat Accurately
When it comes to tracking fat loss in footballers, scales are not the answer. Body weight alone tells you nothing about whether the weight you’ve lost is fat, muscle, or even water. A player could step on the scales and see a drop in weight, but if that loss has come from muscle rather than fat, their performance on the pitch will suffer.
Additionally, scales are influenced by time of day, hydration levels, and food intake. Weigh yourself in the morning after a night's sleep, and you’ll likely weigh less than after a meal or after a training session when your body is holding onto more water. These fluctuations can make daily weight measurements meaningless and even discouraging, especially for youth players who don’t fully understand what those numbers mean.
Instead, skinfold measurements taken by a qualified coach or sports scientist are a more reliable way to estimate body fat percentage. These measurements focus on specific fat sites on the body and can give a better indication of changes in fat stores over time. However, even these can be subjective and require consistency in how they’re taken.
For most youth footballers, the simplest and most practical way to track fat loss is by monitoring how they feel, move, and perform on the pitch. Are they feeling lighter, faster, and more energetic? Are they able to sprint repeatedly without tiring? These are the types of performance indicators that matter far more than a number on the scales.
It’s important to note that fat loss is not the same as weight loss. Many mainstream fat loss strategies aimed at the general public—such as low-calorie diets or fasting protocols—are not suitable for footballers, particularly youth athletes. These methods can negatively impact energy levels, recovery, and growth, all of which are essential for on-pitch performance.
For footballers, the goal should be lowering body fat while maintaining muscle mass, strength, and energy levels. This can be achieved through smart training, balanced nutrition, and consistent recovery—not by following fad diets or relying on weight loss-focused strategies that are designed for a different demographic altogether.
Safe and Effective Fat Loss Strategies
With that said, if a footballer does still feel that they are carrying excess body fat, the first and most effective step is to look at food quality, particularly by reducing junk food consumption. Processed snacks, sugary drinks, fast food, and high-calorie treats often provide little nutritional value while increasing calorie intake far beyond what the body needs for energy and recovery.
Junk foods are typically high in refined sugars and unhealthy fats, which can lead to spikes in blood sugar levels, causing energy crashes and poor recovery after training. Additionally, these foods can contribute to inflammation, affecting both performance and injury resilience.
By simply swapping out processed snacks for whole, nutrient-dense foods—such as lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables—players can significantly reduce their calorie intake without feeling deprived. These healthier choices help fuel training sessions, support recovery, and provide sustained energy throughout the day.
It’s not about restricting calories excessively or following a strict diet. Instead, it’s about making smarter food choices to ensure the player is eating to support performance while naturally moving toward a healthier body composition.
If however, a player is already eating well but still feels they have excess body fat to shift, it’s important to approach fat loss in a safe, sustainable way. The goal should be to gradually reduce body fat while maintaining strength, speed, and stamina.
Here’s how to do it right:
1. Strength Training First
One of the best ways to reduce body fat is by following a consistent strength training programme. Strength training increases muscle mass, which raises the body’s resting metabolic rate (RMR) — the number of calories burned at rest. Over time, this leads to a natural reduction in body fat without the need for extreme dieting or cardio routines.
Studies have shown that resistance training is more effective for fat loss than cardio alone. This is because strength training preserves lean muscle mass, which is essential for maintaining performance on the pitch.
2. Nutrition: Eating to Perform, Not to Restrict
Youth players don’t need to follow fad diets or cut out entire food groups to reduce body fat. The focus should be on fueling the body for performance, ensuring enough calories to support training and recovery.
Key tips:
Eat enough protein: Protein helps maintain muscle mass and supports recovery. Aim for 1.5-2g of protein per kg of body weight per day.
Prioritise whole foods: Focus on nutrient-dense foods like lean meats, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.
Avoid calorie obsession: Instead of counting calories, focus on eating balanced meals that provide the energy needed for football performance.
3. HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training)
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is one of the most effective ways to promote fat loss because it elevates both calorie burn during the session and continues to increase energy expenditure afterward through excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).
In simple terms, after a HIIT session, the body continues to burn calories at a higher rate for hours while it recovers. HIIT workouts involve short bursts of maximum effort followed by brief rest periods, pushing both the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems — just like the demands of football matchplay.
For youth footballers, it’s important to understand that HIIT-based efforts are already built into most strength and conditioning programmes, including sprint drills, repeated agility work, and power circuits. These types of high-intensity efforts mimic football-specific movements and provide the same fat-burning benefits as standalone HIIT sessions.
Rather than adding extra sessions that could increase the risk of fatigue or injury, sticking to a consistent S&C plan and maintaining good nutrition will naturally bring the desired body composition results over time. It’s about being consistent with what’s already built into the programme rather than chasing extra workouts that might interfere with recovery and performance.
4. Fasted Walks for Recovery
For players looking for a low-impact way to increase fat oxidation, fasted morning walks can be effective. A 30-45 minute walk at a moderate pace before breakfast encourages the body to use fat stores for energy without compromising muscle mass. However, it’s important to ensure that players eat a nutritious breakfast afterward to fuel their day and replenish energy stores.
The Athletic Advantage of Shedding Excess Fat
Carrying excess body fat can negatively impact performance in several ways:
Slower acceleration and top speed
Reduced agility
Increased fatigue during matches
Reduced jump height and power output
When players lower their body fat percentage within a healthy range, they can expect to see improvements in:
Explosive speed and acceleration
Agility and quick changes of direction
Stamina and endurance
Strength-to-weight ratio, improving overall athleticism
Fat loss isn’t something that happens overnight. It requires consistent training, proper nutrition, and patience. Players should avoid trying to shed fat too quickly, as this can lead to muscle loss, injury, and mental fatigue. The best results come from gradual, sustainable changes that prioritise performance and recovery. When players follow a structured plan that includes strength training, pitch work, and balanced nutrition, they can achieve and maintain an optimal body fat percentage without extreme measures.
Performance Over Aesthetics
For youth footballers, the focus should always be on performance, not appearance. Carrying excess body fat can hinder performance, but the goal isn’t to become as lean as possible. Instead, players should aim for a healthy, sustainable body composition that supports speed, power, and endurance. By focusing on building strength, improving speed, and maintaining good nutrition, players can achieve optimal body fat levels without risking their health or performance.
If you have a son or daughter who is aiming for elite level and you'd like to make sure that they're eating habits are supporting their general health, happiness and performance on the pitch, then our sports nutritionist can speak with you and create a tailored plan as part of our Elite Football Athlete programme - which they'll find enjoyable and sustainable to follow, click the image below for details:
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