How many of you have had an after-game pizza party with your child and their team to bond or celebrate a birthday on the team or simply because you are travelling and need to get some food after a game? I know that my daughter has with her team and coaches, and every time it happens I cringe.

As a parent, I want her to have that experiences with her teammates and friends — it’s an important part of childhood and developing personal relationships. But for her recovery and helping to replenish her body of the depleted nutrients, it is not good at all.

But what is incredible to me is what I see when I watch professional soccer either live or on TV, and I see professional athletes going down with cramps. In the English Premier League, the players have access to the very best medical science has to offer — they have specialists to help them understand what they should eat and when, and they can even have their meals prepared for them.