Superstar soccer player Alex Morgan talks nutrition, sleep and more

The day after winning the 2024 SheBelieves Cup, I spoke to soccer superstar Alex Morgan. The first thing I brought up was congratulations. “In one month he was able to lift three trophies, which is amazing,” Morgan told me, pausing before finishing his thought, “That’s unusual.”

rare. It’s exactly Morgan.

For proof, let’s take a look at her track record. Her three trophies she is referring to are the SheBelieves Cup, the 2024 NWSL Challenge Cup, and the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup. Like she said, she won this one month alone.

But, of course, her career spans many years and brings many other awe-inspiring victories. She won the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the FIFA Women’s World Cup twice, the CONCACAF W Championship three times, and the aforementioned CONCACAF W Gold Cup. obtained.

Because of this, Morgan has become a household name. If you ask me to name any soccer player in the world, Morgan will probably be the first one that comes to mind. (And I’m not even one of those Americans who doesn’t watch soccer or football! My boyfriend is from England, so I actually watch quite a lot! Let’s go to Arsenal!) But Morgan It caught the attention of Americans and football. She has captivated audiences all over the world with her very powerful ways and people of all ages and genders respect her. As I pointed out, she is a rare person.

So I wanted to hear all about how she optimizes performance through diet, recovery, sleep, supplements, and more. But I also wanted to know what advice she would give to aspiring young girls and women like her. Because somewhere out there, someone reading this, or maybe someone’s daughter reading this, is the next rare talent in the sport they play, whether it’s soccer, track, or volleyball. .

Alex Morgan: I feel like sometimes my body needs a little rest. Or on the other end of the spectrum, when you want to eat a super healthy, high protein, high carb, low fat meal. My daughter has a different diet. schedule. that’s ok! Maybe she wants to go for a walk, go to the park, ride a bike, or have ice cream.

Everything in my life is about balance. I want to meet her needs and take care of her own body as well as allow her to enjoy life with her. So it’s a balance.

It wasn’t just after having my daughter, but getting to this stage of my career where I’ve been playing for so long and understanding what works on my body.

I know I have to prioritize sleep. That’s very important. I know I have to wake up in the morning and drink a glass of water. I know that sometimes I need to slow down mentally by doing things like breathing exercises or meditation.

For example, we know that we need to take vitamins. In fact, I love doing it with my daughter too. My daughter is the best person to remind me to take my vitamins. It’s a fun experience for her. In the morning she likes to open all the vitamin boxes and give me the vitamins and in the evening she likes to remind me when she gets home from school. cute.

Morgan: I follow a vegetarian diet. That’s why it’s important to work with a nutritionist to come up with the best recipes and meals to ensure you’re getting the best nutrients for your body’s recovery. [I need to eat in a way so my body is] Perfect and ready for matches and training.

So I often eat a grain bowl with rice and chickpeas, black beans, or lentils. In the morning, I usually drink yogurt or a protein smoothie.

In general, I find that I need to eat more to reach my protein goals. But achieving that is really important to me.

Morgan: I like tracking my sleep. So I found out that there is an optimal time of day when I should go to sleep and wake up. It’s good to have a routine where you go to bed and wake up at the same time. So for me it turns out that it’s very important not to go to bed too late and that I need to make sure I get the same amount of sleep every night. For me, that’s eight and a half to nine hours of sleep.

It is important to have a proper relaxation strategy. I prefer reading books to watching programs before going to bed. When I’m traveling, I like to light candles on my nightstand to feel cozy and at home.

Morgan: Self-belief and confidence are the most important things. So, as a mother, I try to instill that in my daughter. I try to never suppress her opinions. I always want to give her the space to have her own ideas and be confident in who she is. For example, if she wants to order her own food or call someone, I’ll let her. I will never hesitate to tell her what she can do within her means.

I’m a big proponent of kids playing different sports. Playing different sports can be very helpful in understanding teamwork, leadership, and even hand-eye and hand-foot coordination skills. This is also how you find out what works best for you. So my daughter does gymnastics, dance, and soccer.

I’m not going to force her into anything, but I will definitely push her to stay active. And naturally, she loves running everywhere and everywhere. She likes to run up the stairs and play with my dog ​​a lot.

I think children often want to do things together with their parents. They want their parents to be on the sidelines. They want to be in the backyard, kicking the ball around, playing catch, etc. So, for me, I try to participate in all of her sporting activities as much as possible. She’s watching her gymnastics and dancing. It also brings great satisfaction to her.

Morgan: At this point in my career, I don’t think there’s any point in continuing if I don’t already love it. And that’s like the best signal to yourself. If something takes me away from spending time with my daughter, I want to make sure I really love doing it every day.

Morgan: As the captain of San Diego Wave FC and the leader of the national team, it’s just a matter of being there, being willing to listen, sharing experiences with them and finding common ground. I have a teammate who’s probably half my age and I can tell her we’re on the same page, especially when she steps on that field. we are equal