ArticleSports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)2026
The Rules of the Game: Towards a Theory of Practice for Performance Nutritionists in Professional Soccer Using Bourdieu's Concepts of Habitus, Capital and Field.
Article in Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
objectivePerformance nutrition is now an established discipline in professional soccer; however, limited knowledge exists on how practitioners can navigate through the unique cultural environment of the men's professional game. Accordingly, we explored the perspectives of players and stakeholders from the English Premier League on the attributes they perceive to underpin successful performance nutrition practice.
methodsGuided by an interpretivist paradigm with a critical perspective (recognising that reality is also subjectively and socially constructed), qualitative face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposively sampled English Premier League stakeholders from August 2024 to December 2024, including players (n = 4), coaches (n = 4), sports scientists (n = 2), physiotherapists (n = 2), a chef (n = 1) and a medical doctor (n = 1). Data were abductively analysed using a thematic analysis informed by Bourdieu's concepts of habitus, capital and field.
resultsThree key themes were identified. It is perceived that (1) Field: successful performance nutritionists must recognise and adapt to the hierarchical structure, entrenched cultural norms and doxic practices of professional soccer, adapting their strategies to gain support from coaches, players and staff; (2) Capital: effective performance nutrition practice requires strategic deployment of cultural capital (technical, sports-specific and interdisciplinary knowledge) and social capital (ability to build trust and relationships with key stakeholders) to establish credibility and influence practice; (3) Habitus: the ability to accumulate and mobilise these forms of capital is underpinned by a habitus congruent with elite soccer's culture, characterised by passion, resilience, adaptability and positivity.
conclusionsThese data provides a comprehensive interpretation of the unwritten rules of professional soccer, demonstrating that the perceived success for performance nutritionists in the English Premier League extends beyond technical expertise, requiring the ability to navigate tacit field rules, strategically mobilise cultural and social capital and embody a habitus aligned with the values of elite soccer through passion, adaptability, positivity and resilience.
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