Alessia Russo on strength, sleep and fuelling recovery
The England forward tells Women's Health how naps, big meals and a preference for running keep her strong, after a London schools tournament.
Alessia Russo, 27, has won two back-to-back Euros with England and sits in joint seventh place on the country's all-time goalscorers list, according to Women's Health UK. She has done it in just 69 appearances. Yet she says there is something she finds even more satisfying than winning.
A London tournament for girls
On 15 October, the second Alessia Cup took place: the annual tournament run by The Alessia Russo Foundation in partnership with Sky. Girls from 18 schools in underserved areas of London spent the day on football, confidence-building activities and workshops covering everything from careers to health.
"I think it fills my cup more than scoring goals and winning trophies," Russo told Women's Health afterwards.
The aim is tied to a stubborn figure. Women's Health cites earlier Sport England research finding that nearly 64% of girls, more than 1.3 million teenage girls in the UK, quit or drop out of sport by the age of 16.
Russo pointed to practical barriers, including accessibility and having the funds to get there and play. She said the foundation is trying to work on this with events like the Alessia Cup.
Why girls step away
Body image and anxiety around puberty also play a part. Women's Health reports research from Women in Sport, which surveyed 4,000 teenage girls and boys across the UK. It found that 78% of girls avoid sport when they have their period, and 73% do not like others watching them take part.
Russo has spoken about this before. In her 2023 Women's Health cover interview she described losing weight in lockdown after becoming fixated on tracking her calorie intake.
"I think body image is a massive problem within female sport," she said, adding that athletes are perceived as a certain type based on their body, when in fact every athlete looks different.
Her own approach has changed. "When I was younger, I probably struggled losing too much weight; now, being strong is my superpower," she said.
How she trains, fuels and recovers
Her week is shaped by what the Arsenal and England teams plan for her. According to the magazine, that means a mix of strength and cardio sessions alongside work on the pitch.
Food is part of the plan, and she is enthusiastic about it. She told Women's Health she uses food as fuel for the weekend and loves eating, which helps. Eating a lot, she said, is necessary to fuel games and training, and it forms a hugely important part of recovery.
Sleep matters just as much. With games coming round quickly, she said she tries to sleep as much as she can: "so I nap a lot and I sleep a lot."
Given the choice, she would pick cardio over weights. "I like the gym, but I would rather run," she said. Her go-to workout is a run somewhere scenic.
The legacy she wants
Looking ahead, Russo hopes the foundation keeps opening doors for more girls, even those with no ambition to turn professional. The one legacy she singled out was to make young girls confident in whatever direction of life they want to go.
Know before you go
- The Alessia Cup took place on 15 October, with girls from 18 London schools.
- It is run by The Alessia Russo Foundation in partnership with Sky.
Sources: Women's Health UK