Words For Thought – Feeding Young Athletes

I’m sure every parent is familiar with the voracious appetite of growing kids and teens.

For parents who have children who dance, swim, run track, play football or engage in other high intensity physical activities, this is especially true. Young athletes have higher calorie, and sometimes stricter, nutrition needs.

In addition to fueling their growing bodies, proper nutrition for student athletes prevents fatigue, aids in muscle recovery, provides adequate energy storage for optimal performance, maintains hydration and decreases risk of injury or illness.  

The Starting Line

One of the most common questions I get from parents is how much food, and what kinds of foods, they should feed their young athlete. My answer is always the same: It depends. 

Caloric needs vary by age, sex, weight and the level of activity. A swimmer or other high intensity athletes usually require 50 percent more calories than less active kids.

To get an idea of your child’s caloric needs, I recommend going to www.choosemyplate.gov. This an excellent starting point where you can enter your child’s age, sex and how active they are, and the site will provide you with an estimate of how many calories your child should be taking in per day.

For example, a 15-year-old male in the middle of cross-country season should be eating between 2,800 and 3,200 calories per day. Having this starting point will ensure that meals and snacks are prepared according to the young athlete’s nutrition needs.

Are Protein Shakes and Carb Loading Still Relevant? 

Another issue I come across frequently with parents and young athletes is the fixation with drinking excess amounts of protein shakes and eating mass amounts of carbohydrates.

I explain to parents that carb loading is not recommended for kids, nor are the powdered protein shakes. Eating balanced meals is still important, even for young athletes that need 3,200 calories per day.  According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, balanced nutrition for young athletes should consist of:

• Carbohydrates (55-75 percent of calories). Breads, fortified cereals, pasta, vegetables, and fruits
• Proteins (15-20 percent of calories). Lean meats, fish, poultry, tofu, eggs, dairy, legumes and nut
• Fats (25-30 percent of calories). Common fats include oils, butter, margarine (trans-fat free), protein foods

Sports Drinks vs. Water

Parents frequently ask me (hoping for some secret recipe to get a competitive edge) how to best prepare for game day. Although, not very magical or glamorous, I suggest the following:

Two to three hours before competition -- Moderate amount of carbohydrates (30-40 grams), small amounts of fat, moderate protein.  Examples include:  Low-fat granola bar, bagel with low fat cream cheese, fruit smoothie.

During the competition – While advertisements may suggest differently, if you are not following a balanced nutrition program and are not properly hydrated going into the event, a sports drink will not work magic. That being said, sports drinks can be beneficial for athletes engaged in a long, (60 minutes or more) high intensity activity. For competition or practices that are shorter than 60 minutes, water is perfectly sufficient. The sports drink should contain between 6 and 8 percent carbohydrates, and should clearly be a sports drink, not an “energy” drink. 

Energy drinks should not be used in place of sports drinks.  The main ingredients in energy drinks, caffeine and other stimulants, will give a temporary boast of energy, at the risk of increased heart rate and dehydration.  They do not replace key electrolytes that are lost during physical activity.

Likewise, greasy or sugary snacks should not be eaten during workouts or competition.  Simple carbs, such as fruit, plain bagels and pretzels are the best snacks to have during a physical activity. 

Post event/workout – Eating a well-balanced meal is crucial to replenishing lost glycogen and beginning the muscle recovery process. Re-fueling is especially important if the sport involves multiple games in a short time frame, such as basketball or soccer tournament.

Binging on fast food, ice cream or sugary soft drinks is not recommended for daily practices.  Save those times for celebrations after winning the big game.

Within 30 minutes of completing a workout, athletes should eat some carbohydrates.  Granola, fruit, crackers, and yogurt are good options.  A balanced snack or light meal, that includes carbohydrates and protein, should follow one to two hours later.  Some great examples include: string cheese, trail mix, bagel with peanut butter, crackers and cheese. 

Returning to the regular full balanced meals should follow three to four hours later. 

Easy recipes and sample menus can be found at:

Choose my plate -- http://www.choosemyplate.gov/healthy-eating-tips/sample-menus-recipes/Re...

Delish kid friendly dinners -- http://www.delish.com/recipes/cooking-recipes/kid-friendly-dinner-recipes