Sports Nutrition
A guide for young athletes
Judy Goffi MS, RD, CDE, L

No matter what type of sport you play or on what level you participate, your performance as an athlete is greatly affected by the food you eat.

There is an abundance of information readily available regarding the dietary needs of the "average" person. Athletes, by virtue of the metabolic demands placed on them, have different needs. Various authorities will disagree over the degree of difference, but no one denies that athletes need more than the average person.

CALORIES

To determine how much energy you expend, and therefore how many calories you need each day, please enter the following information:

Age in years
Weight in pounds
Height in inches
Sport Activity Level (Number of hours of constant activity / playing time each day)	No activity 30 min to 1 hour 1-2 hours 2-3 hours

* applicable for soccer, basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, football, tennis, cycling, jogging, swimming

Calorie needs:

Calories per day for boys Calories per day for girls

This is the estimated total amount of calories you would need to consume each day in order to have the most amount of fuel to play your sport. Now let's see how those calories break down into carbohydrates and protein:

CARBOHYDRATES

An adequate diet for most sports is one in which 60-70% of the total calories come from carbohydrate, 15% from protein and the 30% or less from fat. Carbohydrate is the most important fuel for working muscles and it should make up the bulk of your diet.

Whereas low carbohydrate diets have become the latest fad once again (as it was briefly in the 1970s), there is no place for that among athletes! Studies have consistently shown that depriving an athlete of carbohydrates will always decrease performance (1-4, 6).

PROTEIN

Many athletes seem to think they need vast amounts of protein. This is just not true. Even during very intensive training, you need only slightly more protein than normal. A sedentary teen needs roughly 1 gram of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. An active teen who participates in sprint sports 2-3 hours per day 5-6 days per week would need between 1.2 and 1.5g / kg bodyweight.

Based on your weight and activity level, you would need approximately
grams of carbohydrate and grams of protein per day.

TIMING OF FOOD CONSUMPTION AND PERFORMANCE

Unfortunately, at this time, most of the data we have is on how much a young athlete needs for an entire day, as opposed to exactly how to time carbohydrate and protein consumption with practices or games. However, we can make some general recommendations based on other studies.

Generally, I recommend you eat one-third of your total carbs needed for the day, 2-3 hours before practice or a game. Studies have shown that players last significantly longer (20%) on the field if they have consumed a pre-event carbohydrate meal 2-3 hours before practice, as opposed to fasting (5,6).

Next, eat one-third within 30 minutes after the game or practice. Further studies show that you can replenish your depleted muscle glycogen stores much more quickly by eating a high-carb meal right after exercise (7,8).

Third, distribute the remainder of your carbs throughout the day in smaller meals.

Suggestions for Carbohydrates

• Eat Cereal, bagels, toast, and English muffins for breakfast to jump-start your day. • Snack on low-fat munchies such as pretzels, light popcorn, baked tortilla chips, crackers, and flavored rice cakes. • Try new grains from time to time. Couscous, barley, and bulgur are tasty, quick-cooking alternatives to the usual potatoes or rice. • Dig into a grain-rich salad, such as bulgur-based Middle Eastern tabbouleh or the Italian bread salad panzanella. Or, toss an extra handful of crunchy croutons or cooked wheat berries onto your tossed green salad. • Boost your fiber intake by making at least three of your daily Bread Group servings whole grains, such as whole wheat bread, bran cereal, and brown rice. • Enjoy starchy vegetables and legumes. Lightly dressed potato salad or pasta salad, corn on the cob with a squeeze of lime, and smoky baked beans are perfect ways to get your complex carbohydrates during summer get-togethers.

Suggestions for Protein

• Milk products: Eat cheese on toast or with crackers. Add grated cheddar cheese to baked potatoes, vegetables, soups, noodles, meat, and fruit. Use milk for cooking in place of water for cereal and cream soups. Include cream sauces on vegetables and pasta. Add powdered milk to cream soups and mashed potatoes. • Eggs: Keep hard-cooked eggs in the refrigerator. Chop and add to salads, casseroles, soups, and vegetables. Make a quick egg salad. All eggs should be well cooked to avoid the risk of harmful bacteria. • Meats, poultry, & fish: Add leftover cooked meats to soups, casseroles, salads, and omelets. Mix diced and flaked meat with sour cream and spices to make dip. • Beans, legumes, nuts, & seeds: Sprinkle seeds on desserts such as fruit, ice cream, pudding, and custard. Also serve on vegetables, salads, and pasta. Spread peanut butter on toast and fruit or blend in a milkshake.

Overall, it is important to remember the following points:

1. Young athletes should eat a variety of foods that provide 12-15% of total calories from protein, 55-70% from carbohydrate, and up to 30% from fat.

2. The key nutrients needed to assure healthy nutrition in physically active youths are carbohydrate (including fiber), B6, vitamin D, iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and chromium. A balanced meal plan that does not exclude any food groups will maximize the child's chances of obtaining all the nutrients in amounts needed for growth and training demands.

3. Fluid intake should be encouraged before, during and after activity and sports to prevent dehydration. Carbohydrate supplement drinks are recommended. Click HERE to learn more.

4. With a balanced diet, dietary supplements are unnecessary.

References:

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1. Cheuvront SN. The zone diet and athletic performance. Sports Med. 1999 Apr;27(4):213-28.
2. Balsom PD, Wood K, Olsson P, Ekblom B: Carbohydrate intake and multiple sprint sports: with special reference to football (soccer). Int J Sports Med 1999 Jan;20(1):48-52.
3. Langfort J, Zarzeczny R, Pilis W, et al: The effect of a low-carbohydrate diet on performance, hormonal and metabolic responses to a 30-s bout of supramaximal exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 1997;76(2):128-33.
4. Maughan RJ, Greenhaff PL, Leiper JB, et al: Diet composition and the performance of high-intensity exercise. J Sports Sci 1997 Jun;15(3):265-75
5. Schabort EJ, Bosch AN, Weltan SM, Noakes TD: The effect of a preexercise meal on time to fatigue during prolonged cycling exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1999 Mar;31(3):464-71.
6. Balsom PD, Wood K, Olsson P, Ekblom B: Carbohydrate intake and multiple sprint sports: with special reference to football (soccer). Int J Sports Med 1999 Jan;20(1):48-52.
7. Ivy JL: Dietary strategies to promote glycogen synthesis after exercise. Can J Appl Physiol 2001;26 Suppl:S236-45.
8. Pascoe DD, Gladden LB: Muscle glycogen resynthesis after short term, high intensity exercise and resistance exercise. Sports Med 1996 Feb;21(2):98-118.
9. Harris, James Arthur & Benedict, Francis Gano (1919) "A biometric study of basal metabolism in man", Carnegie institution of Washington, Washington DC. pp266