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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:
| Applicable
for soccer, basketball, field hockey,
lacrosse, football, tennis, cycling,
jogging, swimming. |
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.
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Suggestions for Carbohydrates
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• 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.
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Suggestions for
Protein
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• 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.
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Overall, it is important to remember the
following points:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- With a balanced diet, dietary supplements
are unnecessary.
Return to Articles
References:
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
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