How Young Athletes Can Get the Most from Their Sports Nutrition, By: Dave DePew
Once our kids have built good nutritional habits, we must then focus more closely on creating meals that support the demands of their sports and the intensity they put into their training and conditioning to be competitive. With more activity the nutritional needs increase. It is important to understand the needs and how to properly address them.
Here are 10 tips to increasing youth sports performance through sports nutrition.
1. The first step is to purchase a food count book to see the value of the foods you eat. You should purchase a book that counts the total amount of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, fats and sodium.
2. In addition to the food count book you will need to buy a food journal or create a system for recording your meals to know what changes are necessary to get the most from your nutrition.
3. Sports Nutrition starts first with proper hydration. Record your daily water intake and never allow yourself to become thirsty. Once you begin to feel thirsty you are already slightly dehydrated and your performance is compromised.
4. Be careful not to over consume water as this can increase cramping. Water should be consumed over time and not all at once. The flooding of the stomach can dilute nutrients and affect the balance of electrolytes.
5. In addition to drinking water each young athlete, should also have 4-6 oz of a sports drink every 30 minutes of exercise, this can deliver lost electrolytes and provide a quick boost to blood sugar that is decreased with intense or extended exercise.
6. The meals leading up to the game should be small and easy to digest. Any nutrients taken within the last 20-30 minutes before the game should be more in the form of a pre-workout shake. The ratio of carbohydrates to protein should be 2:1 with little or no fat.
7. Solid Pre-workout meals should be at least 90 minutes before the game and should be balanced with 50% Carbohydrates, 30% Proteins and 20% quality fats.
8. It is important to know that fiber while it is considered a carbohydrate; it doesn't yield any value in the form of a calorie and therefore has no ability to provide energy during exercise. Fiber should be less than 10% of total carbohydrates consumed 90 minutes before or after a game. At other times fiber will be 20% to 30% of total carbohydrates.
9. Exclude the use of caffeine and other stimulants, as they will increase the risk for dehydration and cardiovascular stress. While some studies do indicate that caffeine can increase short term performance, the risks of not knowing how the combination of this drug and intense exercise will affect the health of your child, is a risk that no parent should be willing to take.
10. Always eat a balanced dinner the night before, get plenty of sleep and have a good breakfast the day of the game even if you don't feel hungry.
Sports Nutrition is more than simply game day nutrition and requires daily preparation and good nutritional habits that begin long before game day. Every meal you have, even those meals weeks before the game, can impact an athlete's performance and a young athlete is at even a greater risk due to their natural growth. The development of a good sports nutritional program is a combination of foods and supplements that are safe, high quality and easy to eat because they are foods you like.
