My Life is Vital™ - Teen Athletes: Eat Right For A Competitive Edge

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Teen Athletes: Eat Right For A Competitive Edge

Vital Healthcare Group

Are you a teen athlete? Maybe you play football, basketball, softball or soccer. Or perhaps you are into gymnastics, volleyball or cheerleading. No matter what sport you enjoy, it’s important for teen athletes to eat right for a competitive edge.

What’s the best diet for a teen athlete?

The best diet is for a teen athlete in training is a nutritious well-balanced diet. You need enough calories to meet the great energy demands of athletic competition as well as the demands of your developing body.

How many calories do I need?

Calorie requirements of teen athletes may vary from 3,000-6,000 or more calories per day, depending on body size, age, type of competition, and level of training. If these calories are carefully selected from a variety of foods, your vitamin/mineral intake should be met or exceeded.

How much protein, fat and carbs?

A recommended distribution for the teen athlete's diet includes l0-20 percent of total calories in protein, 30 percent of total calories in fat, and 50-55 percent of total calories in carbohydrates.

If you train exhaustively on successive days and/or compete in endurance events, a diet containing 60-65 percent carbohydrate may enhance your performance.

Complex carbs or simple?

Carbohydrates are the most important fuel for your muscles, and there are two types--simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are made of sugar and are quickly digested. They almost immediately boost your blood sugar level. However, this sudden boost is often followed by a slump.

Complex carbohydrates, such as fruits, whole grain bread and cereal products, are digested more slowly, so your blood sugar rises gradually. Complex carbohydrates are the preferred carbs in a diet.

You should avoid concentrated sweets (carbonated beverages, sugar, honey) before a workout. Bloating and nausea can result from the digestion of these simple carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates that are not burned for energy are stored in the muscles as glycogen. This glycogen is also stored in the liver. Muscles are provided with energy when the stored glycogen is broken down into blood sugar. So, the TYPE and TIMING of foods that a teen athlete consumes will influence the energy level during training and competition.

How about fat in my diet?

Fat is also a major source of energy in prolonged exercise. Fat stores in even the leanest teen athletes (4 – 5 percent body fat) are adequate to meet the energy demands during strenuous exercise. Therefore there is no need to increase fat in the diet above 30 percent.

More protein or less for a teen athlete?

Protein in the diet of the teen athlete is necessary to sustain body tissue. The teen athlete's diet typically contains 2 to 3 times the recommended protein requirement. A high protein intake may cause dehydration and loss of appetite. However, the teen athlete in early training and the endurance athlete may have a slightly higher need for protein or approximately l.2 grams of protein/kg. per body weight.

Diet rules before competition

So, there is no magic food! However, the size, timing, and composition of a teen athlete’s pregame meal can enhance performance. Below are a few guidelines to follow:

Eat 3 to 4 hours prior to the event to give the stomach time to empty.
Eat a meal (about 500-l000 calories) high in complex carbohydrates as they are digested faster than foods high in fat (fried foods) or protein (steak). Complex carbohydrates also supply a steady flow of energy to the muscles.
Avoid gas producing foods (broccoli, cabbage, corn, dried beans, and peas) or foods high in fiber (seeds, raw fruits with skin, raw vegetables, dried beans and peas).
Include plenty of fluid - 3 to 4 cups.
Avoid concentrated sweets (candy, soft drinks) prior to competition as their consumption may result in bloating and nausea.

How much fluid is needed for a teen athlete?

After any competitive event, fluids continue to be essential to replace loss body fluids. The foods you consume should contain sodium and potassium, minerals lost through perspiration.

Orange juice is a good source of potassium while replenishing lost fluids. Salting your foods for several days following competition can also replace lost sodium. Also, eat plenty of high complex carbohydrate foods to replenish glycogen stores. Here are some foods high in potassium:

bananas
broccoli
citrus fruits and juices
dried fruits
greens
milk
potatoes
tomato products.

Get the competitive edge

Get the competitive edge in your sport by checking out your nutritional intake. Following a balanced diet complete in protein, complex carbohydrates, and moderate fat with enough calories to meet your developing bodily needs will ensure you of good health and an excellent performance.