Dietary Guidelines For Teen Athletes: Boost Performance And Energy

Importance of nutrition for teenage athletes

Food is fuel. Nutrition is a very fundamental aspect of the performance of an athlete in sports besides enhancing optimal growth and development. Fluids, micronutrients and macronutrients in their right proportions are vital in the provision of energy meant for growth and activity (Rau, 2012). It is for this reason that young athlete finds it necessary to learn what, when and how to drink and eat before, during and after an activity. It would make limited value if any of out unhealthy fats and unnecessary sugars into the body of a teenage athlete. The building of the muscles and provision of enough energy are among the priorities of nutrients that a teenage needs during sports activities or even when engaging in the practice for the same.

If anything, a teenage athlete needs the power to enhance in quick and strong moves as well as the necessary endurance that would enable him practice and manage to play the game successfully.  Besides the nutritional needs of the athlete, it is also of equal importance to understand how to eat. This revolves around when is it appropriate to take which nutrients (Castle, 2015). This is classified as either before and after an activity. Whereas other nutrients may be best taken before an activity, others would need to be taken after the activity in order to achieve the best of their needs. Teen athletes are found to require more calories in their diet than any other nutrients provided (DeBruyne, 2010).

It is estimated that a teenage male athlete requires to the tune of about 3500 calories per day while the female counterpart requires approximately 2600 calories each day of her activities. It is for this reason that the need of carbohydrates in the diet of a teenage athlete takes the lead among the other nutritional foods. A teenage athlete requires full storage of carbohydrates before an activity. The calories should be stored in the muscles and thus acting as the powerhouse of the body (Mueller, 2013).

The basic nutrition provided to teenagers aid in growth, scholastic achievement, achievement of good health as well as in the provision of the required energy. Sports nutrition facilitates the performance of an athlete by reducing fatigue and the risk of contracting diseases as well as injury. Still, sports nutrition aims at optimization of training and enhancing faster recovery. It is important for the athlete to learn how to create a balance between energy intake and energy expenditure to avoid possible chances of energy deficit or surpluses (Whitley, 2011).

What to eat before, during, and after activity

With the above information in mind and the need to achieve the best out of a teenage athlete, it is important to revise the menu below in order to ensure it is more inclusive. The adjustment should be such that it meets the most vital nutritional requirement of a teenage athlete. The menu of the sports team is as shown below

*N= does not meet requirements, Y= does meet requirements

Upon analysis of the provided menu, a recommendation is made geared towards increasing energy supply to a teenage athlete. From the menu, it is observed the athlete gets a good and adequate supply of foods that are rich in energy. Among the foods, as can be observed from the menu include grains, vegetables and fruits in the decreasing order as per the amount of energy they supply. In the adjustment of the menu, snacks are to be introduced as a supplementary to the energy already provided (Bean, 2010).

Based on the information on the table, the energy is provided mainly by grains. It could be that because of one reason or another any of the teenage athletes is not comfortable with whole grains (Council, 2013). Among the factors that may result in such scenario are among them the background of the teenage athlete and how he is brought up in line with the diet common to him. This would mean such a teenage athlete would be gaining very little as far as the supply of adequate energy is concerned despite the vast number of serves of the grain as provided in the menu.  This thus makes it significant to have an alternative of grain to ensure that the menu is all-inclusive and meets the expectations of each of the teenage athletes (Whitney, 2018).

This would depend on the calorie coefficient of the snacks. Information on when to take which snacks help to ensure optimization of the nutrients available in the snacks. Taking of snacks rich in carbohydrates is most beneficial when done two or three hours before activity. Some of the snacks that can be taken before an exercise include toast, jacket potato with beans, chicken with rice and salad.

After an exercise, a teenage athlete would need to restore the energy lost as well as maintain the mass of the muscles (NHMRC, 2013). This also calls for the supply of energy to the body. Taking snacks rich in carbohydrates and proteins would help in the restoration of the lost energy and maintain the mass of the body muscles. An example of such a snack would be mixed fruit salad with Greek yoghurt that has been topped with mixed seeds and nuts. Alternatively, taking skimmed milk may provide an excellent option of regaining the lost energy after an exercise (Rau, 2012). In order to have the best from snacks taken after an exercise, the snacks should be taken not later than one hour after the meal.

The role of snacks in supplementing energy

Snacks for teenage athletes can be derived from various nutrients in various proportions. Fruits and vegetable are such one source of healthy snacks. In as much as fruits and vegetables do not yield as many calories, a combination of these nutrients with sources of proteins and health fat can yield a more substantial snacks (Shanley, 2010). These nutrients provide to the body a variety of vitamins that are needed by the body of the athlete to keep it strong and healthy. Among the vegetables and fruits snacks that can be adopted by a teenage athlete include;

• Apple slices, dip celery or bananas in peanut butter to provide snack with high protein content
• Chopped vegetables dipped in hummus to make savory snacks(Rau, 2012)
• Low-fat yoghurt and granola and fresh berries to make fruit parfait

Beverages can as well be used in making the snacks. The beverages would provide a source of plentiful fluids that would keep the teenage athletes hydrated. Among the snacks that can be derived from beverages, include;

• Supplemental drinks(Castle, 2015)
• Smoothies made from fruit juice, frozen yoghurt or low-fat yoghurt
• High protein yoghurt made by blending fresh bananas with chocolate

Among the snacks that can be made from protein, nutrients include

• Jelly sandwiches and peanut butter, which yield not only good snacks but also great snacks. This snack can be prepared from whole-wheat bread or a multi-grain pita. A prepared chicken salad or egg salad can be eaten with jelly and peanut butter sandwiches snack. It is best served before the teenage athlete engages in activity to help with the building of the body muscles(Ruscigno, 2013)
• Still, a combination of nuts among theme walnuts, almonds or pistachios with dried fruits alongside whole grain cereals would provide a well-balanced mix of snacks that would provide plenty of proteins to a teenage athlete.

In conclusion, snacks are appropriate as an alternative as well as supplementary for meeting the energy requirements of a teenage athlete. Due to their high-energy demand, the supply of energy should be kept steady in a teenage athlete to ensure that he only manages excellent performance but also maintains a strong and healthy body. Snacks act as the main source of calories to those who take limited or no whole grains, which formed the chunk of the energy in the sports camp. Teenage athletes can gain the competitive edge that they desire by just meeting their nutritional needs.

These needs are among them the extra energy needed to endure prolonged periods of physical activity as those that are required in competitive sports and practice. Foods such as greasy or fried foods should be avoided in the diet of a teen athlete, as this would enhance sluggishness. As important as the food taken by the teen athlete is the timing (Mueller, 2013). The teen athlete needs to understand when it is most appropriate to load various foods to ensure optimization and maximum benefit from the intakes. The food should be taken within a period that is long enough to ensure digestion and assimilation proceeds before the designated use of the nutrients.

References

Bean, A. (2010). Anita Bean’s Sports Nutrition for Young Athletes. Darwin: A&C Black.

Castle, J. (2015). Eat Like a Champion: Performance Nutrition for Your Young Athlete. Kansas: AMACOM.

Corcoran, N. (2013). Communicating Health: Strategies for Health Promotion. New York: SAGE Publications.

Council, N. H. (2013). Eat for Health – Educators Guide for Health Professionals. Sydney: NHMRC, National Health & Medical Research Council.

DeBruyne, L. (2010). Nutrition and Diet Therapy. Sydney: Cengage Learning.

Gagliardi, L. (2014). Dental Health Education: Lesson Planning and Implementation, Second Edition. New Jersy: Waveland Press.

King, K. (2012). Essentials of Pediatric Nutrition. Tononto: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

Litt, A. S. (2012). Fuel for Young Athletes. Oxford: Human Kinetics.

Mueller, K. (2013). The Athlete’s Guide to Sports Supplements. Adelaide: Human Kinetics.

NHMRC. (2013). Eat for Health: Australian Dietary Guidelines : Summary. Sydney: NHMRC, National Health & Medical Research Council.

Rau, D. M. (2012). Sports Nutrition for Teen Athletes: Eat Right to Take Your Game to the Next Level. Darwin: Capstone.

Ruscigno, M. (2013). No Meat Athlete: Run on Plants and Discover Your Fittest, Fastest, Happiest Self. London: Fair Winds Press.

Shanley, E. (2010). Fueling the Teen Machine. Salt Lake: Bull Publishing Company.

Whitley, R. J. (2011). Textbook of Clinical Pediatrics. Sydney: Springer Science & Business Media.

Whitney, E. N. (2018). Understanding Nutrition. Sydney: Cengage Learning.

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