Sports Nutrition for Young Athletes

A well-balanced diet that provides essential vitamins, minerals, protein, healthy fat, complex carbs, and fiber is important for every child. Athletic kids, however, will have to meet additional needs to support their training and recovery. Athletes usually require a higher intake of calories and will need to drink more water to stay hydrated. Not following a proper diet or ensuring adequate hydration can make it difficult for your child to maintain the energy required for sports, increases the risk of sports injuries, and could impact performance. In this blog, we cover important nutrition information for young athletes so that you can help them make healthy choices for their lifestyle. 

To ensure adequate sports nutrition, you'll want to make sure that your child is eating enough and is eating before and after their activities. They should also be drinking water before, during, and after sports. Remind them to take water breaks every 15-20 minutes during vigorous activities, especially in hot weather. Drinking water after sports helps your child replace lost fluids from sweating. Sports drinks with electrolytes may be beneficial for intense exercise that lasts longer than an hour, but it's recommended to only consume sports drinks that are not carbonated or contain added sugar. Athletes should always aim to eat three full meals per day with snacks in between. Meals should be consumed 3 hours before sports, followed by a light snack 1-2 hours before. After sports, it's important that kids eat again within 30-60 minutes.  

In addition to consuming enough calories for sports, what your child eats also matters. They should consume protein-rich foods such as lean meat, fish, beans, nuts, hemp seeds, tofu, or other soy products. Athletes also need vitamins and minerals, especially iron and calcium. Some good sources of iron are fish, chicken, tofu, eggs, leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach, dried fruits (especially apricots), beans, pumpkin seeds, and flaxseeds. To ensure that your child absorbs iron well, add enough vitamin C to their diet. Excellent sources of calcium are dairy products and leafy green vegetables. 

Children should also consume enough carbs for energy as well. Healthy carb choices are whole-grain bread, whole-grain pasta, quinoa, brown rice, potatoes, fruits like bananas and apples, and vegetables. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are healthy fats that also provide athletes with energy. Good options include fish, avocados, nuts, seeds, and raw olive oil.

Be careful of certain supplements or performance-enhancing substances that athletes may feel inclined to take. Most of these are unnecessary, and some of them can even be harmful. If you're concerned that your child is not getting enough vitamins or minerals from their diet, talk to the pediatrician. They can assess if your child needs to take any supplements. It's also important to be careful of some energy drinks that contain a high amount of caffeine, which can be dangerous. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under the age of 12 should avoid caffeine, while adolescents should not consume more than 100 milligrams per day, which is typically one cup of coffee.

Remember to always keep up with your child's well-check visits, especially if they're involved in athletics. The pediatrician will evaluate your child's health to ensure that they're getting all of the right nutrients they need for their activities and provide recommendations when needed.