The Right Fuel for Your Young Athlete
By Donna Stark
Like so many other children, my daughters have been involved with sports since they were young, and obviously as they have grown, so has the amount of time needed for those commitments increased. The time involved started with just a couple of hours on our Saturday mornings each week and from that, slowly morphed into what could best be described as a full-time job. My oldest daughter was a competitive gymnast and swimmer, and she put in nearly 40 hours each week for her sports. And although I always tried to have a great dinner prepared and packed for her, some days my days got busy. So we would hit the fast food restaurants between school and her practices, and I justified it because … well, she was going to be working out for the next couple of hours.
Don’t Get Stuck Thinking Fast Food is OK
Sure, fast food is OK every now and then, but it really needs to be every now and then. It’s so easy to make that quick stop when sports practices overlap with what used to be family meal time. Eventually, I had to take a step back and question what I was allowing my daughter’s body to be fueled with. The essentials to a young athlete’s diet shouldn’t include a greasy burger, fries, and a soda. Instead, they should include the following:
- Carbohydrates - Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy and should make up at least half of the daily calorie intake. Find them in milk, yogurt, whole grains (cereal, bread, and pasta), and fruit (bananas, apples, and mangos).
- Protein - Protein is an essential component of your athlete’s diet because it builds and repairs muscles. Some good sources of protein are lean meat and poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, beans, and nuts.
- Fat - Healthy fats are another source of energy and are also essential for the absorption of vitamins A, E, D, and K. You can find them in salmon, nuts, seeds, avocado, and olive oil.
- Calcium and iron - Your child’s body needs both calcium and iron in order to build strong bones and carry oxygen throughout the body. You can find these in foods such as meat, eggs, leafy greens, and dairy products.
- Water - Water should always be the first choice of hydration for your child, but if their practice or game is longer than an hour, or is on an especially hot and humid day, sports drinks are a fine alternative, just watch the sugar with them.
Fuel the Body
Start your child’s day off right with a healthy breakfast that is packed with nutrition and then build on that for the rest of the day. Also, make sure your child is properly hydrated for all of the after-school practices and games by encouraging plenty of water consumption. With the right diet and nutrition, your athlete will be able to perform their very best both in and out of the game!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Brookfield, Wis.