Big Picture Nutrition

One of the main goals of sports nutrition is to help athletes optimize performance through nutrition. When working with elite athletes who perform at the highest levels of their sport this involves a very detailed approach. The approach could involve day to day nutrition plans, game day nutrition, supplementation, and recovery nutrition. We look at every specific detail to give the athlete an edge and keep them at the top of their game.

When we look at the youth athlete, we should be taking a much different approach. It is important to focus on healthy growth, development, and maturation. Big picture nutrition. The goal should be to build healthy nutrition habits and establish a positive lifelong relationship with food. This will be particularly important in establishing the connection between diet, exercise, and body image.

Teaching basics

Make it simple...

Repetition – A young athlete’s brain is like a sponge, able to absorb a lot of information. However, just like an athletic skill, they must practice their nutritional habits. They can’t just hear about it they need to practice and repeat it so that it becomes habit.

Practice what you preach – When young athletes see their parents, coaches, and other adults making healthy choices they are more likely to imitate those actions. Some traits of a positive nutrition role model include:

1. eating a variety of foods

2. focusing on whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins cooking meals more often

3. eating as a family

4. make it a positive experience. Introduce new foods and have fun. Never nag or make negative comments. Negativity will only make things worse.

5. limiting processed and high sugar foods

Nutrition basics

Frequency – Nutrition frequency with young athletes doesn’t just refer to eating around training and games. They burn a lot of calories and it's important to keep their blood sugar levels balanced. Help them to understand that changes in mood and energy can be associated with frequency of food and fluid intake. Eating every 2-3 hours ensures that they will have the energy not only for practice and games but for school and home life as well.

Quality – There is no ‘one size fits all’ plan when it comes to nutrition but to ensure that young athletes are getting all the nutrients they need follow a balanced diet with a variety of foods including:

• Whole grains and complex carbohydrates

• Fruits (2 to 4 servings a day)

• Vegetables (3 to 5 servings a day)

• Lean proteins (chicken, fish, beans, eggs, low fat dairy)

• Healthy fats (nuts, nut butters, seeds, avocado, olive oil)

Nutrient timing – The young athletes’ performance at practice or on game day will directly depend on the foods that they have eaten, and we are not just talking about game day. Performance can also be boosted if you also pay attention to the foods you’ve eaten the past few days or even weeks. Game day tips include:

Eat a meal 3 to 4 hours before event. Focus on a meal high in carbohydrates, moderate in protein, and low in fat.

Avoid sugary foods and drinks. A food or beverage high in sugar will produce a spike in energy but will subsequently be followed by a crash.

If you have less than 3 hours before your game or practice eat a smaller meal or snack. Foods such fruit, crackers, nut butters, or bread are good options.

After the game eat something small within 30 minutes and a full meal within 2 hours. This is when your body will be replenishing energy stores and fluids and rebuilding muscle. Focus on a balanced meal with complex carbohydrates and lean protein.

It’s also very important to remember that everyone is different. Find out what’s best for you by practicing your nutrition routines on days you have practice so your routine is locked down by game day!

Supplements – There are thousands of sports supplements out there and new ones come out every day. They all make claims to help athletes prepare, compete, recover better and faster. Most of those claims are untrue. The truth is that for some athletes, under proper supervision, supplements may be needed and can help. When it comes to young athletes in general, when ask if supplements are necessary the answer is a definite NO! Once again, focus on the basics for healthy performance:

• Eating a well-balanced healthy diet

• Drinking plenty of fluids

• Getting proper sleep and rest

When it comes to young athletes and nutrition, what they put in is directly related to what they will be able to put out. It’s a rapidly changing time for these athletes and the main goal when it comes to nutrition should be building healthy habits they can use for the rest of their lives. Having a plan for food and liquids is key to success. Schedule regular meals with whole foods so that you are not scrambling at the last minute and forced into choosing unhealthy convenience foods.

These are general guidelines appropriate for all young athletes to build a solid nutritional foundation to build on. To find out how to incorporate these recommendations into your lifestyle and personal training plans, email us to set up a consultation. My Nutrition Coach: mynutritioncoach-us@outlook.com.