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Publication #FAR8042

 

Nutrition for Young Athletes1

Desiree Heckmann and Linda Bobroff2

Figure 1. 
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The age at which children begin to compete in sports seems to be getting younger all the time. While proper nutrition is important for all athletes, it's especially critical for young athletes who must meet their nutrient needs for growth along with their needs for athletic performance. They are also building habits for a lifetime, and parents can help make sure those habits are positive ones.

Along with innate ability and proper training, a well-balanced and healthy diet is a key to sports success. For children involved in athletics, the most critical nutrient needs are extra energy (that's calories) and water. We get energy in our diets from carbohydrates, fats, and protein in foods. Carbohydrates are the preferred energy source for exercise, so an athlete's diet should be high in carbohydrates. Whole-grain foods, fruits, vegetables, and milk are rich in carbohydrates. The extra protein needed by athletes is easily obtained from a varied diet, and supplements are not needed. When children meet their energy needs with a varied, healthful diet, they are likely to get all the other nutrients they need for proper growth as well as performance.

Young athletes need to stay well hydrated by drinking cool water before, during, and after exercise, whether at practice or a competition. Sports drinks can encourage children to drink, but are generally not needed unless they are exercising vigorously for more than an hour. Staying hydrated will help young athletes avoid heat-related illnesses, and can be the difference between an okay performance and a great performance.

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References

Children's Hospital Boston. (2007). Nutrition and hydration for young athletes. Retrieved August 10, 2007, from http://www.childrenshospital.org/clinicalservices/Site1172/Documents/nutrition%20and%20hydration%20042507.pdf.

Petrie, J. H., Stover, E. A., & Horswill, C. A. (2004). Nutritional concerns for the child and adolescent competitor. Nutrition, 20, 620-631.

Footnotes

1.

This document is FAR8042, one of a series of the Family Youth and Community Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Broadcast as program 303 in January 2007. Published on EDIS September 2012. In the interest of time and/or clarity, the broadcast version of this script may have been modified. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.

Desiree Heckman, undergraduate student, and Linda Bobroff, professor, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, Dean.