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Publication #FAR8065

 

Food and Fitness1

Linda Bobroff and Donna Davis2

Figure 1.  Credits:

iStockphoto

Broadcast 2009:

In our fitness-conscious and competitive world, there are multitudes of self-styled nutrition "experts" who have plenty of advice to offer, many with a product to sell. For parents of athletes, the choices can be overwhelming as they seek to provide that competitive edge to their children through proper nutrition.

According to nutrition experts, except for energy (or calories) and water, nutritional needs are basically the same for people who exercise for fun and health, for athletes, and for those who are less active. Using MyPyramid as a guide to eating well for fitness and health can help parents provide their young athletes with good nutrition for training and competition. And while well-nourished athletes don't require supplements of protein, amino acids, vitamins, or aids such as chromium (as many marketers might have you believe), there are certain nutritional steps your young athlete can take to maximize his or her performance.

For starters, by eating a high-carbohydrate diet each day, your child will have a ready supply of glucose when it's needed. Likewise, make certain your athlete is well hydrated by consuming cool water before, during, and after exercise. Dehydration decreases performance and can cause serious harm to the body. During intense exercise lasting longer than an hour, commercial sports drinks are even better than water, as they replace the sodium and electrolytes lost during exercise. And while these tips will help children during their sports activities, the same rules hold true for the adult athletes in your family!

Listening, learning, and living together: it's the science of life. "Family Album" is a co-production of University of Florida IFAS Extension, the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, and of WUFT-FM. If you'd like to learn more, please visit our website at http://familyalbumradio.org.

To listen to the radio broadcast:

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Reference

Bobroff, L. B. (2006). Food and fitness: myths and truths (FCS8100). Gainesville: Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Retrieved September 26, 2006 from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FY470.

Footnotes

1.

This document is FAR8065, 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 527. Published February 2009. Revised August 2011. Reviewed March 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.

Linda Bobroff, professor, and Donna Davis, senior producer, Family Album Radio, 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. Millie Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean.