Optimal Sports Nutrition for Youth Athletes
When most people think of athletes, they primarily think of adult professional athletes. But let’s not forget that an even larger majority of athletes are children compared to adults. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), there are nearly 30 million children in the United States who participate in youth sports. Compare this to what the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts there to be only about 5,000 professional athletes in the U.S. as of the publication of this article. Because of this, we must ensure that our nations’ youth athletes stand the best chance of success in their favorite sports! In order to do this, the most important aspect we must look at is nutrition. Yes, practicing sports-specific movements are important. Resistance training and conditioning is important. But nutrition is an often overlooked variable by coaches that should be addressed more thoroughly. Today, we’ll break it down into three categories; pre-game nutrition, intra-game nutrition (or during-game nutrition), and post-game nutrition. Let’s dive right in.
Pre-Game Nutrition
With the lack of scientific data out there regarding youth sports nutrition, it’s difficult to say what exactly to recommend in terms of exact macronutrient intakes. This is because most of the data out there is on adults. However,the best we can do is to work with what we have. Thankfully, there are common recommendations for macronutrient intakes before intermittent high-intensity exercise for longer than 1 hour (meaning there are intervals of high-intensity, all-out exercise followed by a rest period, think of American football and hockey as examples). The most common recommendation seen in the literature is anywhere between 1-4 grams of carbohydrates for every kilogram of the child’s body weight. Now, because of the lack of data on various types of sports, this wide range will need to be determined with the “guess-and-check” method. Sports that don’t require as much exertion, such as baseball, will require a pre-game carbohydrate intake on the lower end of the range. While an athlete who plays a more metabolically demanding sport, such as soccer, will require a larger carbohydrate intake. Something else to keep in mind is the athletes’ sex. Boys generally require a greater carbohydrate intake than girls. Because of this, boys will generally stay on the higher end of the spectrum of carbohydrate intake compared to girls, regardless of the sport.
Intra-Game Nutrition
Unfortunately, there is an even greater lack of scientific literature in this department. But based on the data that we do have, there is absolutely no evidence that carbohydrate intake during exercise improves performance in youth athletes. In fact, it’s been shown that when children ingest carbohydrate beverages during a game or practice, it slows down what’s called gastric emptying. This is the time it takes for food or drink to leave the stomach and enter the small intestine for absorption. This can cause things such as stomach upset, vomiting, nausea, and malabsorption. Don’t worry though, there is a potential solution. The researchers of the aforementioned article recommend that youth athletes consume a combination of fats and carbohydrates in order to provide a more sustainable source of energy. Another interesting point that the researchers bring up is that fat may be the preferred source of fuel for children, as they oxidize fat more efficiently than carbohydrates, as compared to adults, where the opposite phenomenon occurs. However, despite proper nutritional fueling being of great importance, hydration status and electrolyte replenishment are even more critical. Children are more sensitive than adults as it pertains to electrolyte and fluid loss. Therefore, it is imperative that children maintain proper intake of water. During exercise this would be around 6 ounces of water for every 20 minutes of activity. But for children who are prone to sweat more, then err on the side of a greater water intake. As far as electrolytes go, there are no set values for replenishment. Having an electrolyte-based beverage, such as Gatorade or Pedialyte on hand is a smart idea.
Post-Game Nutrition
Perhaps this is the most important time for a youth athlete when it comes to recovery. This sets the stage for improved performance in games and practices to come. The standard recommendation that still stands is approximately 20-25 grams of protein and 1 gram of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight. Proper hydration should still be kept in mind, as the child may forget about the importance of fluid replenishment when the game is over.
Final Words
There is still a great amount of work for researchers to do as it pertains to youth athletic nutrition. However, great strides are being made with improvements in scientific instrumentation along with the greater amount of opportunities that children have to play sports. It is recommended that parents and coaches implement these recommendations, but it is also imperative that the parents and coaches listen to the athlete. It is their duty to analyze the childs’ feedback and observe what works best for them. In this way, the child will perform and feel at their best, and most importantly, have fun!