Increased Nutrition Needed By Young Athletes
The college professor was attending a youth gymnastics meet, and he insists that what he heard is the truth.
A 13-year-old girl finished her routine with a botched flip. She walked off the mat and started to cry. Her coach met her on a nearby bench. “He told the girl, ‘If you lose another pound or so, you probably could do that trick,”’ the professor said.
The girl was petite, already controlling her weight too strictly. Dropping a few pounds was an extreme and unhealthful suggestion.
“I get a lot of questions from parents about their teenagers in weight-sensitive sports like gymnastics and wrestling,” says Susan Allen, a registered dietitian in Forest Park, Ill. “There’s a lot of pressure on these kids to maintain or even lose weight.”
That’s a problem. Parents need to be aware of the increased nutritional needs required by athletic participation - and monitor what coaches are telling their children.
“Many of these kids are not even meeting the calorie needs of a typical child at that age,” Allen says. “They need even more calories as highly active athletes.”
Fewer calories means fewer nutrients, which can wreak havoc with normal growth patterns.
Growth spurts do vary by individual. Girls usually grow fastest between ages 11 and 12 (gaining 3 to 4 inches); the beginning of menstruation usually signals the end of significant growth. Boys grow most between 13 and 15 (up to 8 inches), and often continue steady growth until age 20.
Parents need to be aware of the combination of a peak growth cycle and sports participation.
“Johnny might be running cross-country and eating six times a day, just shoveling down the food,” Allen says. “He may simply be trying to get the calories he needs to keep his energy and encourage body growth.
“The mother is sending the wrong message if she tells the kid he will get fat from eating so much. Let kids eat what they need when they are growing - and when they are active in sports.”
This is no license for junk food. Sports nutrition guidelines apply to all young athletes. Allen suggests a high proportion of complex carbohydrates and no more than 20 to 30 percent of calories from fat. Protein is not a concern unless there is no regular source (meat, chicken, fish) at dinner.
“Many girls these days want to be vegetarians,” says Nancy Clark, a nutritionist and author of “Sports Nutrition Guidebook” (Leisure Press). “But they don’t add beans or tofu to balance out the proteins. Eating pasta with marinara sauce is not enough.”
For teenage female athletes, Clark says regular menstrual periods are a good sign that they are eating enough protein. But that also raises the need for extra iron, which can be found in red meat, fortified cereals, dark green leafy vegetables and legumes.
Iron is most easily absorbed from meat, but a source of vitamin C at every meal will help with absorption of iron from other sources.
Girls also need to make sure they are getting enough calcium.
“It’s not just an immediate problem,” Allen says. “A calcium deficiency can set up the problem of osteoporosis later in life.”
Boys, who are usually encouraged to eat more food, are less prone to specific nutrient deficiencies.
But one downfall cuts across gender boundaries, Clark says.
“Teen athletes need to find the time during the day to eat,” she says. “Too many of them skip breakfast (for extra sleep) and don’t go in much for the school lunches. It’s difficult for them to make it up (at night).”
Should teenagers take a vitamin supplement?
It’s better for kids to learn good eating habits without relying on a supplement, says Allen.
“Unless the parents know there is a nutritional gap caused by certain sports training - watching your inseason weight as a wrestler is a good example - a vitamin supplement is probably not necessary,” she says. “It’s better to eat the whole foods.”