Having coached youth sports for over eight years, I am sometimes amazed by the diets I see in today’s young athletes. One time, I had two medicated ADD players come late to practice. When I asked them why they were late, they said their mom took them to Dairy Queen for ice cream so they would have extra energy for us that night. Needless to say, they did not have their best night of practice. Nor did the coaches trying to keep them focused!

A soda before a game is too often seen at the ball field my kids play at. Would Billy be as patient and good with the kids if we sugared them up prior to sending them to his camps or lessons?? I just read a story stating that sugar is more addictive than cocaine! You hear stories of the highly successful pro athletes being on strict diets to enhance their ability to compete. This thought process should translate to our kids in the efforts in the classroom and on the playing field.

What should the young athlete eat before a game?

Before a game, your digestive processes may be slowed down by your keyed-up emotional state. To allow for this condition, you should eat an easily digestible meal one to three hours before the contest. Avoid foods that contain substantial amounts of fats or oils. Fats are more slowly digested than other nutrients. Trying to participate with a high-fat meal still in your stomach is a losing proposition. Meals high in starches (potatoes) are better because they are digested more rapidly than fats or oils.

Some athletes like poached eggs, toast, and juice as a light pre-game meal. Some prefer breakfast cereal with low-fat milk, toast with just a little jelly, and juice. All-day events such as track meets or baseball, basketball and soccer tournaments present special problems. Consuming several high-starch mini-meals or snacks, accompanied by ample fluids, is a winning strategy for these situations.
VIP – Avoid sugary foods such as candy or honey before a contest. Sweets can cause rapid swings in blood-sugar levels and result in low blood sugar and less energy.

Protein
Protein is an essential part of the young athlete’s diet, and the role of protein for youth includes building, maintaining, and repairing muscle and other body tissues. It should be noted that an adequate protein intake with inadequate caloric intake prohibits protein balance, even when the recommended daily allowance for protein is consumed. Therefore, it is critical that young athletes consume enough calories to maintain body weight.

The ADA has set the following recommendations for protein intake for young athletes:
• Athletes who have just begun a training program require 1 to 1.5 grams per kilogram per day of protein.
• Athletes participating in endurance sports require 1.2 to 1.4 grams per kilogram per day of protein.
• Athletes who restrict calories must be certain to consume adequate protein for muscle building and repair. A minimum of 1.4 grams per kilogram per day is recommended.
• Vegetarian and vegan athletes should be counseled to ensure that adequate intake of protein is consumed from plant sources.

Some nutrition numbers to crunch:

Parents, help your children succeed in school and sports, monitor their diet!

John has over 20 years of experience in the Health Foods industry, and is the current owner of two health food stores: Vitamin House in Sun City and Vitamin House West in Sun City West. He has coached youth baseball for 10 years and his son Shane, a Little League All-Star is a current student of Cactus Athletic Camps.