Student-Athlete Nutrition

Adolescents and Food Consumption

• Sixty to eighty percent of adolescents snack during the morning and eighty to ninety percent in the afternoon.
• Given the prevalence of fast foods and convenience store snacks and the lack of nutrition education, many students do not make wise choices:
  • Most youth do not meet the recommendations for eating 2½ to 6½ cups of fruits and vegetables and two to three ounces of fibre daily.
  • Empty calories from added sugars and fats comprise forty percent of daily calories for children and adolescents.
  • On average, teenagers consume more soda per day (twenty-two ounces) than milk (ten ounces).

Athletes and Food Consumption

• Snacks before a workout should contain simple carbohydrates that will fuel the workout; snacks during and after training should include protein and carbohydrates to replenish what has been lost.
• Combine nutrition with hydration.

Students and Food Consumption

• In order to remain alert and focused, the brain must also be nourished.
• Students who are hungry suffer from mood and memory difficulties.
• Protein can stimulate these brain cells more effectively than sugar.
  • Protein also activates the brain cells which tell the body to use up energy stores.
  • A balance of nutrients is more critical to energy than the total number of calories.
• Orexin cells inspire focus and regulate energy balance.
  • Sugar and carbohydrates block these cells, causing sluggishness.
  • Protein counteracts this lethargy.

Creating an Effective Snack

• A high protein snack improves alertness in the afternoon.
  • Mix proteins among multiple meals and snacks.
  • Suggestions: nuts, dairy products, soy products.
• Low Glycemic Index carbohydrates creates a consistent energy supply for afternoon classes and practices.
  • Suggestions: include fruits, vegetables, and grains.
• Include fluids to fight dehydration without overloading on sugar or caffeine.
• Eating lunch at noon and a recovery snack at 6:00pm after practice may be too long between meals.
  • Try not to go more than three hours between eating.

Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates are converted into blood glucose, which fuels muscles
• Muscles store blood glucose as glycogen
• Consider replenishing glycogen stores before (between 1-4 hours before) and after exercise by consuming carbohydrates
• Athletes should be consuming complex carbohydrates early in the day and after competition, not high-sugar soft drinks.
• Types of carbs: Fruit, vegetables, grains, and milk

Snacks before Exercise

• Snacks should contain sufficient fluid to maintain hydration and be low in fat, protein, and complex carbohydrates that are difficult to digest.
• The snack should consist of simple carbohydrates that will maintain blood glucose levels and replenish glycogen stores.
• Suggestions for snacks before activity:
  • fruits, vegetables, and grains, such as a Nutri-grain or granola bar

Recovery after Exercise

• Snack should include some protein and carbohydrates to replenish what has been lost.
• For recovery after workout, consume 1.5g of carbs for every kg of body weight and about 6g of protein total.
• If training to improve physical performance, consume at least 7g of carbs and 1.2-1.7g of protein per kg of body weight.
• Snacks should be familiar to the athlete to avoid indigestion.
  • High school athletes should keep snacks in their locker to avoid the temptation of high sugar at the convenience store.
• Keep snacks handy in a locker for the trip home.
  • Avoid high sugar snacks.
• Suggestions for recovery snacks:
  • Grains: multi-grain bagels, brown rice cakes, whole wheat toast
  • Protein: Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, chocolate milk
  • Fruit: bananas, carrots, berries, other cut fruit or vegetables
  • Fluids: water, juice or sport drink diluted with water

Under-Fuelling

• Athletes should consume a variety of healthy choices every two to four hours
• Many athletes do not consume enough energy due to a variety of reasons:
  • Personal Taste: suggest healthy items that are also fun and delicious
  • Lack of Understanding: devote time to the discussion of good nutrition
  • Lack of Initiative: food should be easy to prepare and access
• Symptoms of under-fuelling include low overall energy, poor performance, lack of concentration, irritability, and slower recovery time.

• Make good choices when eating on the road.
• Choosing healthy meals can make the difference between an excellent performance and one that needs improvement.
• Planning ahead to find restaurants that meet the needs of young athletes facilitates trips.

Athletes Refuelling Needs

• Recovery nutrition achieves the following functions:
  • Refuelling muscle and liver glycogen stores.
  • Replacing fluid and electrolytes lost in sweat.
  • Manufacturing new muscle protein, red blood cells and other cellular components
  • Maintaining the immune system.
• All meals should include a combination of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and fluids.

When and What to Eat

• Consuming protein with carbohydrates improves metabolism and uptake of nutrients.
• Eating a meal with 2g of carbohydrates per kg of bodyweight and 40g protein within two hours accelerates recovery and regeneration.
• Basketball players lose one percent of their body weight (or more) during games. The average player must replace 2.3L of fluids.
• Essential fatty acids boost immune system and cardiovascular health.
• Nutrients such as iron, dietary fibre and calcium also boost sports performance.

Meal Breakdown

Make It Easy to Eat Healthy

• Self-talk, supportive mentors (such as parents, teachers, coaches), and environmental reminders and coaches can serve as nudges to reinforce positive decisions.
• Structure choices in restaurants, food courts and hotels so that young athletes choose to consume healthy meals and snacks.
• Identify restaurants ahead of time to make the most of the short times between games and unknown environment when travelling.

Compare and Contrast

Lunch

Snacks