Nutrition for young athletes: Smart eating for top performance
We’ve all heard people say,
“you are what you eat,” right? Well, when it comes to soccer (and any other
sport), it’s also true that how you eat affects how you play. It makes sense when you think about it—give your body the best fuel
(good food) and it’ll give you its best performance--on the soccer field, at
school and everywhere else.
Power Foods
Young athletes need power
foods with lots of nutrients and minimal
amounts of fat and added sugar. High-energy carbohydrates from whole grains,
fruits, vegetables and dairy foods are especially important. Young athletes
need extra energy for their sport’s practices and games, beyond the normal amount
needed for growth and brainpower at school. Here’s how to get the carbs your
body craves:
• Eat a Champion’s
Breakfast. Eat whole-grain cereals or muffins made with whole grains and
fruit, like bananas, blueberries and raisins. Create an instant yogurt parfait
with layers of low-fat vanilla yogurt; fresh, frozen or canned fruit; and
crunchy granola or whole-grain cereal.
• Pack Breakfast
to Go. When early morning games make sit-down breakfasts difficult, pack a
bag with bananas, apples, string cheese, yogurt cups, homemade trail mix with some granola or whole grain cereal included in the mix, and a box of 100% veggie/fruit juice, a smoothie or low-fat milk, for eating on the run.
• Pack a
Super-Snack Bag. Traveling athletes need smart fuel. Fill an insulated bag
with high-energy snacks. Use frozen juice boxes, water bottles or reusable gel
packs to keep items cold. Prepare for pre- and post-game snack attacks with
crackers and cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, trail mix, containers
of cut-up fruit and sliced vegetables with dip. Take it easy on the cheese, peanut butter, nuts and dips until after the game, though--too much fat will slow you down.
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| Landon Donovan, right, played for his high schools team before going on to lead the U.S. national team in the World Cup. Gar-Field High student Dario Redondo, left, played for D.C. United Academy during his senior year instead of the Indians. (/D.C. United photo/1999 photo by Gabriel Luis Acosta/San Bernadino Sun) |
Why eat carbohydrates?
Soccer players need plenty of
good carbohydrates for energy during practice and games. If you don’t eat
enough, you’ll get tired easily and you’ll slow down and feel exhausted before
the game’s half over!
A little more than half of
your calories should come from carbohydrates. The trick is to choose your carbs
wisely. There are two main types of carbs: refined carbs (think: foods made
with lots of sugar or highly processed grains, like white bread) and complex
carbs (the “good” kind).
Simple sugars in foods like
fruit juice, jams and jellies, sodas and candy have lots of calories, but no vitamins,
minerals, or other nutrients. Eating a little of these is ok, but eating lot
will give you a quick burst of energy that’ll last maybe 15 minutes or so.
After that, your energy levels will drop, you won’t be able to think straight,
and you’ll be worn out before you know it. In other words, they set you up to
crash and burn.
Complex carbohydrates are the
kind that’ll keep you going strong for the entire game. You can find them in foods
like pasta, whole grain breads and cereals (not sugary cereals like Frosted
Flakes!), beans, peas, corn, sweet potatoes, potatoes and fruits. They give you
long-lasting energy, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
When it comes to bread, pasta
and other foods made from flour, you’ll get a lot more nutrition and power from the kinds made with whole grains
(i.e. 100% whole wheat flour, whole oats, stone-ground corn, popcorn, etc.), so
make sure you read the ingredients
on the labels carefully (not just the front of the label) and don’t be fooled
by marketing—“All Natural” does NOT mean it’s healthy, and “made with whole
grain” is NOT the same as “100% whole grain." The latter is truly good for you, while the former may have just a pinch of whole grain flour and a ton of the refined stuff (which is sometimes cleverly called "wheat flour" or "unbleached wheat flour" on the label--just remember that if it doesn't say ""100% whole," it't not whole grain!).
Protein
Protein is important for
muscle growth and to repair body tissues. It won’t give you more muscle—only
exercise can do that—but it will give your body the tools it needs to build
strong muscles during and after exercise.
But soccer players and other
athletes don’t need a ton of extra protein, either. Most people already eat
almost twice as much protein as they need, so the needs for muscle development
are already met. You can easily cover your daily protein needs by eating 3-5
servings of any of the following: meat, poultry, fish or tofu (3 oz), eggs (1),
dairy foods (1 cup), nuts or peanuts (1 oz), or a grain-bean combo such as
beans and rice (1 cup).
Steer clear of eating too
many protein bars or powders and choose your bars, powders and shakes carefully. Some of the bars are just candy bars in disguise, while some actually give you too much protein! Too much protein can
actually hurt your performance on the field because it can dehydrate you (which
will slow you down and hurt your ability to think and make good decisions), and
it makes your body excrete (get rid of) calcium. And in addition to building
strong bones, calcium is important for moving your muscles, so it’s not
something you want to lose! If you're going to eat them, look for bars or shakes that give you no more than 20 g of protein per serving (I like Usana Health Sciences gluten-free protein snacks and Nutrimeal shakes--especially their Nutrimeal Free, which tastes great, and is gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free and fructose-free) --and make sure to drink lots of water along with your bar or shake.
Water and fluids
Water is the most important,
and overlooked, nutrient for athletes. Water and fluids are essential to body
hydrated and at the right temperature. Your body can lose several liters of
sweat in a 1-hour period.
Clear urine is a good sign
that you have fully rehydrated. Some suggestions for keeping hydrated are:
• Drink
plenty of fluids with every meal, whether or not you will be exercising. It’ll
help your body get the most nutrients from your food.
• Drink
about 16 ounces (2 cups) of water 2 hours before a game or practice. Having enough water will help your muscles
perform better; it’ll also help you think clearly enough to make split-second
decisions on the field.
• Sip
water during and after the game/practice -- about 1/2 to 1 cup every 15 to 20
minutes. Water is best for the first hour.
After an hour of hard playing, water mixed with 100% fruit juice or
sports drinks are ok, but not energy
drinks—they’re loaded with caffeine. Drink even if you don’t feel thirsty. Kids
don’t respond to thirst as well as adults.
• After
the game, drink your milk. New research shows low-fat chocolate milk, may be
one of the most effective beverages for muscle recovery after intense activity.
What about fruits and veggies?
Eat as many—and as many
different colors--as you can (green broccoli, oranges, blueberries, red
tomatoes, and more)! They give you the vitamins and minerals your body needs to
convert the energy in food to fuel for your muscles; and they’ll keep you from
getting sick and missing a game. Plus, they’ve got tons of phytonutrients, plant
chemicals that help heal sore muscles and will even help keep your skin and
hair looking great!
Your body needs plenty of
fruits and veggies—at least 5-9 servings every day, to be exact. If you can’t eat
that many, you may want to consider taking a good quality multi-vitamin to get
all the nutrition you need.
"Nearly two-thirds of children fail to get the Recommended Daily
Allowance (RDA) for vitamin E and zinc.
Half do not meet the RDA for calcium, and close to one-third fall short
of the RDA of vitamin B6," says pediatrician and author Dr. Christine Wood.
In her practice, Dr. Wood recommends vitamins from Usana Health Sciences (and
so do I) because they’re made to pharmaceutical quality and they’ve earned top
ratings year after year. [You can learn
more about Usana at http://vitaminas.usana.com.]
Practice and game days: When and what to eat
You need to eat good-quality carbs
on practice and game days, and any time when you’ll be exercising for more than
1 hour. You might have a light carb snack such as a piece of fruit (bananas or
oranges are great!), a cup of low-fat yogurt, a low-fat granola bar, or a whole
grain English muffin with a little jelly an hour or two beforehand.
During practice or a game,
you really only need carbohydrates if you’re on the field and working hard most
of the time (more than an hour) or on really hot days. Here are a few snack
ideas that will give you the energy you need without weighing you down:
·
Two to three
handfuls of pretzels
·
One-half to
two-thirds cup of low-fat granola
·
A banana, apple
or orange
After exercise, eat a small
snack with carbohydrates and a little protein (i.e. low-fat chocolate milk, a
granola bar, a banana with peanut butter, a yogurt and an apple, small bowl of cereal
and milk, etc.) within 30-45 minutes after your game or practice. This fuels
your muscles and helps you perform better next time you play, kind of like
filling your own, personal gas tank.
Think of eating healthy as
your “secret weapon” against your opponents—something that’ll give you the edge
you need to take your game to the next level. The one thing you need to know to
make this weapon work for you is that you’ve got to use it almost every day. It
won’t work if you eat healthy one day, then go out and have a triple
cheeseburger, fries and a shake every other day of the week. Now, I’m not saying you can’t ever have
another milkshake. Having a treat once in a while (say once a week) is ok. Just
make sure to get back on track after that, and you’re sure to start noticing a
difference in your game before long.
Kathy Sanchez, MS
Adjunct Professor of Nutrition, George Mason
University
Nutrition and Health Communication Consultant
kathymcsan@gmail.com
703-322-0912
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