5 Common Mistakes Teen Athletes Make
Top 5 Nutrition Mistakes Teen Athletes Make
Unfortunately, many young athletes today feel that they must endure drastic measures in order to progress in their sport. It is up to you, as an adult (parents or coach) to teach them appropriately and notice the signs. To help you with this, I’ve listed 5 Common Mistakes Teen Athletes make. Keep an eye out for these!
1. Fad Diets and Supplements: There are many fad diets on the market today making false promises and our teens tend to fall prey to them. Avoid products promising to promote muscle growth, or increase your energy or improve your performance. The way to improve your performance is eating healthy meals and avoiding the supplements. You can help your teen improve performance with sport specific meals.
2. Skipping Meals and Snacks: Teens believe that they can skip meals and or snacks and still maintain the energy required to perform in the high intensity sports. This is a great mistake. It is nearly impossible for teen athletes to maintain their nutritional requirements if they skip meals. They should be eating at least 3 meals and 2-3 snacks per day. Eating regularly will maintain the blood sugar levels and provide the energy required throughout the day and through practice times or rigorous activities. A common mistake teen athletes make is not eating on their ‘off’ days and these days should actually be considered their time to ‘re-fuel’ the body and enjoy well balanced meals.
3. Not Enough Water: This is a big mistake teen athletes make; not drinking enough water or other fluids. Our body is made up of 70-85% water and it is extremely important that teen athletes stay hydrated in order to avoid cramping of the muscles and avoid heat illnesses. When teens are exercising in hot or very humid temperatures, they can actually lose 8-10 cups of fluid. A teen athlete would have to drink double that amount in order to rehydrate the body. It is important to drink plenty of fluids because an athlete being just slightly dehydrated can affect the athlete’s performance. It is important to drink water and sports drinks throughout the day to maintain your body hydrated. You may suggest carrying a sports bottle with them throughout the day and refilling it continuously.
4. Not Enough Protein: Another common mistake teen athletes make is not eating enough protein. Protein is essential for rebuilding and repair of the body’s tissues. Athletes, including teen athletes are continuously tearing down muscle tissue through regular workouts and practices, so adequate amounts of protein are extremely important. There are many ways to get the appropriate amount of protein in a teen’s diet. Some ways are consuming meats, fish and poultry. Other forms of proteins also include nuts, peanut butter, eggs and dairy products.
5. Do Not Consume Adequate Amounts of Calories: This is very prevalent in teen athletes. They are concerned with their bodies and are afraid to consume the appropriate amount of calories. Many times the media is a bad influence when calories are mentioned, but in reality our bodies need calories in order to function. Our body requires energy to function, and the energy is found in calories and carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy and it is stored as glycogen in our muscles. A diet that lacks the appropriate amount of carbohydrates will lead to increase of fatigue, injuries and reduced performance. Complex Carbohydrates should be consumed on a daily basis and can consist of whole grain breads, pastas, cereals and fruits and vegetables.
So please encourage your teen athlete to eat healthy foods, drink enough water, and consume enough calories. Athlete Recipes can help by providing over 100 recipes designed to help your athlete outperform the competition. Click Here to learn more.
November 13th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Great list. Supplements, water, and skipping meals (or not eating a healthy lunch) are definitely the biggest mistakes teen athletes make. Again, very informative list.