Sports Nutrition

Fueling the Young Athlete
Taking part in recreational or competitive sports at a young age helps develop skills, confidence, good health, and fitness. The child and teen years are also important times for growth and development. So how do young athletes get enough fuel and nutrients for their sport and growth needs? Check out this page to find out!

A Healthy Meal Plan for a Young Athlete Should Include:

•Enough food energy (i.e. Calories) for exercise and growth
•Lots of carbohydrate choices, such as grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, milk, yogurt, sport drinks/bars/gels. Carbohydrate is the main fuel source for all sports
•Enough protein for growth and to build and repair body tissues. Protein comes from meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk products, legumes, nuts, nut butters and seeds; protein supplements are not needed.
•Moderate to low-fat choices so Calories are available from carbohydrates and lean proteins
•Enough fluid for the body’s needs and to prevent overheating
•Variety to provide all vitamins and minerals
•Frequent meals and snacks to maintain energy levels

Helpful Resources

•Fluids and Foods Before Training/ Competition

•Fluids and Foods After Training/ Competition
•Does Your Sport Bar Measure Up?
•Nutrition and Fluids for Developmental Hockey Players
•Fueling the Young Athlete
•Sport Nutrition for Parents
•Snacks for Young Participants in Community Sports
•Are you Winning at Sports Nutrition?

Helpful Tips:

Glucose: Fuel for Muscles

When you start exercising, your muscles use mostly glucose (a form of sugar) and glycogen (how glucose is stored in the liver and muscles) for energy. As you continue to exercise, your body does start to use fat to produce energy, but glucose is still very important. For peak performance, you will need to eat a carbohydrate rich diet to maintain your glucose and glycogen reserves. To accomplish this, follow the guidelines in Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide and choose grain products (such as cereals, pasta, rice, breads, preferably whole grains), milk and alternatives, and fruits and vegetables more often.

For a copy of the Canada’s Food Guide or to try the interactive online version go to Create My Food Guide

Before Exercising

A high carbohydrate diet consumed the day before a hockey game will top up energy reserves. For game day, pre-exercise nutrition provides energy and fluids for optimal performance, to prevent hunger, and for mental alertness (glucose is the brain’s energy source too). The amount of time you have before exercising will guide the amount you eat. For example, 3-4 hours before, you can eat a full meal, 2-3 hours before a smaller meal, and 1-2 hours before only a small snack and/or liquid meal. Here are a few meal and snack ideas for the hours leading up to an activity.

3 to 4 Hours BEFORE Exercising:

Breakfast
•A glass of fruit juice; cereal with milk; toast with peanut butter and jam.

Lunch or Dinner
•Spaghetti with tomato and meat sauce; milk; fruit salad.
•Rice with chicken and vegetables; a small oatmeal date square; a glass of milk.

2 to 3 Hours BEFORE Exercising:

Breakfast
•A peach smoothie (mix 175 ml (3/4 cup) of vanilla yogurt + 125 ml (1/2 cup) of milk + a few canned peaches together in a blender); raisin toast with a bit of butter or margarine.
•Yogurt and granola and a piece of fruit

Lunch or Dinner
•Tuna in a pita; vegetable juice; a banana.
•Vegetable soup; a few melba toasts with cheese; an apple and a few graham crackers.

1 to 2 hours BEFORE Exercising:

Snacks
•A piece of fresh fruit with a few biscuits (social tea, graham crackers);
•Dried fruits and a small yogurt;
•A fruit and cereal bar and a small glass of fruit juice;
•A muffin and a small carton of milk.

After Exercising

If you will be exercising again in one to two days, stick to a carbohydrate-rich diet to restore your glycogen reserves. If you will be doing another activity in less than 24 hours, eat carbohydrate-rich foods within 30 minutes of the end of your current activity for rapid glycogen replacement. Some good choices are fruits, fruit juices, milk, plain biscuits, fruit bars (cereal bars with fruit filling), fruit yogurts and different types of breads.

Hydration

Good hydration is important for top performance. Drink water, milk, juice or sports drinks during the hours leading up to your activity. When exercising, do not wait to be thirsty to drink. Consume about 150 to 350 ml (2/3 - 1 ½ cup) of fluids every 15 to 20 minutes. If your exercise session lasts one hour or less and if you have eaten enough, water will do. For longer physical activity, sports drinks or a mixture of water and juice will help you to keep going longer.

For more information see:
Fluid Selection – Common Questions
Sports Drinks: Their role in Athletic Performance

What Do I Need to Know About Energy Drinks?

A) What are Energy Drinks?

Energy drinks are often found in small (250 mL) cans and claim to “energize” you and make you more alert for short periods of time. They should NOT be confused with sports drinks which rehydrate the body. Some examples of energy drinks include:

Red Bull Energy Drink®
Impulse Energy Drink
Dark Dog
Shark Energy Dog
AMO Energy Drink
Diablo Energy Drink
Red Rain
SoBe Adrenaline Rush®
SoBe No Fear®
Hype Energy Drink®
Red Dragon Energy Drink®
YJ Stinger®

B) Are They Safe To Drink?

Unlike most food and beverages, energy drinks are regulated as supplements. Health Canada cautions that children and pregnant or breastfeeding women should avoid energy drinks. Health Canada also cautions that energy drinks should NOT be mixed with alcohol and no more than 500 mL be consumed in one day.
Not all energy drinks that are sold have been evaluated by Health Canada yet. If the energy has a NPN (Natural Health Product Number) on the can, it has been evaluated. Check the label.

For more information see: What's The Buzz With Energy Drinks?

To report an adverse reaction, please contact the Canadian Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring Program (CADRMP) of Health Canada: CADRMP
Marketed Health Products Directorate
Health Protection Building, Tunney's Pasture, AL 0701C
Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9
Email: cadrmp@hc-sc.gc.ca
Telephone: 866 234-2345
Fax: 866 678-6789
Your call will be directed to the appropriate Regional Centre.

C) What is in Energy Drinks and Why?

Caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant and can be found on energy drink labels listed as Guarana, yerba mate, or caffeine. Most drinks have 80 mg per 250 mL can, which is double that of soft drinks but half that of brewed coffee.

This amount of caffeine is probably not harmful for adults, but exceeds recommendations for children. Health Canada suggests no more than 45 mg/day for children 4-6 years, 62.5 mg/d for 7-9 years and 85 mg/day for children 10-12 years.

Herbs

Many energy drinks contain the herbs Gingko biloba and ginseng. These herbs do not improve performance and are added to most energy drinks in very low amounts. They can interact with drugs like warfarin and affect blood clotting, however, so be sure to talk to your doctor.

Taurine

Taurine is an amino acid and found in the diet in meat and dairy products. Some energy drinks claim that taurine makes you more alert but there is no research to support this. Most energy drinks have 1 gram of taurine per 250 mL can. The safety of such large doses is not known.

D) Should I Use Energy Drinks During Exercise?

As proper hydration is the main concern during exercise, the best choices are water or sports drinks. The high sugar content and carbonation of energy drinks can interfere with hydration which makes them a poor choice for use during exercise.

8. Look Beyond the Mirror

Learn 10 steps to a positive Body Image

Body Image Is:

•How you see yourself when you look in the mirror or when you picture yourself in your mind.
•What you believe about your own appearance (including your memories, assumptions, and generalizations).
•How you feel about your body, including your height, shape, and weight.
•How you sense and control your body as you move.
•How you feel in your body, not just about your body.

Negative Body Image Is:

•A distorted perception of your shape-you perceive parts of your body unlike they really are.
•You are convinced that only other people are attractive and that your body size or shape is a sign of personal failure.
•You feel ashamed, self-conscious, and anxious about your body.
•You feel uncomfortable and awkward in your body.

Positive Body Image Is:

•A clear, true perception of your shape-you see the various parts of your body as they really are.
•You celebrate and appreciate your natural body shape and you understand that a person’s physical appearance says very little about their character and value as a person.
•You feel proud and accepting of your unique body and refuse to spend an unreasonable amount of time worrying about food, weight, and calories.
•You feel comfortable and confident in your body.
•People with negative body image have a greater likelihood of developing an eating disorder and are more likely to suffer from feelings of depression, isolation, low self-esteem, and obsessions with weight loss and bulking up or trying to change their bodies.

We all may have our days when we feel awkward or uncomfortable in our bodies, but the key to developing positive body image is to recognize and respect our natural shape and learn to overpower those negative thoughts and feelings with positive, affirming, and accepting ones.