Many parents who send their children to sports sections are faced with the problem of how to feed a child involved in sports, what to feed and when exactly. The concern of parents is quite justified - after all, nutrition is of great importance for young athletes. Let's figure it out together.
What Foods Does a Child Playing Sports Need?
Obviously, physical activity requires more energy from the baby's body. In order to prevent exhaustion and increase endurance, proper muscle nutrition is essential. It is required to provide a sufficient amount of protein supplied with food, which is the basis for building muscles. Dairy products, cottage cheese, lean meat and fish should be present in the child’s diet, and, of course, fresh vegetables and fruits. Children involved in sports also have an increased need for phosphorus and iron, so you should pay attention to foods rich in these elements.
Child's diet
Separately, it is worth mentioning the diet. The number of meals should be increased to 5-6, reducing the volume of servings. Remember that a large meal before a workout can make your child feel nauseous and even throw up. However, it is impossible to let the baby go to classes hungry - after all, his body is not yet strong enough and may not be able to withstand the load.
The optimal solution: a glass of cocoa with milk 1.5 hours before the start of the workout, half the usual serving of low-fat porridge, or a glass of kefir with a couple of cereal cookies.
It is important to observe the drinking regimen. During training, children sweat profusely and need to restore water balance. Take ordinary mineral water without gas with you, but it is better not to offer sweet juices to your child after a workout. Milk is perfect for compensating for the lack of moisture that has arisen (but not cold!).
What to eat after sports for a child
After playing sports, children actively need proteins and carbohydrates, so it is worth taking care of suitable snack products. For a child, the following options are suitable:
- Fresh fruits - apple, banana, kiwi, pear.
- drinking yogurt
- Pudding packaging
- fruit cupcake
- Pigtail Cheese with Crackers
- cereal cookies
- Fruit smoothies
- Some dried fruit or nuts
But ice cream is better not to offer in order to avoid hypothermia of the throat. You should also not take your child to an institution after a workout: sweet soda, burgers and potatoes fried in a huge amount of oil are not at all what your child needs. Children should be fed no earlier than 20 minutes after the end of classes, so that the food is well absorbed.
Have a good training!
You yourself did it, admit it! You took your beloved child by the trusting child's hand and took him ... to the section of figure skating, or gymnastics, or wrestling, or, now it has become fashionable - badminton. And now your child is not just playing - he, sorry, works like an adult.
And, accordingly, it spends much more energy than its non-athletic peers. And since he spends energy, then you have to replenish it. Moreover, do it correctly and on time, otherwise the child can either get sick with anorexia, or go to the sumo section.
The nutrition of a small athlete should, first of all, be balanced: after all, he not only trains, but also grows. So what are the requirements sports nutrition child? A team of doctors from the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences will help us figure this out: Dmitry Borisovich Nikityuk - professor, head of the laboratory of sports nutrition with a group of alimentary pathology, and Margarita Mikhailovna Korosteleva - specialist of the baby nutrition department of the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences.
The Three K Rule - Quality, Calories, Quantity
First of all, children who regularly play sports need enhanced nutrition. As a rule, the sports nutrition diet of a novice athlete is discussed with a sports doctor or trainer. But there are also general patterns that should be observed in the nutrition of child athletes.
The first and simplest rule is the following: the higher the physical activity of the child, the more calories and nutrients he needs for normal development and growth. The task of parents number 1 is to ensure that the nutrition of the little athlete is complete. As a rule, with an increase in physical activity, the feeling of hunger also increases. So the body compensates for the large expenditure of energy.
For example, male athletes aged 6 to 12 need 1800-2400 calories per day, girls involved in sports need a little less - 1600-2200 calories.
Doctors comment:
“The nature of the nutrition of children-athletes is determined by the peculiarities of metabolism in different types and different degrees of intensity of sports load. In children-athletes, due to the high intensity of metabolic processes, there is an increased basal metabolism. The basal metabolism in children exceeds the basal metabolism of an adult by 1 1/2-2 times.
In addition to increased basal metabolism, children have increased overall energy costs. Increased basal metabolism and increased energy costs in children make it necessary to pay special attention to a sufficiently high level of protein and caloric content in the development of athletes' diets.
Protein is the basis of nutrition
Intense physical activity of children is accompanied by an increased need for protein. During sports activities, protein is used not only for plastic purposes related to the restoration of tissue elements, but also for the formation of new cells in muscle tissue in the process of muscle development and maintaining it in good working condition.
Doctors comment:
Animal protein is especially needed, capable of providing a high level of protein synthesis in the tissues of a growing organism. Specific gravity animal protein in the diets of child athletes should be quite high: at a younger age 70-80%, at school 60-65% of the total (daily) amount of protein. A favorable effect of increased protein norms on higher nervous activity, on an increase in excitability has been established. nervous system, strengthening reflex activity, increasing the speed of reaction and maximum condensation of forces for a short period of time.
Of particular importance is the provision of a high level of protein nutrition during speed and power loads of maximum and submaximal intensity, since these types of sports load show the greatest increase in the intensity of protein metabolism. Especially high intensity protein metabolism is observed under force stresses. At the same time, a more rapid decrease in the adenosine triphosphatase activity of myosin is noted than with other loads.
V baby food the qualitative features of proteins should also be taken into account. Some essential amino acids have pronounced growth properties. These amino acids include lysine, tryptophan and arginine. Providing these amino acids is an important task in the nutrition of child athletes. The richest in these amino acids is the protein of meat and fish, in which lysine, tryptophan and arginine are in favorable ratios for absorption. 100 g of meat corresponds to 430 g of milk in terms of tryptophan content, 600 g of milk in terms of lysine content, and 800 g of milk in terms of arginine content.
Thus, it is necessary to include meat (fish) in the nutrition of child athletes as good sources of "growth" amino acids. Grain proteins - flour, cereals, including semolina, contain little lysine, but are rich in arginine. In this regard, it is advisable to use milk porridges in children's litany, which provide a combination of lysine-rich milk and arginine-rich cereals.
The risk of fatty liver infiltration in athletes during long-term loads, not only of submaximal, but also of medium intensity, makes us attach particular importance to the intake of lipotropic substances in the diet. The inclusion of foods rich in lipotropic substances in the diet of athletes is absolutely mandatory (eggs, cottage cheese, liver pates, meat, veal, poultry, fish, cod, pike perch, etc.).
Of great importance in the nutrition of children are complex proteins - phosphoproteins, characterized by the presence of phosphorus compounds in their composition. These vital substances include milk casein and egg yolk vitellin. Proteins in milk are combined with a high content of calcium, which is easily used in the body for plastic purposes.
We are not afraid of carbohydrates
One of the main sources of “feeding” for muscles during intense workouts are carbohydrates. Often adults, fearing to gain excess weight try to eliminate these useful material. For children involved in sports, foods rich in carbohydrates must be consumed during every meal and even snacks.
However, you should not offer children simple carbohydrates in the form of sweets, cookies, and sugary sodas. Do not simplify the task for yourself, use complex carbohydrates in your child's diet: cereals, bread, rice, pasta. Complex carbohydrates, unlike simple ones, are absorbed quickly enough, and therefore, the child's blood sugar level will be stable during the entire session.
Before training, the child may be nervous and refuse to eat. In this case, he can be offered to drink a sports energy drink - both tasty and healthy.
Doctors comment:
Carbohydrates are the main material used in the body of children for the formation of energy for muscle activity. In child athletes, the process of glycolysis proceeds with great intensity, and therefore their need for carbohydrates is increased.
In the nutrition of children-athletes during training, easily digestible carbohydrates are important. The most accessible easily digestible carbohydrate in baby food is sucrose. Sufficient inclusion of confectionery, biscuits, marshmallows, sweets, jams, etc. should be provided in the diet of spotmen.
Other sources of easily digestible carbohydrates for child athletes are, first of all, fruits, berries and their juices, which supply glucose and fructose, which are easily and quickly used in the child's body for glycogen formation. An important source of easily digestible carbohydrates in baby food is milk containing milk sugar - lactose. An important place in the nutrition of child athletes is occupied by cereals and legumes - sources complex carbohydrates providing long-term performance.
Drinking by the hour
Another important point in the nutrition of a young athlete is to give the child as much liquid as possible. Children don't sweat as easily as adults, so school-athletes are often prone to overheating. As a result, the child's body temperature rises very quickly, and water begins to be actively excreted from the body.
To prevent dehydration, the child needs to drink 100-120 grams of fluid every quarter of an hour. However, some drinks should be avoided, not all of them are equally useful. You should not, for example, drink liquids with a high sugar content, fruit juices, and especially carbonated soft drinks. All of them are slowly excreted from the stomach, and during exercise can cause nausea or stomach cramps. Preference should be given to mineral water without gas or sports drinks.
Diet
A child who spends a lot of time and effort on sports should eat not only high-calorie, but also on time. The main rule for child athletes: split up meals. The next rule is the presence of hot dishes (soups, cereals, a second, hot drink).
The most active children need small meals every 3-4 hours. A small meal is also required before sports activities. This will help the child avoid feeling hungry during and after exercise and will be an excellent fuel for the muscles. Snack food should be high in carbohydrates and low in protein, fat, and fiber. You can have a snack with fruit (bananas, plums, peaches, melon), yogurt, a cheese sandwich or spaghetti with meat sauce.
The benefits of vitamins with regular physical activity
Sports loads plunge the body into regular stress, both physical and psychological. On the one hand, the body is forced to overcome various challenges, while actively expending energy in the form of carbohydrates and fatty acids. Sometimes the protein structures of their own muscle fibers are added to this. On the other hand, high-quality and timely restoration also leads to the depletion of resources.
Especially acute is the issue of recovery in adolescence, when the body is subjected to the greatest stress, and not only sports. Functional systems begin to work rapidly to meet the needs of an intensively growing organism. The consumption of many minerals in adolescents exceeds that of adults. And for those involved in sports, energy consumption is even greater (about 3-5 times than for an ordinary person).
The benefits of vitamins for child athletes are as follows:
- They help the body to restore the spent energy not only to its original level, but also with some excess. This phenomenon is called supercompensation and it is this phenomenon that predetermines the improvement of sportsmanship. Amino acids are considered the most important - a structural element of proteins, which is used to repair damaged tissue and form new cells.
- They strengthen the immune system. Contrary to popular belief, an athlete often has to resist diseases, including viral ones, because he constantly works on the verge of his capabilities. In children, regular sports with an adequate load increase resistance to infections and viruses, but with intensive work, especially during the competitive period, immunity is weakened. You can correct the situation if you give the child ascorbic acid.
- They prevent inflammation in the joints. Sometimes a sportsman has to endure enormous loads. Ligaments and tendons suffer, since not all exercises from different types sports involve maintaining the anatomically correct position of the joints. In teen sports, the so-called Schlatter's disease is common. She makes herself felt until the age of eighteen. The main symptoms are painful sensations during flexion and extension of the knee joint, as well as limitation of motor activity. The reason for this development is the uneven growth of different tissues. In adolescence, bones begin to grow sharply, and the cartilage and connective tissue that make up the ligaments and tendons do not keep up with them. The latter act as shock absorbers. So while jumping, the risk of damaging the joint increases. To avoid this, it is important for an athlete to consume calcium, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin D.
- They create the foundation for further development. Destructive changes in the body, as a rule, begin at the age of 25. But this boundary can shift depending on the individual development of the child and the injuries suffered. So everything that was laid down in a child from an early age and during puberty will come back to haunt at an older age.
The most important vitamins and minerals for child athletes
Almost all vitamins should be consumed, especially for those who have been actively involved in sports since childhood. But the dosage may vary depending on the needs of the body.
For child athletes, regardless of age, such elements are important:
- Vitamin E (tocopherol). Helps repair damaged connective tissue that makes up ligaments and tendons. Prevents inflammatory processes in the joints. Protects the body from the effects of free radicals (microparticles that provoke the development oncological diseases).
- Vitamin A (retinol). It affects the condition of all layers of the skin, hair, nails. Without it, the absorption of calcium and phosphorus is disrupted, which means that the muscles and ligaments cannot adequately respond to the nerve impulse and contract or relax in time. Because of this, stretching becomes more frequent.
- B group vitamins. Take part in all types of exchange. Thanks to them, microcracks and ruptures of muscle fibers heal faster, more oxygen and ATP (the main energy resource consisting of phosphate compounds) are stored in the cells. The necessary hormones are synthesized (including adrenaline and norepinephrine).
- Vitamin C (ascorbic acid). The more it gets the body, the longer it resists viral and infectious diseases. And ascorbic acid has a beneficial effect on the condition of the ligaments and joints and stimulates the production of collagen, a protein responsible for the elasticity of the skin and connective tissue.
- Vitamin D . Prevents the development of destructive (destructive) changes in bone and cartilage tissue. Bones break less often, they are not afraid of the load.
Children-athletes need not only these vitamins, but also minerals, such as:
- Selenium. It is responsible for the perception by muscle fibers of nerve impulses sent by the central nervous system. Thanks to him, the reaction speed improves.
- Calcium. With a sufficient amount, the bones do not break, they are less prone to dislocations and subluxations.
The most important vitamins and minerals in adolescence
What vitamins do teen athletes need:
- Phosphorus. The main source of energy is the ATP molecule. Consists of three phosphate residues. So phosphorus helps replenish fuel reserves. And it, together with calcium, helps strengthen bones and cartilage.
- Iodine . Thanks to this substance, activity is normalized thyroid gland and hence the entire endocrine system. If iodine is not given to the body in time, even with a sufficient intake of micro- and macroelements, it will not be able to assimilate them, that is, use them for their needs. The endocrine system is the first to react to a lack of iodine, so failures in the synthesis of hormones begin. In adolescence, this is extremely important, since, in addition to competitive and training activities, puberty begins. Without adequate hormonal support, it can slow down.
- Potassium. The substance affects the perception of nerve impulses and the timely contraction of muscle fibers.
- Magnesium. Its functions overlap with the functions of potassium. And it also affects the emotional state. To avoid the sudden mood swings that are typical of puberty, nutritionists recommend including bananas in the diet, as they contain a large amount of magnesium.
Features of the diet for child athletes
The diet of athletes should be sufficiently high-calorie, balanced and include vitamins. Moreover, these figures may exceed the daily caloric intake of adults who do not play sports. For example, male athletes aged 6 to 12 need to consume at least 1800-2400 kcal per day. Girls of the same age need a little less - 1600-2200.
The diet can vary depending on the load, as many athletes train 2-3 times a day.
With regular training 4-5 times a week (once a day), the diet should be as follows:
- Calorie content is at least 1800 kcal for boys and 1600 for girls.
- For breakfast, there must be slow carbohydrates that will provide the body with energy for at least half a day. The best thing to do with this task is porridge.
- Lean meat and protein foods such as hard cheese and cottage cheese should be consumed 2 times a day - for lunch and dinner. For lunch, combine them with carbohydrates (cereals or salads), in the evening - with a vegetable side dish.
- Fatty varieties of fish should be present in the diet at least 3 times a week. Every day - butter and vegetable oil (about 40-50 g). Be sure to run them vegetable salads, since the vitamins that make up vegetables are absorbed only in the presence of a small amount of oil.
- To strengthen cartilage, products containing hyaluronic acid are needed. Sources of acid: agar-agar, shrimp, jelly and rich broths, jelly and jelly.
As for vitamins and minerals, the largest amount of them is found in such products:
Pros and cons of taking dietary supplements for child athletes
Biologically active additives (BAA) are concentrates of natural ingredients, which are obtained from food raw materials of animal, mineral, vegetable origin. And also as a result of the chemical synthesis of substances that have properties similar to natural components.
Dietary supplements are produced in the form of balms, extracts, alcohol tinctures, infusions (without alcohol), creams, dry and liquid concentrates, syrups, tablets, powders.
There are three types of dietary supplements:
- Nutraceuticals - taken to fill the deficiency of essential substances. The latter in the body cannot be synthesized in the right amount, nor stocked. Therefore, they need to be regularly obtained from outside.
- Parapharmaceuticals - are used for prevention, adjuvant therapy and during the recovery period after injuries, operations. These include organic acids, bioflavonoids, caffeine.
- Eubiotic - dietary supplements, which include live microorganisms or their end products of metabolism. Among them are bifidobacteria, lactobacilli. They are prescribed for the treatment and prevention of dysbacteriosis (digestive disorders).
Dietary supplements are designed only to improve the indicators of physical and mental activity of athletes. But they should be prescribed by a doctor, based on the needs and individual characteristics of the body.
As for the “against” the use of dietary supplements, the issue of doping is relevant for athletes, the use of which is punishable by sports legislation (suspension from competitions, annulment of results). Not all manufacturers of dietary supplements conscientiously indicate all components on the packaging.
And they may contain harmful dyes and preservatives.
So the reception of any auxiliary agent must be coordinated with a nutritionist or sports doctor.
The best vitamin complexes for athletes
- Junior Neo+. Indicated during periods of intense physical and mental stress. Prevents overwork, inflammatory processes. Children love it for its chocolate flavor.
- Junior Be Wise+. The main active ingredients of the drug are selenium and iodine. Vitamins are indicated for the prevention of hormonal disruptions. To improve the functioning of the nervous system, during the period of emotional burnout and preparation for competitions. Presented in the form chewable tablets with strawberry flavor.
- Junior Be Big. The main active ingredients are calcium and silicon. Vitamins strengthen bones, normalize recovery processes during periods of intense stress, the activity of the heart muscle. Tablets are issued with raspberry taste.
For the older generation (12-15 years old) recommend:
- "Senior". In addition to essential minerals and vitamins, they contain probiotic cultures. The drug is taken to prevent intestinal disorders, for better absorption of vitamins.
- "AngoyNT". Vitamins help to avoid problems with the knee joints, are indicated during the recovery period after injuries of the joints and ligaments. The main active ingredients - chondroitin and glucosamine - also perform the function of an analgesic in inflammatory processes.
- Chromevital+. The drug has an energetic effect. The main component is chromium. It helps to reduce blood glucose levels, activates the production of energy from carbohydrates and fats during active work.
- "Bisk". Vitamins are indicated during the recovery period after competitions or intense training. It is indicated for apathy, drowsiness, lethargy, as it contains lemongrass, propolis extract, royal jelly, iron and iodine.
Contraindications
The main contraindications to taking any drug are individual intolerance to individual components. Therefore, the intake of any supplement must be coordinated with a sports doctor.
Negative effects of overdose and overabundance
Despite the many positive effects, when the dose is exceeded, vitamins can harm health.
For example, an excess of tocopherol is fraught with the development of liver and kidney failure. It negatively affects the state of red blood cells, as a result of which, against the background of insufficient oxygen supply, the supply of nutrients to the tissues is disrupted, free radicals accumulate, and benign or malignant tumors can form.
An excess of vitamin C leads to the development of allergic reactions (skin rash, itching, cough, tearing). In addition, the number of white blood cells in the blood may decrease, as the acid destroys these cells and prevents their recovery.
With an overdose of vitamin A, the skin begins to peel off, hair falls out, the oral mucosa dries up. Itching may appear all over the body. In the future, digestion is disturbed (constipation, diarrhea, nausea).
Expert advice. Children-athletes over 14 years of age should take vitamins in the following dosage:
- Vitamin C - 70-120 mg per day. If there are no injuries, you can limit yourself to taking ordinary ascorbic acid.
- Vitamin D - 10 mg per day.
- Vitamin E - 20-30 mg per day.
For fractures, tocopherol is prescribed in combination with vitamin C.
To replenish retinol reserves, give children green and red vegetable salads more often, seasoning them with two tablespoons of any vegetable oil.
More information about vitamins for young athletes can be found in the video below.
Nutrition for young athletes is not an easy task. In children, energy costs are higher than those of their peers.
When organizing nutrition for growing athletes, the main attention should be paid to the following points:
- must correspond to the energy costs of the child;
- The composition of the food should, the type of sport that the child is involved in, the period of preparation;
- Correctly calculate the balance, and;
- Use a wide range of products, and;
- Children should go to training ate, not hungry, after training, food should be organized again, and after training, you can eat no earlier than 20 minutes;
- Strict adherence to diet. The optimal regimen will be five to seven meals a day, taking into account the intake of PPBC (products of increased biological value). There should not be large gaps between meals.
The daily nutrient requirement of adolescents who go in for gymnastics (sports, artistic), figure skating, fencing, table tennis, luge, ski jumping, shooting, acrobatics, equestrian sports, synchronized swimming, freestyle:
| Age, years | Floor | Calorie content, kcal | Squirrels | Fats | Carbohydrates, g | vitamins | |||||
| Tot. | Including alive. | Tot. | Including rast. | A | IN 1 | IN 2 | WITH | ||||
| 12–13 | M | 3100 | 115 | 65 | 90 | 22 | 450 | 2,1 | 2,4 | 2,6 | 115 |
| D | 2700 | 100 | 60 | 80 | 19 | 390 | 2,0 | 2,1 | 2,2 | 100 | |
| 14–16 | M | 3650 | 130 | 80 | 105 | 21 | 530 | 2,4 | 2,7 | 3,1 | 136 |
| D | 3100 | 115 | 65 | 90 | 20 | 450 | 2,0 | 2,4 | 2,6 | 116 | |
The daily requirement for essential substances of adolescents who are involved in more active sports - sports games (volleyball, basketball, hockey, football, tennis), boxing or wrestling, swimming, skiing, boxing, athletics, wrestling, taekwondo, weightlifting:
| Age | Floor | Calorie content, kcal | Squirrels | Fats | Carbohydrates, g | vitamins | |||||
| Tot. | Including alive. | Tot. | Including rast. | A | IN 1 | IN 2 | WITH | ||||
| 12–13 | M | 3610 | 131 | 80 | 110 | 22 | 530 | 2,5 | 2,7 | 3,0 | 136 |
| D | 3350 | 126 | 75 | 100 | 20 | 500 | 2,4 | 2,7 | 2,7 | 130 | |
| 14–16 | M | 3930 | 134 | 85 | 126 | 33 | 520 | 2,7 | 3,0 | 3,4 | 145 |
| D | 3310 | 117 | 69 | 110 | 26 | 445 | 2,2 | 2,6 | 2,9 | 126 | |
Estimated essential nutrient requirements for rowing, skiing, cycling, speed skating, Nordic combined, biathlon and triathlon:
| Age | Floor | Calorie content, kcal | Squirrels | Fats | Carbohydrates, g | vitamins | |||||
| Tot. | Including alive. | Tot. | Including rast. | A | IN 1 | IN 2 | WITH | ||||
| 12–13 | M | 3610 | 131 | 80 | 110 | 22 | 530 | 2,5 | 2,7 | 3,0 | 136 |
| D | 3350 | 126 | 75 | 100 | 20 | 500 | 2,4 | 2,7 | 2,7 | 130 | |
| 14–16 | M | 4610 | 158 | 95 | 150 | 38 | 627 | 3,0 | 3,4 | 3,9 | 175 |
| D | 3910 | 135 | 81 | 125 | 33 | 530 | 2,7 | 3,0 | 3,1 | 148 | |
Note: Adolescent athletes should receive minerals in doses higher than normal for their age. The main emphasis should be on and.
Be careful!
Adequate amounts of protein must be present in the diet of a teenage athlete. It should be borne in mind that its excess is also harmful.
- The lack of protein in the diet of young athletes will lead to frequent infectious diseases, . But their increased number also carries no small harm - early puberty, low resistance in stressful situations.
- A low fat content in the diet will lead the young body to rapid fatigue during training. Bad and excessive consumption of fats - an increased amount - can reduce muscle mass.
- Low carbs will reduce your daily calorie intake, which will eventually lead to exhaustion and fatigue.
- And also such teenagers, due to increased sweating, should drink a lot. With a lack of fluid in the muscles, metabolic products stagnate, which leads to some intoxication.
When to Supplement Your Athlete's Nutrition
Sports supplements are just an addition to an already fully formed and refined sports nutrition plan, a regular and persistent program of sports training. Supplements are not able to compensate for inadequate training or nutritional errors. Supplements should not be used until training is serious and nutrition is made up of the right ingredients.
The following are the best supplements for teenagers:
- Vitamin-mineral complex, which will prevent the lack of the most necessary substances. It is better to use vitamins of well-known brands for the production of sports nutrition.
- It lowers cortisol levels, a hormone that breaks down muscle and gains fat.
- Preparations of polyunsaturated fatty acids or. 2 tablespoons a day of flaxseed or olive oil satisfy the body's daily need for essential fatty acids. It can be added to salads, vitamin cocktails. With intolerance to vegetable oil, you can take it in the form of capsules.
- Pollen. The drug is allowed even for small children, contains essential amino acids, growth stimulants, vitamins and minerals.
- . They are a source of protein, normalize metabolism. The drug is good for improving the growth and development of adolescents with increased stress, sports.
- Herbal supplements in the form of tea and spices. Melissa, mint, annual pepper, vanilla, ginger, cardamom, bay leaf, nutmeg.
- High quality protein powder. In the nutrition of young athletes, it is possible and in some cases even desirable to use products of increased biological activity. The use of proteins and other similar supplements is widespread, but not always the body of a teenager feels the need for them. If you still decide to take them, then expect that they account for no more than 10% and no less than 5% of the total daily calorie intake. It is better to use them between meals (preferably before and after training) to increase the amount of protein in the body. I can recommend Prolab Pure Whey protein, Universal Real Gains, the latter is better suited for children who have, and then it is better for such young men to use protein with low level carbohydrates. The approximate amount per day is 1 g per kg of body weight. The benefits of egg protein are fast absorption, and after a workout, it is better to use whey protein, which will hit the right muscles within 30 minutes. There are protein bars on sale that are more convenient to use instead of cocktails for schoolchildren.
- Creatine and glutamine since the age of 16. At an earlier age, their use is unacceptable. Creatine will help release energy and muscles will be able to train longer. Glutamine promotes recovery after training, prevents muscles from losing mass, and strengthens the immune system. Experts recommend taking glutamine before training and creatine after.
And yet, young athletes, before buying sports nutrition, think about whether you should use it, because the body at a young age is full of energy and strength. You should not take sports nutrition if you have been playing sports for less than 4 months or attending training irregularly. Know: more is not better, the best is the correct age-appropriate dosage.
What supplements should not be used by teenagers
In some cases, young athletes may be recommended to consume a high-quality protein powder. At an early age, you should not use creatine supplements and supplements that increase testosterone levels. The body of a teenager already produces a lot of this hormone, and this natural amount is quite enough to build muscle and get rid of fat. These additives to a growing body can cause serious harm.
Proper diet on race day
On the day of the competition, the body has enough reserves that came in the previous days. On this day, it is worth eating carbohydrate foods with a low fat content, a low amount of protein ( boiled chicken, cereal dry breakfast or porridge, pasta, kefir). The main meal should be 2-4 hours before the start of the competition. In the last 2 hours before the start of the competition, you can only have a snack with a low-fiber product, such as plums, melons, carrots, berries, cookies or kefir (read about how and in our articles). But an hour before the game, you can’t eat anything, otherwise part of the energy needed to win will be spent on digesting food. Moreover, from increased physical activity, the work of the stomach will stop, and the teenager will feel nausea, heaviness, fullness and bloating in the intestines.
Doctor of Medical Sciences from the USA (Emory University School of Medicine) Nicholas Fletcher, after analyzing 3,000 questionnaires about children's sports hobbies, came to the conclusion that sports supplements, proteins are harmful to the body of adolescents.
Boys and girls aged 14, who are intensely involved in sports, were included in his survey. And it turned out that at this age, about a third of teenagers are already taking protein. Dr. Fletcher believes that a teenager's body itself is able to achieve high results without the use of sports pharmacology. Having received a tangible effect after weak supplements, children develop addiction, and the teenager will begin to use more serious drugs. The main thing that bothered this researcher was that, striving for the ideal of beauty, a young man can simply hate his real body. This is a direct path to . In addition, the effectiveness and safety of the use of these drugs in children has not been scientifically proven.
Many parents, sending their children to sports sections, are faced with many questions, especially related to the nutrition of young athletes: when to feed, what to feed, what regimen to follow. For a child involved in sports, food is one of the important keys to success. The food is the same construction material which promotes the growth of the organism. And the better the food, the healthier the child.
It is clear that during intense physical activity, the body needs more energy. And so food should be high-calorie. That is, its main purpose is to feed the muscles and prevent the body from exhausting itself and even increase its endurance. In addition, you must follow the diet.
So, how to feed the muscles of a child involved in sports?
First, you need to find out what is the main source of muscle energy.
These are carbohydrates: regular sugar, glucose, fructose found in fruits and berries, starch. Cereals, bread, potatoes, nuts are rich in starch. The performance of young athletes depends on the reserves of carbohydrates in the body consumed during 3-4 hours of intense training. Therefore, experts recommend periodically replenishing energy costs with sugars, which are easily dissolved in water and quickly absorbed in the intestines. But this does not mean that the child should be given refined sugar, which, by the way, is poorly absorbed by the liver, it is best to feed the young athlete with honey and fruits.
Another important source of energy is animal protein. The child's menu should contain a sufficient amount of meat, eggs, fish and, of course, milk and dairy products. daily requirement the body must also be compensated for by vegetable protein (cereals, legumes, bakery grain products). Oatmeal is especially useful, which is good to give children before training for breakfast.
It is very important to take into account the need of the organism of the child-athlete for fluid. After all, during training, children sweat profusely. Therefore, the lack of water in the body must certainly be compensated for by fruit juices and mineral waters. Mineral salts also participate in the metabolic processes in the muscles (a lack of calcium can lead to cramps in the calf muscles), and vitamins, and phosphorus, and iron, and magnesium. For example, phosphorus is considered a capacitor of energy in the body, and therefore, athletes need it for 2 times. To do this, you need to feed the child with cottage cheese, eggs, fish, meat. Iron contributes to the formation of hemoglobin, which delivers oxygen to the tissues of the body. Therefore, the child's menu should be rich in iron-containing foods: liver, green onion, apples.
Speaking about the diet of a child-athlete, it should be noted that the diet also has some features.
Experts recommend increasing the number of meals up to 5-6 times (the interval between meals is only 5 hours) and at the same time reducing the amount of food, since abundant food harms the health of a child athlete. Why?
When eating a large amount of food at a time, blood rushes to the stomach, that is, the body's forces are concentrated on digesting food, which means that blood circulation in the muscles worsens (they are not supplied with oxygen and nutrients). In addition, during training at high loads, the secretion of digestive juices decreases, food is digested more slowly. So, the conclusion: before training, a plentiful meal is contraindicated, 1.5 hours before training, a light snack is allowed: tea with honey, kefir, yogurt, cocoa, cookies, low-fat and light porridge (a couple of spoons). Large meals can cause nausea and even vomiting. Of course, it is difficult to wake up a child 2 hours before a morning workout, just to have him eat. Not a single child will agree to this ... But we must not allow him to go to training hungry. The body may simply not withstand physical activity. Therefore, at least an hour before training, you need to feed the young athlete. It should also be borne in mind that after class you can eat no earlier than 20 minutes, all for the same reason (low content of digestive juices and slow digestion of food).
Playing sports is a big burden for the child's body, so when choosing food, parents need to have some knowledge to help and, most importantly, not harm their baby. And for this you need not only to read the relevant literature, but also to consult with specialists in the nutrition of young athletes.
