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Overview

Today's teenager is constantly on the go, bouncing from one sport or activity to the next. For young athletes, some of which participate in multiple sports throughout the school year then head for sports camp during the summer, having a well-defined meal plan is essential to keeping them properly fueled for the amount of activity they have on their plates.

Do athletes have special nutrient needs?

Increased physical activity increases some of your food needs. You require more energy, water, and possibly salt (sodium chloride). An athletic teenage boy may need 5,000 calories a day, compared to the 3,000 calories required daily by his nonathletic friends. By taking extra servings of foods from all food groups (particularly breads, cereals, vegetables, and fruits), you can fill this increased energy need.

ABSTRACT Although numerous descriptions exist of special diets and particular foods used by Greek athletes

as early as 580 B.C., survey data on diets of Olympians of the modern era are virtually nonexistent. A survey in

Many micronutrients play key roles in energy metabolism and, during strenuous

physical activity, the rate of energy turnover in skeletal muscle may be increased

up to 20-100 times the resting rate. Although an adequate vitamin and mineral

An experimental program in Boston, the Chefs in Schools Initiative, has been wildly successful, and the preliminary results released November 18th  have shown undeniably that kids like eating healthy food, if it's prepared right.

What is the Chefs in Schools Initiative?

My boys are 9 and 12 and I am interested in sports nutrition for kids. Do you know of any good sources? These would need to fit along with our clean eating, no HFCS, etc.
Specifically, my question boils down to this. Right now, my 12 year old is starting track. He has track right after school, from 2:50-4:30. After a long day of school, and lunch around noon, I really want to send him with a snack for before practice. What are a few things that he can take for a quick snack before practice that will satisfy his hunger and energy requirements? 

When you play a sport, you make sure you have the equipment you need, like your glove for baseball, cleats for soccer, and high-top sneakers for basketball. You couldn't play the game very well without this gear. But how do you help your game from the inside out?

You shouldn't go swallowing a pair of shin guards, that's for sure! But you should consider swallowing some healthy food packed with the nutrients you need. The right foods and drinks can help you be a better athlete.