about how to help your athletes get in and stay in shape for the
season ahead.
Tailor meals to meet needs of young athletes
By Lisa Eierman Special to the Leader-Telegram | Posted: Monday, August 1, 2011 11:45 pm
With high school sports starting up, you parents may be thinking about how to help your athletes get in and stay in shape for the season ahead.
Eating right is a big part of staying in shape for all athletes, including those of high school age.
The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association website, wiaawi.org, contains healthful eating tips. To find links to nutrition topics, go to the WIAA Info tab, click on "Health" and then on "Nutrition and Wellness."
One source is the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board's "10 Tips to Eat to Compete." Tips include:
- Focus on eating several meals and snacks throughout the day so your body has a constant energy supply.
- Choose fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products for energy-refueling carbohydrates.
- Eat foods from all five major food groups to provide the proper balance of nutrients to keep your body healthy.
- Start the day with breakfast to get a jump-start for morning practices and events.
- Pack healthful snacks for after-school refueling.
Your athlete needs a balanced diet combining energy-providing carbohydrates with lean proteins and low-fat dairy foods. Other foods can be added to that base.
Choose foods your son or daughter likes to complement the main food groups.
Family cooperation
Jane Foos, a clinical and sports dietitian at Mayo Clinic Health System-Red Cedar in Menomonie, says for high school athletes, eating right is a partnership between parents and students.
The parents' responsibility is to buy groceries and make meals, while the athlete's job is to take the food and eat it at appropriate times, she says.
For example, if the parents buy bread, peanut butter and trail mix for snacks, and then the athlete needs to make a sandwich and pack a bag of trail mix to take along for a quick snack before practice.
Breakfast and lunch provide energy for the day, so athletes should not skip these meals. If they have morning practices, they should try to eat beforehand, but if they can't, then they should have breakfast immediately afterward.
Try a breakfast of cereal, a banana, milk and toast, or pack a bagel with juice and yogurt.
For lunch, good choices are a turkey and cheese sandwich with lettuce and tomato, fruit and milk, or a beef taco with rice, baked chips with salsa and milk.
Dinner suggestions include pasta with meat sauce, breadsticks, salad or cooked vegetables, yogurt with peaches and milk, or baked chicken, rice, green beans, a dinner roll, fruit and milk. These meals provide selections from all the major food groups.
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy provide carbohydrates for energy, while lean meats, chicken, turkey, fish, beans and nuts yield protein that our bodies need to keep our muscles in shape for exercising.
Healthful snacks throughout the day are important to keep the athlete's body fueled. Keep a variety of foods on hand for quick snacks.
Good choices include yogurt, granola, fresh and dried fruits, bagels, pretzels, Fig Newtons, breakfast cereal, trail mixes, 100 percent juice, instant breakfast drinks, peanut butter and crackers, string cheese, tortillas with cheese, tuna and crackers, pudding, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, energy bars, sports drinks, smoothies, granola bars, graham crackers and popcorn.
Fluid intake is critical
Staying hydrated by drinking enough fluids, especially on hot days, is essential for good athletic performance. Here are some guidelines for athletes:
n Drink eight to 10 cups of fluid a day to avoid thirst. Check your urine color; dark urine means you aren't getting enough fluids, while a lemonade color indicates a good hydration level.
n Two to three hours before events, drink two cups of fluid.
n Drink ¾ to 1½ cups of fluid for every 15 minutes of exercise.
n After exercising, drink three cups of fluid for every pound of body weight lost.
n For events lasting 30 minutes or less, water is the best drink. Other good fluid choices are 100 percent fruit juices, lemonade, milk and watery foods such as fruits and vegetables. Caffeine-free beverages are recommended.
For longer duration events, sports drinks provide another option. These offer some energy from carbohydrates.
Some sports drinks also contain electrolytes such as sodium and potassium. The sodium helps the water and carbohydrates move into the body quickly.
Following these guidelines will help athletes have a great season.
Eierman is a registered dietitian with more than 25 years of experience in the food and nutrition field. She has bachelor's and master's degrees in nutrition and is certified as a diabetes educator by the American Association of Diabetes Educators and a certified dietitian by the state of Wisconsin. She is the owner of Nutrition First, a nutrition consulting business in the Eau Claire community, and is a registered dietitian with UW-Stout Dining Services.
