Fueling student-athletes requires special attention and support from parents and caregivers. Nutrition is always a focus of healthy childhood development. However, the physical demands on young athletes require a sharper focus on nutrition to ensure they get enough calories – and the right balance of protein, carbohydrates, fats, and hydration – to build the strength and stamina they need for sports or other physical activities.
Also, because most athletic practices, workouts, and skills training happen after a full school day, nutritious meals and after-school snacks can help beat the afternoon slump.
Food Fuel for Afternoon Sports:
What to Eat & What to Avoid
The right diet supports student-athletes in multiple ways.
Sufficient calorie intake provides energy for their normal growth/development
Student athletes burn more calories than their non-athletic counterparts. The Journal of Sports Medicine published a comprehensive report titled “Nutritional Considerations for Performance in Young Athletes.” The report includes the chart below, listing age-specific energy requirements for boys and girls who participate in heavy physical activity.
Not consuming enough calories during the day makes your child more prone to fatigue, muscle strain, fractures, and other injuries, and can take a toll on academic interest or performance.
|
Age (years) |
Boys (kcals/day) |
Girls (kcals/day) |
|
6-7 |
1,800 |
1,650 |
|
7-8 |
1,950 |
1,775 |
|
8-9 |
2,100 |
1,950 |
|
9-10 |
2,275 |
2,125 |
|
10-11 |
2,475 |
2,300 |
|
11-12 |
2,700 |
2,475 |
|
12-13 |
2,925 |
2,625 |
|
13-14 |
3,175 |
2,725 |
|
14-15 |
3,450 |
2,855 |
|
15-16 |
3,650 |
2,875 |
|
16-17 |
3,825 |
2,875 |
|
17-18 |
3,925 |
2,875 |
Some sports or activities require more or less calories than others, so speak to your children’s coaches and their pediatrician for a more personalized recommendation for your child’s nutritional needs.
2. Protein helps the body heal and build muscle (it’s not fuel)
Student athletes constantly damage and rebuild muscle, the body’s natural way to become stronger and build both weight and resistance. Protein is essential in this process. Student athletes should aim to consume about 0.8 to 1.2 grams of protein per kg of body mass daily, or about 0.5 to 0.8 grams per pound.
Current studies show that most students grossly overestimate how much protein/fat they actually need. So, creating a plan with an accurate balance of protein/carbs/etc. can help make sure your child is getting the right balance of nutrients. Depending on your child’s sports, most nutritionists recommend aiming for a 3:1 or 4:1 carb-to-protein ratio.
Visit the AAP’s web page on protein for the teen athlete, where you can learn more about the amount of protein typically available from teens’ favorite food/snack items. Some of the healthiest foods that incorporate high-quality protein into a child’s meals and snacks include:
- Milk
- Cheese
- Turkey, chicken, or tuna salad sandwiches or wraps (add cheese).
- Hard-boiled eggs (egg salad).
- Beans/legumes (throw a can of beans or some lentils into any soup or stew).
- Yogurt
- Fruit smoothies that contain yogurt and/or scoops of nut butter.
- Seeded whole-wheat or gluten-free crackers with nut butter.
- Bean and cheese burritos (add scrambled egg).
- Mixed nuts.
- Jerky
3. Healthy carbohydrates sustain energy throughout the day
Getting kids to eat carbohydrates isn’t typically an issue. However, student athletes need to focus on complex carbohydrates, which provide higher-quality energy for extended periods.
Student athletes should get at least half of their total calories from healthy carbohydrates, which is a very different message than they may be hearing at school, especially children focused on weight loss or weight management. The best sources of carbohydrates for children participating in sports or other high-performance activities include:
- Whole grain breads, bagels, cereals, or pasta (any grain-based products should have “whole-grain” listed on the ingredient list).
- Whole-grain or seed-centered crackers.
- Fresh fruits.
- Fresh veggies (serve with yogurt-based ranch dips, hummus, or nut butter sauces for dipping).
- Low-fat milk or yogurt.
- Granola bars.
- Potatoes.
- Beans/lentils.
4. Healthy fats are inherent in a well-balanced diet
Currently, there are no set guidelines around fat intake and what young athletes should or should not consume. What we do know is that children do best when they consume their fats from a well-rounded diet that emphasizes unsaturated fats (lean meats, seed oils, nuts/seeds, etc.) high in Omega-3s.
5. Don’t forget about hydration (especially during warm weather spells)
Finally, we can’t overemphasize the importance of hydration for student athletes, particularly during warm weather spells. Water and fluid intake is part of nutrition and helps regulate hydration and body temperature. Increased sweating puts athletes at higher risk for dehydration, especially if they wear uniforms with extra padding, helmets, and so on.
Plain water is almost always the best source of hydration, followed by coconut water (which contains natural electrolytes), compared to more sugary sports drinks.
WARNING ABOUT ENERGY DRINKS: Please speak to your children, especially adolescents and teens, about the dangers of energy drinks. These trendy beverages tend to cause more harm than good, including excess anxiety, sleep issues, and sugar crashes. Energy drinks are never a substitute for a healthy diet and hydration when fueling a growing human body.
6. Minimize processed food & fast foods (especially before practice or games)
As most parents and caregivers know, go-to snacks for many adolescents and teens are not the most nutritious or fueling. When it comes to nutrition before or during sports practices or events, junk food depletes energy stores rather than nourishing them. Some of the most common after-school snacks eaten by teenagers (chips, candy, soda, fast food, etc.) are high in processed carbohydrates, saturated fats, and sodium, without much of a return by way of the protein, complex carbohydrates, or vitamins/minerals that student-athletes need to fuel an afternoon or evening of intense physical exercise.
We also recognize that eating for enjoyment is important and complete avoidance of processed foods is not realistic for most kids. Do your best to aim for balanced meals and snacks most of the time to support your student-athlete, and know that enjoying a sweet treat together as a family after a game has benefits outside of nutrition.
PANW Pediatricians Want to Simplify High-Performance Nutrition For Patient Families
As busy parents, PANW pediatricians and staff understand the value of keeping things as easy as possible. To that end, we’ve compiled a handful of resources to help you and your children pack school lunches, snacks, and pre-game fuel.
First, check out our post, Lunchbox Lifesavers, which has several ideas for lunches and snacks that support high-performance nutrition for student athletes: protein, complex carbs, nutrients, and packability.
Three other great resources for fueling young athletes with high-quality nutrition are:
- 14 Health Snacks to Eat When You Hit That Afternoon Slump.
- 15 Fueling Snacks to Take to Your Child’s Game.
- Healthy Meals & Snacks For the Busy Athlete.
Depending on your children’s age, we recommend enlisting their help with putting their meals and snacks together. Some families use weekends to pack snack packs for the week ahead; then all your kiddo has to do is grab their meal/snack pack from the fridge when they head out for each school day. Others find it easier to pack each evening for the following morning. We vote for whatever way works best for your family’s schedule or rhythm.
Have questions about what your student athlete might need? Feel free to message their pediatrician through your Patient Portal.
