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
- 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 make sure they get enough energy
Helpful Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What Should I Eat Before and After an Endurance Activity?
Whether you're a recreational athlete or a serious endurance athlete-cyclist, runner or cross-country skier - exercising for several hours a week, the basis for healthy eating is found in Canada 's Food Guide to Healthy Eating. Below is some advice for getting the most out of your exercise program.
2. Glucose: Fuel for Muscles
When you start exercising, your muscles use mostly glucose (a form of sugar). As you continue to exercise, your body starts to use fat to produce energy. But glucose is still very important. In order to have a steady supply of glucose energy available for exercise, you need to fill your muscle and liver glucose storage, (known as glycogen) to maximum capacity by eating a carbohydrate-rich diet. To accomplish this, you should follow Canada 's Food Guide to Healthy Eating and choose grain products (such as cereals, pasta, rice, breads, preferably whole grains), fruits and vegetables more often.
3. Before Exercising
The amount of time you have before exercising will guide the amount you eat. For example, if you are going to start in three to four hours, you can eat a full meal. If you will be starting to exercise soon, opt for an easy-to-digest and nutritious light snack. Here are a few meal and snack ideas for the hours leading up to an activity. But remember, each person is different and what works for your exercise partner may not work for you! Listen to your body and choose foods that you digest easily. Some pre-exercising meal ideas are listed at the end of this FAQ
4. 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. Some good choices are fruits, fruit juices, plain biscuits, fruit bars (cereal bars with fruit filling), fruit yogurts and different types of breads.
5. 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.
6. Meal Ideas
3 to 4 Hours BEFORE Exercising
Breakfast
- A glass of fruit juice; cereal with milk; toast with peanut butter and jelly.
Lunch or Dinner
- Spaghetti with tomato and meat sauce; a whole-wheat dinner roll; 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.
Lunch or Dinner
- Tuna in a pita; vegetable juice; a banana.
- Vegetable soup; a few melba toasts with cottage 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.
7. What Do I Need to Know About Energy Drinks? 
A) What are Energy Drinks?
Energy drinks are a new product available in Canada . They are often found in small (250 mL) cans and claim to “energize” you and make you more alert. Some examples include:
- Red Bull Energy Drink®
- 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.
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 show 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?
The best choices during exercise 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. Proper hydration is the main concern during exercise, especially in the heat.
8. Look Beyond the Mirror
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. Accept yourself - Accept your body. Celebrate yourself - Celebrate your body.
For more information about developing a positive body image or to learn about eating disorder prevention and treatment visit the National Eating Disorder Information Centre website today!
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