1. Good Nutrition is
essential to support an
athlete’s growth,
strength, and stamina.
25/02/2014
More inside!
Coaches, parents, and athletes
often look for a “miracle food” to
enhance performance. The truth
is, there are no special foods or
supplements that can help athletes
train harder or compete better.
What does make a difference is
the athlete’s overall diet and the
timing of meals.
Attention
D
o
it
Eating healthy is food for you!
Be appropriate to provide the calories and
carbohydrates that young athletes need to fuel
their bodies, the fluid to maintain hydration, and
the vitamins and minerals to support metabolism
and tissue growth and repair will result in good
performance and an reduced risk for injure.
Calories. Physically active children and
adolescents have calorie requirements that are 12-
15 percent greater than those of their sedentary
peers. Carbohydrates provide the primary fuel for
exercising muscles. It is essential that young
athletes consume lots of complex carbohydrates
(i.e., whole grains, fruits and vegetables) on a daily
basis. The precise calorie and
carbohydrate requirements will
vary depending on the type,
intensity, frequency and duration
of exercise in which they engage.

2. 2
Food Choice and Timing
Foods eaten before and after practices and
games can make a difference in an athlete’s
performance. The types of foods that are
chosen and the timing of the meals are
important.
Game Day
• Include enough fluid to keep your body well-
hydrated.
• A small snack can be eaten within one hour
before activity if an athlete feels hungry.
• Eat meals at least two hours before events.
• Choose foods that are familiar and well
tolerated before competitive events. New
foods can be tried before practice sessions to
see what works best.
• Choose foods that are higher in
carbohydrates, such as pasta, bread, cereal,
rice, fruits, vegetables and low-fat yogurt or
milk. Carbohydrate loading is not necessary.
• Avoid eating high-fat foods such as hot dogs,
hamburgers, French fries, potato chips,
donuts and cheese before activity. Higher fat
foods take longer to digest and may cause
discomfort if eaten too close to the start of a
practice or competition.
• Avoid sugary foods, such as pop and
chocolate bars, right before the game. They
provide a little energy boost but it doesn’t last
long and leaves athletes drained.
After the Game An athlete’s body
will be rebuilding muscle tissue and
restoring carbohydrates and fluids for
up to 24 hours. Fuelling up on high
carbohydrate foods and beverages
soon after an activity replenishes the
body and helps it recover. Poor
choices after games result in a
sluggish performance in future
competitions.
Tournaments Make sure you eat
and drink enough before your game:
• When events are separated by 3
hours or more, a high carbohydrate,
low-fat meal can be eaten. See
Winning Meals at Home for ideas.
• When events are a couple of hours
apart, easily digestible high-
carbohydrate snacks such as bagels,
low-fat yogurt, fruit and fluids are
best.
• If there is less than an hour between
competitions, a sports drink is
appropriate.
Meal and Snack Suggestions
A good breakfast for young athletes might include
low-fat yogurt with some granola and a banana, or
whole-grain cereal and low-fat milk with sliced
strawberries. Try bean burritos with low-fat cheese,
lettuce, and tomatoes or a turkey sandwich on whole-
wheat bread and fruit for lunch. For dinner, serve
grilled chicken breasts with steamed rice and
vegetables, or pasta with red sauce and lean ground
beef, along with a salad. Good snacks include pretzels,
raisins, crackers, string cheese, vegetables, or fruit.

3. 3
Pre- and Post-Exercise Snacks
for Young Athletes
2-4 hours before exercise
• Sandwich with lean meat, piece of fruit.
• Pasta with tomato sauce.
• Cereal with milk.
• A bagel with peanut butter and honey,
and a piece of fruit.
• English muffin with honey and low-fat
yogurt.
30 minutes before exercise snacks
• Honey-Energy Bars.
• Honey Applesauce Swirl: To make, stir 2
tsp. honey, or more to taste, into a
single serving unsweetened applesauce
snack pack.
• Honey Pretzel Dipping Sauce: Whisk 1
tbs. of your favorite spicy mustard
together with 1 cup honey. Makes
enough dip for 8 servings of 20 small
pretzel twists.
Post-exercise meals
• Sandwich with 3 ounces lean meat,
piece of fruit, pretzels, juice or milk.
• Pasta with tomato sauce, whole grain
bread, skim milk.
• Cereal with milk, piece of fruit, toast
with honey.
• Bagel with peanut butter and honey,
piece of fruit, skim milk.
• 3 ounces lean meat, potatoes, cooked
Exercise Days
Before Exercise
Make sure your young athletes arrive to
practice well-fed. They should eat a well-
balanced meal that contains 75-200 grams
of carbohydrates, 2-4 hours before the
practice session or competition. A snack
30 minutes prior to exercise may also be
beneficial, particularly if an athlete was
unable to consume an appropriate meal 2-
4 hours prior. The snack should contain
approximately 20-50 grams of easily
digested carbohydrates.
During Exercise
Consuming carbohydrates during exercise
may be beneficial if:
Do
It
The exercise session is
more than one hour.
1.
2.
3.
After Exercise
Replacing carbohydrates that were used
during exercise within 2 hours of
completing the exercise session is
essential for speeding recovery and
preparing for the next athletic training
period. The post-exercise meal should
contain approximately 150 -200 grams of
carbohydrates.
The exercise session is very
intense.
The athlete did not eat
anything before exercise.

4. Packable Snacks
Snacks in vending machines and snack booths
are often high in fat and sugar. Encourage
athletes to make healthier choices. Here are
some healthy snacks that are easy to carry in a
gym bag:
• banana or oatmeal muffins
• whole-grain crackers, half a bagel or
pita bread
• plain cookies such as animal crackers,
fig newtons or graham crackers
• fresh fruit such as apples, pears or
• bananas, dried fruit, or a fruit cup
• individual boxes of whole-grain cereal
• healthier choice granola bars
• pretzels
• trail mix
• juice boxes
• milk-based puddings
• cold foods such as cheese, yogurt, and milk
Fast Food Choices
Traveling athletes may need to choose
foods from restaurant menus. Athletes
should follow the same guidelines
regarding the timing, amount, and
composition of meals. Many fast food
and family-style restaurants offer lower
fat, higher carbohydrate options.
Choose... Instead of...
Bagels or low-fat muffins Donuts or croissants
Grilled chicken sandwich
Burger, deep-fried chicken or fish
sandwich
Milk or juice Pop
Salad (with a little dressing) or baked
potato
French fries or onion rings
Pasta with tomato sauce Pasta with cream sauce
Turkey, grilled chicken, or veggie sub Meatball or salami sub
Frozen yogurt with fruit Pies or cake
Make
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