Nutrition For Young Athletes

Nutrition for injured athletes

Poor nutrition can lead to conditions that increase the risk of injury. But injuries are often an unavoidable aspect when participating in physical activity. An injury can be particularly distressing for the eating-disordered athlete. Psychological support is important. No change in diet is necessary when a quick recovery is expected.

There is a need in modification of food intake when an injury limits activity for less than a week. The need to reduce food intake is necessary to meet lower energy needs, if recovery is expected to take longer than a week.Long-term recovery may require an absoulte reduced diet.

Surgical trauma, fever, or infection requires dietary changes. In these cases, protein intake should be increased during the early stages of recovery, because protein repair damaged tissues.

Protein is important for immune function. If a slow recovery is expected, the injury might cause significant emotional stress. Fear, anxiety, and anger are all typical reactions to injury. These emotions can increase the secretion of epinephrine (adrenaline) from the adrenal gland. This in turn can cause a series of metabolic changes that result in increased loss of nitrogen (protein) through the urine.

In general, the importance of psychological support for injured athletes varies depending on length of recovery and injury severity. Anxiety about the injury might lead to increased food cravings, more free time and less structure in the daily routine can lead to boredom and increases opportunities to eat more and it may result in weight gain. Some injured athletes simply do not adjust their energy needs and continue to follow their typical training diet.

Nutritional need while travelling

Maintaining good nutritional practices while traveling to and from events may affect an athlete’s health and athletic success.A slightly lower carbohydrate and higher protein intake for strength athletes (40–48% carbohydrate, 20–26% protein, and 34% fat),stress the importance of eating natural and whole foods.Sports nutrition experts recommend that athletes should have multiple small meals per day (five or six feedings). Traveling with snacks helps to insure that caloric needs are being met, despite unpredictable travel delays. Fresh vegetables and fruits, fruit smoothie, energy bars, nuts, bagels,and raisins are suggested to carry while traveling.

Eating Strategies 

Strength Sports [weightlifting, powerlifting, throwing events, 100-200 m sprints, body building]:

• Intake of a surplus of carbohydrate to support levels of high lean mass, not excessive amounts of protein (20-25 g) soon after resistance workouts.
• Consume low fat food to avoid unnecessarily risk rather than unsaturated fat. Adopt a suitable method if weight loss is required to achieve the targets.
• For athletes participating in throwing and sprinting events it's better to keep them hydrated with adequate fluids if time between events exist. Always it's cautioned to take the advice to supplement use.

Endurance sports [Marathon, triathlon, road cycling]:

• Consume adequate carbohydrate, high quality protein and fluids for rehydration to promote muscle adaptation and support during the prolonged training sessions.For events lasting longer than 90 minutes, consider carbohydrate loading over the 2-3 days prior to the race.
• Can start with a pre-race meal,hydrate during the race. Take care for specialized training phases such as altitude training, it may have fluid loss and iron requirements. Consult the nutritionist for the use of sports food and supplements to take forward the goals to be achieved.

Power sports [Middle distance running, track cycling, rowing canoeing/kayaking and swimming]:

• Supplements that power athletes might go for being intracellular (ß-alanine) and extracellular (bicarbonate).
• Better to consult the expert before taking the food supplements. If there are heats and finals in the events and competing in more than one event, then suggested to access with fluids and foods between races.

Aesthetic and weight class sports [figure skating, gymnastics, diving combating sports, lightweight rowing]:

• To meet the energy expenditure take high quality protein over the day so that you maximize your ability to meet nutritional goals.
• Go for weight and body fat goals that are achievable and support long-term health and performance.

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