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Home YOUTHSports 3 1 Keys When U.S. Olympic Committee Nutritionist Jennifer Gibson shared some "secrets" about the diets of Olympic athletes in a Huffington Post article, she revealed that most Olympic athletes "have a whole food- based diet that's very natural—regular meats, fruits, nuts and veggies." While most young athletes do not have to follow the rigorous diet regimens of Olympic athletes, the quality of the food they eat—and the times of day when they eat—will have a strong impact on their For Fueling Performance In Youth Athletes BY MARCIA BRADFORD level of performance, according to Nancy Clark, a sports nutritionist in the Boston area who counsels active people of all ages and athletic abilities, from high school ath- letes to Olympians. An athletically active person who has studied the relationship between nutri- tion and exercise, Clark said that proper nutrition is actually more important to athletic success than proper training. "We tend to think that performance starts with training, but actually per- Overcome Lifestyle Obstacles Unfortunately, Clark said, most teenagersʼ schedules are not conducive to good nutritional habits. "They tend to be in a hurry, with lots of activities, and they do things like skip breakfast, eat junk food at lunch and then head to practice after school," she explained. "This makes it difficult for them to perform as well as they could." "Itʼs a bad idea to skip breakfast and lunch," Clark said. "Even athletes, such as gymnasts and wrestlers, who are trying to maintain a certain weight level need to eat food. Additionally, balanced eating—rather than strict dieting—is the best practice for young athletes," she said. Among Clarkʼs suggestions for young athletes on the go are whole grain cereal or toast with milk and fruit for breakfast, a lean-meat sandwich, fruit and yogurt for lunch, and a pre-exercise snack, such as raisins, granola bars and fruit for after school. She advised, however, that parents of young athletes avoid complicated diets that require specific amounts of carbohydrates and protein. "People eat food, not carbohydrates and protein, so donʼt make it difficult by pushing them toward specific levels of either one," she said. "A simple way to get what you need is to combine three types of food at a meal. Donʼt just eat a bagel, eat a bagel with peanut butter and some yogurt. Donʼt just have plain pasta, eat pasta with tomato sauce and turkey meatballs. Always include whole grain foods, fruits and vegetables with any meal." Clark acknowledged that families on tight schedules sometimes have no choice but to eat at fast-food restaurants. If this is the case, she said, try to direct kids toward healthier options. "Dunkinʼ Donuts has bagels and juice, McDonaldʼs has grilled chicken sandwiches and milk; you can make smart choices anywhere," she said. ■ formance starts with fueling," Clark said. "A good approach is to treat your body like a car. You have to put fuel in a car before it will go anywhere and you need to put fuel in your body before getting started in the morning. The higher quality the fuel, the better you'll be able to perform." She added that proper nutrition becomes more critical as kids get into their teens. "Kids in grade school and younger should focus most on getting out and play- ing, and their parents should make sure they are eating regularly, including whole grains, fruits and vegetables in their diets," she said. "Nutrition becomes a big- ger factor as kids get into middle and high school, where their performance will be affected by what they eat, especially if they are competitive athletes." ■ 2 Stop Eating Backwards One of the biggest mistakes teenagers make is what Clark refers to as "eating back- wards." This is true for non-athletes as well as athletes, she said. "Too many kids try to stay under a weight level by dieting during the day. Then they are so hungry that they overeat the wrong things at night," she explained. "This is just the opposite of what they need to do." She added that the worst way to diet and get in shape is by trying to starve yourself. "Even those who need to stay within a cer- tain weight range should make sure they are fueling properly," Clark said. "Eating the right foods during the day and then keeping your eating under control in the evening is the best way to maintain a steady weight." ■ Subscribe Contact S.P.O.R.T.S. 2012 38 August 2012 www.sportseventsmagazine.com ▼