|
Pre-event Reminders
| Eat |
Avoid Large Amounts |
 |
3-4 hours before event |
|
|
WATER |
|
|
Moderate Portions |
|
|
Complex Carbohydrate |
|
| |
|
|
Fats & Oils – They take a long time to digest . |
|
|
Protein-high protein meals lead to increased urine output and dehydration. |
|
|
Fiber-Some raw fruits, veggies, popcorn, nuts, dry Beans and peas may cause gas and/or an uncomfortable feeling of fullness during the game. An athlete should avoid those foods that give them problems. |
|
|
Last-minute sweets-After an initial rise, your blood sugar level can actually drop below normal resulting in a sudden feeling of tiredness and fatigue. |
|
|
Foods and drinks that contain caffeine- (Tea, coffee, chocolate, cola) Stimulates the body to increase urine output which can contribute to dehydration problems, and, a full bladder can be very uncomfortable | |
Pre-event Meals
There are two main purposes of the pre-event meal; to prevent athletes from feeling hungry before or during the event, and second, to help supply fuel to the muscles during training and competition. Most of the energy needed for any sports event is provided by whatever the athlete has eaten during the prior week. The best plan for the pre-event meal is to provide foods that contain lots of carbohydrate, low to moderate amounts of protein, and even less fat. Keep in mind:
¨ High fat and high protein foods take longer to digest than carbohydrate foods. If an athlete eats high fat or high protein foods a few hours before exercise, they risk having indigestion, nausea, and vomiting during exercise.
¨ To have a relatively empty stomach while exercising, the child should eat no sooner than 1 to 3 hours before practice or competition.
¨ Eating sugary foods such as candy and honey right before exercise does not provide quick energy. The energy for exercise comes from foods eaten several hours and days prior to the start of the event.
| Pre-event Suggestions |
| 1-2 hrs before |
2-3 hrs before |
3 or more hrs before |
| Fruit or vegetable juice |
Fruit or vegetable juice |
Fruit or vegetable juice |
| Fresh fruit |
Fresh fruit |
Fresh fruit |
| Melon, cherries |
Melon, cherries |
Melon, cherries |
| |
Breads and bagels |
Breads and bagels |
| |
English Muffins |
English Muffins |
| |
Peanut butter, lean meat |
low-fat cheese |
| |
Cereal with low-fat (1%) milk |
Low-fat yogurt |
| |
|
Baked Potato |
All Day Events
During all day competition and training, carbohydrate foods and drinks may delay the onset of fatigue. However, if eating at concessions stands, these choices may be difficult to find. Bringing foods from home is a good alternative to the snack bar. Listed below are “good” and “bad” foods for competition. “Bad foods will say in the stomach longer and impair performance. Drinking plenty of water and fluids is VERY IMPORTANT.
| Good Food |
Bad Food |
| Bagel |
Candy Bars |
| Bananas |
Doughnuts |
| Fruit Juice |
French Fries |
| Muffins |
Hot Dogs |
| Pretzels (hard or soft) |
Nacho/Potato Chips |
| Sports Drinks (No more than 6-8% carbohydrate or 15-18 grams of carbs per cup. If more than this, drinks must be diluted with water. |
Soda |
After the Game
As soon as the kids stop exercising, give them water to replace body fluids. Also give them complex carbohydrate sources to replenish their glycogen stores. The body is most efficient at absorbing and storing energy (glycogen) during the first 4 to 5 hours after exercise. The after game meal is probably most important than the pre-event meal because it determines how much energy the athlete will have for the next game or training session. Immediately after training or competing, consider having the young athlete choose from the following suggestions:
¨ Medium bagel (50 grams carbohydrate)
¨ Pretzels (23 grams carbohydrate per one ounce)
¨ Fruit yogurt (40 grams carbohydrate per 8 ounces)
¨ Large banana (40 grams carbohydrate)
¨ Cranberry-apple juice (43 grams carbohydrate per 8 ounces)
¨ Orange juice (28 grams carbohydrate per 8 ounces
About 2 hours after exercising, kid athletes should eat a meal that contains mostly carbohydrate: yogurt and fruit, cheese and bagel, vegetable pizza, or spaghetti and meat sauce. You can follow the guidelines given for pre-event meals and include more protein and fat.
Meals on the Go
Convenience foods are often chosen because of tight time schedules. Although the amount of time available may seem to outweigh nutrition considerations, the two need not conflict. Fast food chains are becoming more health conscious and offering a wider variety of healthier foods. When stopping at the fast-food restaurant, remember to focus on finding low-fat, high carbohydrate foods. Be a role model yourself!!! Providing young athletes with food guidelines will help them to pick put high-performance foods from almost any menu or food aisle. Of course, it is also important to let kids be kids!! An occasional ice cream cone, candy bar or bag of chips is completely acceptable. However, they should be eaten only occasionally in addition to high-performance foods, not in place of them. The following gives some suggestions:
| Good Choice!!! |
Stop and Think Again |
| Pancakes and syrup |
Biscuit with egg, cheese, and bacon |
| Low-fat (1%) milk |
Whole milk |
| Orange Juice |
Soda |
| Baked Potato with chili |
Hot dog with chili and cheese |
| Garden salad with ¼ packet of dressing |
Onion Rings/French Fries |
| Low-fat yogurt milkshake |
Chocolate shake |
| Thick-crust vegetable pizza |
Double cheese, &/or Pepperoni pizza |
| Bread sticks |
Fried mozzarella cheese |
| Single hamburger |
Double cheeseburger |
| Turkey sandwich |
Fish and Chips |
| Spaghetti with tomato sauce |
Fried chicken |
| Bread with 1 pat of butter |
Mashed potatoes with butter and gravy |
| Fruit cup |
Biscuits and butter |
Strolling down the grocery aisles
| Creamy |
Crunchy |
Juicy |
| Banana |
Apple |
Berries |
| Low-fat cheese |
Carrots |
Oranges |
| Peanut butter |
Cereal |
Peaches |
| Pudding |
Crackers |
Plums |
| Yogurt |
Popcorn |
Watermelon |
|
|
|
Pre-event Reminders
| Eat |
Avoid Large Amounts |
|
|
3-4 hours before event |
|
|
WATER |
|
|
Moderate Portions |
|
|
Complex Carbohydrate |
|
| |
|
|
Fats & Oils – They take a long time to digest . |
|
|
Protein-high protein meals lead to increased urine output and dehydration. |
|
|
Fiber-Some raw fruits, veggies, popcorn, nuts, dry Beans and peas may cause gas and/or an uncomfortable feeling of fullness during the game. An athlete should avoid those foods that give them problems. |
|
|
Last-minute sweets-After an initial rise, your blood sugar level can actually drop below normal resulting in a sudden feeling of tiredness and fatigue. |
|
|
Foods and drinks that contain caffeine- (Tea, coffee, chocolate, cola) Stimulates the body to increase urine output which can contribute to dehydration problems, and, a full bladder can be very uncomfortable | |
Pre-event Meals
There are two main purposes of the pre-event meal; to prevent athletes from feeling hungry before or during the event, and second, to help supply fuel to the muscles during training and competition. Most of the energy needed for any sports event is provided by whatever the athlete has eaten during the prior week. The best plan for the pre-event meal is to provide foods that contain lots of carbohydrate, low to moderate amounts of protein, and even less fat. Keep in mind:
¨ High fat and high protein foods take longer to digest than carbohydrate foods. If an athlete eats high fat or high protein foods a few hours before exercise, they risk having indigestion, nausea, and vomiting during exercise.
¨ To have a relatively empty stomach while exercising, the child should eat no sooner than 1 to 3 hours before practice or competition.
¨ Eating sugary foods such as candy and honey right before exercise does not provide quick energy. The energy for exercise comes from foods eaten several hours and days prior to the start of the event.
| Pre-event Suggestions |
| 1-2 hrs before |
2-3 hrs before |
3 or more hrs before |
| Fruit or vegetable juice |
Fruit or vegetable juice |
Fruit or vegetable juice |
| Fresh fruit |
Fresh fruit |
Fresh fruit |
| Melon, cherries |
Melon, cherries |
Melon, cherries |
| |
Breads and bagels |
Breads and bagels |
| |
English Muffins |
English Muffins |
| |
Peanut butter, lean meat |
low-fat cheese |
| |
Cereal with low-fat (1%) milk |
Low-fat yogurt |
| |
|
Baked Potato |
All Day Events
During all day competition and training, carbohydrate foods and drinks may delay the onset of fatigue. However, if eating at concessions stands, these choices may be difficult to find. Bringing foods from home is a good alternative to the snack bar. Listed below are “good” and “bad” foods for competition. “Bad foods will say in the stomach longer and impair performance. Drinking plenty of water and fluids is VERY IMPORTANT.
| Good Food |
Bad Food |
| Bagel |
Candy Bars |
| Bananas |
Doughnuts |
| Fruit Juice |
French Fries |
| Muffins |
Hot Dogs |
| Pretzels (hard or soft) |
Nacho/Potato Chips |
| Sports Drinks (No more than 6-8% carbohydrate or 15-18 grams of carbs per cup. If more than this, drinks must be diluted with water. |
Soda |
After the Game
As soon as the kids stop exercising, give them water to replace body fluids. Also give them complex carbohydrate sources to replenish their glycogen stores. The body is most efficient at absorbing and storing energy (glycogen) during the first 4 to 5 hours after exercise. The after game meal is probably most important than the pre-event meal because it determines how much energy the athlete will have for the next game or training session. Immediately after training or competing, consider having the young athlete choose from the following suggestions:
¨ Medium bagel (50 grams carbohydrate)
¨ Pretzels (23 grams carbohydrate per one ounce)
¨ Fruit yogurt (40 grams carbohydrate per 8 ounces)
¨ Large banana (40 grams carbohydrate)
¨ Cranberry-apple juice (43 grams carbohydrate per 8 ounces)
¨ Orange juice (28 grams carbohydrate per 8 ounces
About 2 hours after exercising, kid athletes should eat a meal that contains mostly carbohydrate: yogurt and fruit, cheese and bagel, vegetable pizza, or spaghetti and meat sauce. You can follow the guidelines given for pre-event meals and include more protein and fat.
Meals on the Go
Convenience foods are often chosen because of tight time schedules. Although the amount of time available may seem to outweigh nutrition considerations, the two need not conflict. Fast food chains are becoming more health conscious and offering a wider variety of healthier foods. When stopping at the fast-food restaurant, remember to focus on finding low-fat, high carbohydrate foods. Be a role model yourself!!! Providing young athletes with food guidelines will help them to pick put high-performance foods from almost any menu or food aisle. Of course, it is also important to let kids be kids!! An occasional ice cream cone, candy bar or bag of chips is completely acceptable. However, they should be eaten only occasionally in addition to high-performance foods, not in place of them. The following gives some suggestions:
| Good Choice!!! |
Stop and Think Again |
| Pancakes and syrup |
Biscuit with egg, cheese, and bacon |
| Low-fat (1%) milk |
Whole milk |
| Orange Juice |
Soda |
| Baked Potato with chili |
Hot dog with chili and cheese |
| Garden salad with ¼ packet of dressing |
Onion Rings/French Fries |
| Low-fat yogurt milkshake |
Chocolate shake |
| Thick-crust vegetable pizza |
Double cheese, &/or Pepperoni pizza |
| Bread sticks |
Fried mozzarella cheese |
| Single hamburger |
Double cheeseburger |
| Turkey sandwich |
Fish and Chips |
| Spaghetti with tomato sauce |
Fried chicken |
| Bread with 1 pat of butter |
Mashed potatoes with butter and gravy |
| Fruit cup |
Biscuits and butter |
Strolling down the grocery aisles
| Creamy |
Crunchy |
Juicy |
| Banana |
Apple |
Berries |
| Low-fat cheese |
Carrots |
Oranges |
| Peanut butter |
Cereal |
Peaches |
| Pudding |
Crackers |
Plums |
| Yogurt |
Popcorn |
Watermelon |
|
|
|
|