Nutrition For Your Young Athlete

Nutrition is extremely important for any young person, especially an athletic one, and even more so during the developmental years of their life. Whether your child is involved in soccer or football, gymnastics or swimming or Little League, he or she needs a good nutritive balance in order to be successful in any endeavor. It cannot be stressed enough that anorexia and bulimia, chronic malnutrition, are absolutely devastating not only to an athlete's career, but also to overall health and well-being. You should always watch for decreased eating in your child, no matter how robust and healthy they may seem.

Interestingly enough, very few scientific studies on the nutrition of child athletes have been published. You don't really need to be a scientist (or an alchemist) to create a healthy menu for your active youth, though. All you need is a little bit of creativity, and, of course, the facts about different kinds of foods. As is dictated by common sense, it's necessary for kids who are active to consume more caloric energy than their couch potato counterparts. Sometimes, they must take in several hundred - or even a thousand - healthy calories more than the average child, depending upon their age and upon the intensity of the sport they're participating in.

So what types of food should you give your gymnast? I'll help you out.

In General

Everyday nutrition calls for a healthy balance of protein, calcium, vitamins and minerals. The most important type of caloric intake for a child athlete is carbohydrates. Without carbohydrates, the body cannot readily replenish its stores of energy in the muscles and in the liver.

Simple carbohydrates, like those found in most candies and chocolates, are not enough & harful if consumed excessively: they are used up too quickly and if eaten before competing can cause changes in blood pressure (of course, you can splurge every once in a while -- just not constantly). Longer term effects may be changes insulin secretion and resulting problems.

Pasta, bread, and rice -- in other words, foods from grain -- are best overall for carbohydrate intake. Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of carbs and of vitamins and minerals. Dairy products are especially important for building strong bones and teeth. Meat -- or meat substitute -- is needed for protein intake.

Did you know that if you know... if you put beans and rice together, they create a perfect protein?

Most plants don't produce all of the proteins we as human beings need to survive -- but if they are eaten at the same time, they give you all the protein you need. That means you can have refried beans with rice, or meatless chili with rice, or a variety of other combinations, if indeed you don't want to eat beef, chicken, pork, or other animal proteins.

Before an Event

Approximately two to three hours before your child is to participate in an event, or indeed in training, you should have them eat a light meal filled with carbohydrates: a bowl of spaghetti, a sandwich with lettuce and a glass of fruit juice, carrot sticks and a piece of cheese, or something else to their taste. It's always advisable to have them exert themselves on a slightly empty stomach, because they may experience cramping or fatigue otherwise.

During an Event

During an event or practice, it is vitally important that your athlete remain hydrated. When he or she sweats profusely, water is lost to the atmosphere via evaporation. A lot of vapor is also lost through deep breathing.

This is the body's natural cooling system. It needs to be replenished, just like the cooling elements in your air conditioner. Every twenty to thirty minutes during strenuous exercise, your child should drink six to eight ounces of water. A sports drink is acceptable sometimes, so long as it has few carbohydrates (under 15-20 grams is best). Even diluted fruit juice (one part water to one part juice) will work well.

Keep in mind that dehydration is a very serious problem with athletes -- and when they begin to feel thirsty, it may already be too late. Whether or not they are thirsty, you should keep them hydrated with water, juice, or sports drinks.

After an Event

After an event, it's a good idea to let your child have something full of carbohydrates to eat - just like the pre-game meal. This will replenish their energy stores and ease their recovery time.

With all of this, good luck!

By Murray Hughes
Gymnastics Secrets Revealed "The book EVERY gymnastics parent should read"

http://www.gymnasticssecretsrevealed.com/gymnastics-article s/gymnastics_nutrition.htm

If your child is a gymnast and you enjoyed this article, you will definitely enjoy reading the zero cost, 5-day course Gymnastics Tips Course written especially for gymnastics parents. Go here now: http://www.gymnasticssecretsrevealed.com/gymnastics-articles /gymnastics_nutrition.htm For AOL Users - http://www.gymnasticssecretsrevealed.com/gymnastics-article s/gymnastics_nutrition.htm

maide service in Park Ridge ..
In The News:

Scammers create fake Evite invitations that mimic legitimate event emails, requiring users to verify senders and use antivirus software for protection.
The new Apple Watch hypertension feature passively monitors blood pressure patterns over 30 days using sensors to detect chronic high blood pressure signs.
Chrome extension spyware disguised as a free VPN service highlights security risks after it captured private browsing data from trusted sites.
New research shows how fatty acids in cooking oil can safely dissolve and recover silver from circuit boards without harmful chemicals or environmental damage.
The Fox News AI newsletter gives you information on the latest AI technology advancements, and about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Anthropic investigates alarming AI abuse case where hacker automated entire cybercrime campaign using Claude, stealing sensitive data from defense and healthcare firms.
TikTok, Meta and YouTube restrict Charlie Kirk shooting videos with age gates and warnings while X faces criticism for allowing continued circulation.
Cybercriminals use fake troubleshooting websites to trick Mac users into running terminal commands that install Shamos malware through ClickFix tactics.
San Francisco startup Fable launches Showrunner, an AI platform dubbed the 'Netflix of AI' that generates animated episodes from text descriptions with Amazon support.
Apple raised iPhone prices for some models despite receiving tariff relief from President Donald Trump, with the new lineup starting at $799 for the base model.
A two-story 3D concrete printed home in Western Australia demonstrates faster construction methods that could reshape American housing amid rising costs.
Credit scores remain important during retirement for insurance rates and housing applications, while seniors become prime targets for identity theft and financial scams.
Scammers now send unexpected packages with QR codes that redirect victims to fraudulent websites or download malicious software to steal sensitive information.
Meeting AI tools record private conversations alongside work discussions, creating privacy risks that can be managed with proper settings and awareness.
Hotel privacy concerns are valid but rare, with methods to detect hidden tech using smartphone flashlights, mirror tests and scanning apps.
Improve your Wi-Fi speed and reliability with 10 simple router optimization tips that don't require special apps or expensive subscriptions.
A Columbia University breach exposed names, Social Security numbers and academic records of nearly 869,000 people, with notifications beginning in August.
Rental car drivers use AI-powered apps like Proofr to protect themselves from unfair damage fees as major companies deploy automated inspection tools.
Fox News' AI newsletter brings you the latest on technology advancements around artificial intelligence.
OnTrac data breach between April 13-15, 2025, exposed personal information of over 40,000 people including Social Security numbers and medical records.
A woman named Wika announces her engagement to an AI chatbot sparking worldwide debate about virtual relationships and technology.
The notorious people search site National Public Data relaunches despite a previous breach affecting 3 billion individuals, raising fresh privacy concerns.
Revolutionary TRAUMAGEL gel controls life-threatening bleeding from gunshot wounds and traumatic injuries, helping first responders prevent prehospital deaths.
Protect your home network by enabling proper encryption, creating strong passwords, checking connected devices and using VPN and antivirus software.
The Navy's solar-powered Skydweller drone flew nonstop for 73 hours in Mississippi, proving renewable energy can power long-endurance military missions.

What is Organic Food?

"Organic" has some quite specific legal definitions in most developed... Read More

Protective Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 appear to reduce the risk of heart attack. A... Read More

Avoiding Mental Disorders Through the Aid of Vitamins and Minerals

When we think about the benefits of being ensuring a... Read More

Aging Gracefully with the Aid of Various Nutrients

During the past thirty years there has been a steadily... Read More

The Danger of Curbing Hunger Artificially

Unhealthy eating is a harmful problem in America, and contrary... Read More

Are Your Cells Talking To Each Other?

Are Your Cells Talking To Each Other?Communication! It permeates our... Read More

Top Ten Ways to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

Did you know the average American gains 5-7 pounds every... Read More

Nutrition as Attention Deficit Disorder ADHD Alternative Treatment: Help is as Close as the Kitchen

The quality of food we eat (or lack thereof) has... Read More

Heart Health ? Fish Oils To The Rescue

In a world where heart disorders and diseases are becoming... Read More

Best Skin Diet For Healthy Skin

"You are what you eat."Does it sound familiar? You probably... Read More

The Importance of Nutrition and Lifestyle

Eating healthy and taking care of yourself is essential to... Read More

Juice Sensibility

Apart from eating many of the wonderful vegetables and fruits... Read More

From Cell to Super Cell - with Glutathione

Imagine you're a cell.Inside your body runs the machinery that... Read More

Death, Aging, Rejuvenation (Part 1)

I would like to raise a question: Is Rejuvenation possible... Read More

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)

Essential Fatty Acids are oils, omega-3 and omega-6, that you... Read More

Fluoride: A Plot to Dull the American Mind

During the Second World War, the Germans used fluoride as... Read More

Fat: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

When it comes to planning a healthy diet, fat is... Read More

The Meat You Eat: How Corporate Farming Has Endangered Americas Food Supply

Factory FarmingThe big names in American agriculture would like you... Read More

A Look at Lactose Intolerance

Lactose is the primary carbohydrate in milk. Cow's milk contains... Read More

Antioxidants and Your Health

Get back to the basics - eat fresh at home... Read More

Beginning an Alkaline Diet: The Basic Principles - Start Alkalizing Today!

Each and every person living in the UK is... Read More

(Fitness) Health Thoughts, Living on the Health Minimum Wage?

Random thoughts taken from valuable sources, what many nutrition experts... Read More

Wanna Look 10 Years Younger? Have More Fruits

Fruit calories are very healthy as compared to calories in... Read More

Lesser of Two Evils: Splenda or Equal?

While packages of the artificial sweetener Splenda claim, "made from... Read More

Studies Prove Magnesium Boosts Memory & Learning Ability

According to the National Institute of Health, Magnesium is needed... Read More

after renovation cleaning Highland Park ..