What Are the Nutritional Needs of Young Active Athletes?
If your child is eating and drinking healthy, well-balanced meals and snacks, your child is probably getting the nutrients that he or she needs to perform well in sports. The new food guide pyramid, called MyPyramid, can provide guidance on what kinds of foods and drinks should be included in your child’s well-balanced meals and snacks. But kids who are involved in strenuous endurance sports like cross-country running or competitive swimming, which involve 1 1/2 to 2 hours of activity at a time, may need to consume more food and drinks to keep up with their increased energy demands. Most athletic young people will naturally crave the amount of food their bodies need, but if you are concerned that your child is getting too much or too little food, you may want to check in with your child’s doctor or nutritionist. Because different drinks have different combinations of these nutrients, it’s important to vary your child’s meals and snacks as much as possible. It’s a good idea to make sure
