PA-C Courtney Brown, MD Courtney Hall, CPNP-PC Courtney Porter, RN, MS Cristina Tomatis Souverbielle, MD Crystal Milner Curt Daniels, MD Cynthia Holland-Hall, MD, MPH Cynthia Zimm, MD Dana Lenobel, FNP Dana Noffsinger, CPNP-AC Dane Snyder, MD Daniel Coury, MD Daniel DaJusta, MD Danielle Peifer, PT, DPT David A Wessells, PT, MHA David Axelson, MD David Stukus, MD Dean Lee, MD, PhD Debbie Terry, NP Deborah Hill, LSW Deborah Zerkle, LMT Deena Chisolm, PhD Deipanjan Nandi, MD MSc Denis King, MD Denise Ell Dennis Cunningham, MD Dennis McTigue, DDS Diane Lang Dominique R.

Williams, MD, MPH, FAAP, Dipl ABOM Donna M. Trentel, MSA, CCLS Donna Ruch, PhD Donna Teach Doug Wolf Douglas McLaughlin, MD Drew Duerson, MD Ed Miner Edward Oberle, MD, RhMSUS Edward Shepherd, MD Eileen Chaves, PhD Elena Camacho, LSW Elena Chiappinelli Elise Berlan, MD Elise Dawkins Elizabeth A.

Cannon, LPCC Elizabeth Grove, MS, RD, LD, CLC Elizabeth Swartz Elizabeth T. Murray, MD Elizabeth Vickery, PhD Elizabeth Zmuda, DO Emily A. Stuart, MD Emily Decker, MD Emma Wysocki, PharmD, RDN Eric Butter, PhD Eric Leighton, AT, ATC Eric Mull, DO Eric Sribnick, MD, PhD Erica Domrose, RD, LD Ericca Hewlett Ericca L Lovegrove, RD, LD Erika Roberts Erin Gates, PT, DPT Erin Johnson, M.

Erin M. Cornelius, MSN, FNP Erin McKnight, MD, MPH Erin Tebben Farah Khan, MD Farah W. Brink, MD Fatimah Masood Frances Fei, MD Gabriella Gonzales, MD Gail Bagwell, DNP, APRN, CNS Gail Besner, MD Gail Swisher, AT Garey Noritz, MD Gary A.

Smith, MD, DrPH Geri Hewitt, MD Gina Hounam, PhD Gina McDowell Gina Minot Grace Paul, MD Gregory D. Pearson, MD Griffin Stout, MD Guliz Erdem, MD Hailey Blosser, MA, CCC-SLP Hanna Mathess Hannah Barton, PhD Hannah Hays MD, FACMT, FACCT, FACEP Heather Battles, MD Heather Clark Heather L.

Terry, MSN, RN, FNP-C, CUNP Heather Yardley, PhD Henry Spiller Henry Xiang, MD, MPH, PhD Herman Hundley, MS, AT, ATC, CSCS Hersh Varma, MD Hilary Michel, MD Hiren Patel, MD Holly Deckling, MSSW, LISW Homa Amini, DDS, MPH, MS Howard Jacobs, MD Hunter Wernick, DO Ibrahim Khansa, MD Ilene Crabtree, PT Irene Mikhail, MD Irina Buhimschi, MD Ivor Hill, MD Jackie Cronau, RN, CWOCN Jacqueline Taylor, BSW Jacqueline Wynn, PhD, BCBA-D Jacquelyn Doxie King, PhD Jaime-Dawn Twanow, MD Jaimie D.

Nathan, MD, FACS James MacDonald, MD, MPH James Murakami, MD James Popp, MD James Ruda, MD Jamie Macklin, MD Jane Abel Janelle Huefner, MA, CCC-SLP Janice M. Moreland, CPNP-PC, DNP Janice Townsend, DDS, MS Jared Sylvester Jason Jackson Jason P.

Thackeray, MD Jonathan Finlay, MB, ChB, FRCP Jonathan M. Diefenbach, MD Karen Allen, MD Karen Days, MBA Karen Rachuba, RD, LD, CLC Karen Texter, MD Kari A. Meeks, OT Kari Cardiff, OD Kari Dubro, MS, RD, LD, CWWS Kari Phang, MD Karla Vaz, MD Karyn L.

Kassis, MD, MPH Kasey Strothman, MD Katelyn Krivchenia, MD Katherine Deans, MD Katherine McCracken, MD FACOG Katherine Redden Kathleen Katie Roush Kathleen Nicol, MD Kathryn Blocher, CPNP-PC Kathryn J. Junge, RN, BSN Kathryn Obrynba, MD Katia Camille Halabi, MD Katie Brind'Amour, MS Katie Donovan Katie Thomas, APR Katrina Boylan Katrina Ruege, LPCC-S Katya Harfmann, MD Kayla Zimpfer, PCC Kaylan Guzman Schauer, LPCC-S Keli Young Kelli Dilver, PT, DPT Kelly Abrams Kelly Boone Kelly Huston Kelly J.

Kelleher, MD Kelly Lehman, MSN, CNP Kelly McNally, PhD Kelly N. Baker, MD Linda Stoverock, DNP, RN NEA-BC Lindsay Kneen, MD Lindsay Pietruszewski, PT, DPT Lindsay Schwartz Lindsey Vater, PsyD Lisa Golden Lisa Halloran, CNP Lisa M. Humphrey, MD Logan Blankemeyer, MA, CCC-SLP Lori Grisez PT, DPT Lorraine Kelley-Quon Louis Bezold, MD Lourdes Hill, LPCC-S Lubna Mazin, PharmD Luke Tipple, MS, CSCS Lynda Wolfe, PhD Lyndsey Miller Lynn Rosenthal Lynne Ruess, MD Maggie Rosen, MD Maggy Rule, MS, AT, ATC Mahmoud Kallash, MD Mandy Boetz, LISW-S Manmohan K Kamboj, MD Marc Dutro Marc P.

Michalsky, MD Marcel J. Larouere, MBA, BSN, RN Mark E. Ed Meghan Cass, PT, DPT Meghan Fisher, BSN, RN Meika Eby, MD Melanie Fluellen, LPCC-S Melanie Luken, LISW-S Melissa and Mikael McLaren Melissa McMillen, CTRS Melissa Winterhalter, MD Meredith Merz Lind, MD Michael Flores, PhD Michael T.

Brady, MD Michelle Ross, MHA, RD, LD, ALC Mike Patrick, MD Min Jeong-Cho Mindy Deno, PT, DPT Mitch Ellinger, CPNP-PC Molly Dienhart, MD Molly Fuchs, MD Molly Gardner, PhD Monica Ardura, DO Monica Ellis Monique Goldschmidt, MD Motao Zhu, MD, MS, PhD Muhammed A.

Khan, MD, MPH, FASGE Murugu Manickam, MD Nancy Auer Nancy Cunningham, PsyD Nancy Wright, BS, RRT, RCP, AE-C Naomi Kertesz, MD Natalie DeBacco Natalie I. Romero, RD, LD, CLC Reggie Ash Jr. Reilly Harrington, CCC-SLP Reno Ravindran, MD Richard Kirschner, MD Richard Wood, MD Robert A.

Kowatch, MD, Ph. Robert Hoffman, MD Robert Treviño, MD, PhD Rochelle Krouse, CTRS Rohan Henry, MD, MS Rose Ayoob, MD Rose Schroedl, PhD Rosemary Martoma, MD Ross Maltz, MD Rustin Morse, MD Ryan Ingley AT, ATC Samanta Boddapati, PhD Samantha Malone Sandra C. Kim, MD Sara Bentley, MT-BC Sara Bode, MD Sara Breidigan, MS, AT, ATC Sara N.

Denny, MD Sarah Cline, CRA, RT R Sarah Driesbach, CPN, APN Sarah Greenberg Sarah Hastie, BSN, RNC-NIC Sarah Keim, PhD Sarah Mannon, CCLS Sarah Myers Sarah O'Brien, MD Sarah Saxbe Sarah Schmidt, LISW-S Sarah Scott Sarah Tracey Sarah VerLee, PhD Sasigarn Bowden, MD Satya Gedela, MD, MRCP UK Scott Coven, DO, MPH Scott Hickey, MD Sean Eing Sean Rose, MD Sean Tams, PhD Seth Alpert, MD Shalini C.

Sisk, RN, BSN, MHA Tracie Steinke RD, LD, CDE Tracy Mehan, MA Travis Gallagher, AT Trevor Miller Tria Shadeed, NNP Tyanna Snider, PsyD Tyler Congrove, AT Valencia Walker, MD, MPH, FAAP Valerie Lazzara Mould, MA, CTRS-BH Vanessa Shanks, MD, FAAP Venkata Rama Jayanthi, MD Vidu Garg, MD Vidya Raman, MD Vidya Sivaraman, MD W.

Garrett Hunt, MD Walter Samora, MD Warren D. Lo, MD Wendy Anderson, MD Wendy Cleveland, MA, LPCC-S Whitney McCormick, CTRS Whitney Raglin Bignall, PhD William Cotton, MD William J.

Barson, MD William Ray, PhD William W. Whole grains provide the energy athletes need and the fiber and other nutrients to keep them healthy. Sugary carbs such as candy bars or sodas don't contain any of the other nutrients you need. And eating candy bars or other sugary snacks just before practice or competition can give athletes a quick burst of energy, but then leave them to "crash" or run out of energy before they've finished working out.

Everyone needs some fat each day, and this is extra true for athletes. That's because active muscles quickly burn through carbs and need fats for long-lasting energy. Like carbs, not all fats are created equal. Choose healthier fats, such as the unsaturated fat found in most vegetable oils, fish, and nuts and seeds.

Limit trans fat like partially hydrogenated oils and saturated fat, found in fatty meat and dairy products like whole milk, cheese, and butter. Choosing when to eat fats is also important for athletes. Fatty foods can slow digestion, so it's a good idea to avoid eating them for a few hours before exercising.

Sports supplements promise to improve sports performance. But few have proved to help, and some may do harm. Anabolic steroids can seriously mess with a person's hormones , causing unwanted side effects like testicular shrinkage and baldness in guys and facial hair growth in girls.

Steroids can cause mental health problems, including depression and serious mood swings. Some supplements contain hormones related to testosterone, such as DHEA dehydroepiandrosterone.

These can have similar side effects to anabolic steroids. Other sports supplements like creatine have not been tested in people younger than So the risks of taking them are not yet known.

Salt tablets are another supplement to watch out for. People take them to avoid dehydration, but salt tablets can actually lead to dehydration and must be taken with plenty of water.

Too much salt can cause nausea, vomiting, cramps, and diarrhea and may damage the stomach lining. In general, you are better off drinking fluids to stay hydrated.

Usually, you can make up for any salt lost in sweat with sports drinks or foods you eat before, during, and after exercise. Speaking of dehydration , water is as important to unlocking your game power as food. When you sweat during exercise, it's easy to become overheated, headachy, and worn out — especially in hot or humid weather.

Even mild dehydration can affect an athlete's physical and mental performance. There's no one set guide for how much water to drink. How much fluid each person needs depends on their age, size, level of physical activity, and environmental temperature.

Athletes should drink before, during, and after exercise. Don't wait until you feel thirsty, because thirst is a sign that your body has needed liquids for a while.

Sports drinks are no better for you than water to keep you hydrated during sports. But if you exercise for more than 60 to 90 minutes or in very hot weather, sports drinks may be a good option. The extra carbs and electrolytes may improve performance in these conditions.

Otherwise your body will do just as well with water. Avoid drinking carbonated drinks or juice because they could give you a stomachache while you're training or competing. Don't use energy drinks and other caffeine -containing drinks, like soda, tea, and coffee, for rehydration.

You could end up drinking large amounts of caffeine, which can increase heart rate and blood pressure. Too much caffeine can leave an athlete feeling anxious or jittery. Caffeine also can cause headaches and make it hard to sleep at night.

These all can drag down your sports performance. Your performance on game day will depend on the foods you've eaten over the past several days and weeks. You can boost your performance even more by paying attention to the food you eat on game day.

Focus on a diet rich in carbohydrates, moderate in protein, and low in fat. Everyone is different, so get to know what works best for you. You may want to experiment with meal timing and how much to eat on practice days so that you're better prepared for game day.

KidsHealth For Teens A Guide to Eating for Sports. en español: Guía de alimentación para deportistas. Medically reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD.

Trentel, MSA, CCLS Donna Ruch, PhD Donna Teach Doug Wolf Douglas McLaughlin, MD Drew Duerson, MD Ed Miner Edward Oberle, MD, RhMSUS Edward Shepherd, MD Eileen Chaves, PhD Elena Camacho, LSW Elena Chiappinelli Elise Berlan, MD Elise Dawkins Elizabeth A. Cannon, LPCC Elizabeth Grove, MS, RD, LD, CLC Elizabeth Swartz Elizabeth T.

Murray, MD Elizabeth Vickery, PhD Elizabeth Zmuda, DO Emily A. Stuart, MD Emily Decker, MD Emma Wysocki, PharmD, RDN Eric Butter, PhD Eric Leighton, AT, ATC Eric Mull, DO Eric Sribnick, MD, PhD Erica Domrose, RD, LD Ericca Hewlett Ericca L Lovegrove, RD, LD Erika Roberts Erin Gates, PT, DPT Erin Johnson, M.

Erin M. Cornelius, MSN, FNP Erin McKnight, MD, MPH Erin Tebben Farah Khan, MD Farah W. Brink, MD Fatimah Masood Frances Fei, MD Gabriella Gonzales, MD Gail Bagwell, DNP, APRN, CNS Gail Besner, MD Gail Swisher, AT Garey Noritz, MD Gary A.

Smith, MD, DrPH Geri Hewitt, MD Gina Hounam, PhD Gina McDowell Gina Minot Grace Paul, MD Gregory D. Pearson, MD Griffin Stout, MD Guliz Erdem, MD Hailey Blosser, MA, CCC-SLP Hanna Mathess Hannah Barton, PhD Hannah Hays MD, FACMT, FACCT, FACEP Heather Battles, MD Heather Clark Heather L.

Terry, MSN, RN, FNP-C, CUNP Heather Yardley, PhD Henry Spiller Henry Xiang, MD, MPH, PhD Herman Hundley, MS, AT, ATC, CSCS Hersh Varma, MD Hilary Michel, MD Hiren Patel, MD Holly Deckling, MSSW, LISW Homa Amini, DDS, MPH, MS Howard Jacobs, MD Hunter Wernick, DO Ibrahim Khansa, MD Ilene Crabtree, PT Irene Mikhail, MD Irina Buhimschi, MD Ivor Hill, MD Jackie Cronau, RN, CWOCN Jacqueline Taylor, BSW Jacqueline Wynn, PhD, BCBA-D Jacquelyn Doxie King, PhD Jaime-Dawn Twanow, MD Jaimie D.

Nathan, MD, FACS James MacDonald, MD, MPH James Murakami, MD James Popp, MD James Ruda, MD Jamie Macklin, MD Jane Abel Janelle Huefner, MA, CCC-SLP Janice M. Moreland, CPNP-PC, DNP Janice Townsend, DDS, MS Jared Sylvester Jason Jackson Jason P. Thackeray, MD Jonathan Finlay, MB, ChB, FRCP Jonathan M.

Diefenbach, MD Karen Allen, MD Karen Days, MBA Karen Rachuba, RD, LD, CLC Karen Texter, MD Kari A. Meeks, OT Kari Cardiff, OD Kari Dubro, MS, RD, LD, CWWS Kari Phang, MD Karla Vaz, MD Karyn L. Kassis, MD, MPH Kasey Strothman, MD Katelyn Krivchenia, MD Katherine Deans, MD Katherine McCracken, MD FACOG Katherine Redden Kathleen Katie Roush Kathleen Nicol, MD Kathryn Blocher, CPNP-PC Kathryn J.

Junge, RN, BSN Kathryn Obrynba, MD Katia Camille Halabi, MD Katie Brind'Amour, MS Katie Donovan Katie Thomas, APR Katrina Boylan Katrina Ruege, LPCC-S Katya Harfmann, MD Kayla Zimpfer, PCC Kaylan Guzman Schauer, LPCC-S Keli Young Kelli Dilver, PT, DPT Kelly Abrams Kelly Boone Kelly Huston Kelly J.

Kelleher, MD Kelly Lehman, MSN, CNP Kelly McNally, PhD Kelly N. Baker, MD Linda Stoverock, DNP, RN NEA-BC Lindsay Kneen, MD Lindsay Pietruszewski, PT, DPT Lindsay Schwartz Lindsey Vater, PsyD Lisa Golden Lisa Halloran, CNP Lisa M. Humphrey, MD Logan Blankemeyer, MA, CCC-SLP Lori Grisez PT, DPT Lorraine Kelley-Quon Louis Bezold, MD Lourdes Hill, LPCC-S Lubna Mazin, PharmD Luke Tipple, MS, CSCS Lynda Wolfe, PhD Lyndsey Miller Lynn Rosenthal Lynne Ruess, MD Maggie Rosen, MD Maggy Rule, MS, AT, ATC Mahmoud Kallash, MD Mandy Boetz, LISW-S Manmohan K Kamboj, MD Marc Dutro Marc P.

Michalsky, MD Marcel J. Larouere, MBA, BSN, RN Mark E. Ed Meghan Cass, PT, DPT Meghan Fisher, BSN, RN Meika Eby, MD Melanie Fluellen, LPCC-S Melanie Luken, LISW-S Melissa and Mikael McLaren Melissa McMillen, CTRS Melissa Winterhalter, MD Meredith Merz Lind, MD Michael Flores, PhD Michael T.

Brady, MD Michelle Ross, MHA, RD, LD, ALC Mike Patrick, MD Min Jeong-Cho Mindy Deno, PT, DPT Mitch Ellinger, CPNP-PC Molly Dienhart, MD Molly Fuchs, MD Molly Gardner, PhD Monica Ardura, DO Monica Ellis Monique Goldschmidt, MD Motao Zhu, MD, MS, PhD Muhammed A.

Khan, MD, MPH, FASGE Murugu Manickam, MD Nancy Auer Nancy Cunningham, PsyD Nancy Wright, BS, RRT, RCP, AE-C Naomi Kertesz, MD Natalie DeBacco Natalie I. Romero, RD, LD, CLC Reggie Ash Jr. Reilly Harrington, CCC-SLP Reno Ravindran, MD Richard Kirschner, MD Richard Wood, MD Robert A.

Kowatch, MD, Ph. Robert Hoffman, MD Robert Treviño, MD, PhD Rochelle Krouse, CTRS Rohan Henry, MD, MS Rose Ayoob, MD Rose Schroedl, PhD Rosemary Martoma, MD Ross Maltz, MD Rustin Morse, MD Ryan Ingley AT, ATC Samanta Boddapati, PhD Samantha Malone Sandra C.

Kim, MD Sara Bentley, MT-BC Sara Bode, MD Sara Breidigan, MS, AT, ATC Sara N. Denny, MD Sarah Cline, CRA, RT R Sarah Driesbach, CPN, APN Sarah Greenberg Sarah Hastie, BSN, RNC-NIC Sarah Keim, PhD Sarah Mannon, CCLS Sarah Myers Sarah O'Brien, MD Sarah Saxbe Sarah Schmidt, LISW-S Sarah Scott Sarah Tracey Sarah VerLee, PhD Sasigarn Bowden, MD Satya Gedela, MD, MRCP UK Scott Coven, DO, MPH Scott Hickey, MD Sean Eing Sean Rose, MD Sean Tams, PhD Seth Alpert, MD Shalini C.

Sisk, RN, BSN, MHA Tracie Steinke RD, LD, CDE Tracy Mehan, MA Travis Gallagher, AT Trevor Miller Tria Shadeed, NNP Tyanna Snider, PsyD Tyler Congrove, AT Valencia Walker, MD, MPH, FAAP Valerie Lazzara Mould, MA, CTRS-BH Vanessa Shanks, MD, FAAP Venkata Rama Jayanthi, MD Vidu Garg, MD Vidya Raman, MD Vidya Sivaraman, MD W.

Garrett Hunt, MD Walter Samora, MD Warren D. Lo, MD Wendy Anderson, MD Wendy Cleveland, MA, LPCC-S Whitney McCormick, CTRS Whitney Raglin Bignall, PhD William Cotton, MD William J. Barson, MD William Ray, PhD William W. Long, MD. View All Author Bios. My cousin recently texted me to ask about hydration for her 8 year old son, who plays baseball in the Florida heat.

Sports nutrition for kids is tricky. And many young athletes need more calories than their less active counterparts. To clear up some of the confusion for parents of young athletes, here are 6 sports nutrition rules to get you started.

A varied and healthy diet is extremely important for a growing athlete. burgers, fries, cookies and candy. Growing children need several key nutrients, like calcium for bone health, Vitamin C for immune system development, iron for growth, and protein for muscle growth and repair.

These nutrients are only found in healthy foods, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and proteins. Child athletes put their bodies through more wear and tear than less active children, so they need to be even more diligent about eating healthy foods for growth and development.

Children get hotter faster than adults because they have a greater body surface area for their body weight, which means they take in heat from the environment faster than adults. They should drink very frequently during exercise and cold water is the perfect refresher.

A good rule of thumb is that children need about 4 ounces or ½ cup of water for every 20 minutes of play. Make sure you teach your children about the importance of hydration, or they might just forget to drink all together!

Fresh fruit is also high in water and contribute to hydration—orange slice breaks during practice should be encouraged! If you provide them, they will drink them. In my professional opinion, sport drinks are ONLY necessary for intense activity lasting longer than an hour.

For exercise lasting longer than an hour, you can replace fluid and salt losses with water and a salty snack, like pretzels or saltines. They are the fuel for the car. Healthy carbs should be consumed hours before practice to maintain energy.

Think— a sandwich or piece of fruit before practice. Because children are growing, their muscles are still developing. Sports cause muscle breakdown, and proteins aid in muscle repair.

Kelleher, MD Kelly Lehman, MSN, CNP Kelly McNally, PhD Kelly N. Baker, MD Linda Stoverock, DNP, RN NEA-BC Lindsay Kneen, MD Lindsay Pietruszewski, PT, DPT Lindsay Schwartz Lindsey Vater, PsyD Lisa Golden Lisa Halloran, CNP Lisa M. Humphrey, MD Logan Blankemeyer, MA, CCC-SLP Lori Grisez PT, DPT Lorraine Kelley-Quon Louis Bezold, MD Lourdes Hill, LPCC-S Lubna Mazin, PharmD Luke Tipple, MS, CSCS Lynda Wolfe, PhD Lyndsey Miller Lynn Rosenthal Lynne Ruess, MD Maggie Rosen, MD Maggy Rule, MS, AT, ATC Mahmoud Kallash, MD Mandy Boetz, LISW-S Manmohan K Kamboj, MD Marc Dutro Marc P.

Michalsky, MD Marcel J. Larouere, MBA, BSN, RN Mark E. Ed Meghan Cass, PT, DPT Meghan Fisher, BSN, RN Meika Eby, MD Melanie Fluellen, LPCC-S Melanie Luken, LISW-S Melissa and Mikael McLaren Melissa McMillen, CTRS Melissa Winterhalter, MD Meredith Merz Lind, MD Michael Flores, PhD Michael T.

Brady, MD Michelle Ross, MHA, RD, LD, ALC Mike Patrick, MD Min Jeong-Cho Mindy Deno, PT, DPT Mitch Ellinger, CPNP-PC Molly Dienhart, MD Molly Fuchs, MD Molly Gardner, PhD Monica Ardura, DO Monica Ellis Monique Goldschmidt, MD Motao Zhu, MD, MS, PhD Muhammed A. Khan, MD, MPH, FASGE Murugu Manickam, MD Nancy Auer Nancy Cunningham, PsyD Nancy Wright, BS, RRT, RCP, AE-C Naomi Kertesz, MD Natalie DeBacco Natalie I.

Romero, RD, LD, CLC Reggie Ash Jr. Reilly Harrington, CCC-SLP Reno Ravindran, MD Richard Kirschner, MD Richard Wood, MD Robert A. Kowatch, MD, Ph. Robert Hoffman, MD Robert Treviño, MD, PhD Rochelle Krouse, CTRS Rohan Henry, MD, MS Rose Ayoob, MD Rose Schroedl, PhD Rosemary Martoma, MD Ross Maltz, MD Rustin Morse, MD Ryan Ingley AT, ATC Samanta Boddapati, PhD Samantha Malone Sandra C.

Kim, MD Sara Bentley, MT-BC Sara Bode, MD Sara Breidigan, MS, AT, ATC Sara N. Denny, MD Sarah Cline, CRA, RT R Sarah Driesbach, CPN, APN Sarah Greenberg Sarah Hastie, BSN, RNC-NIC Sarah Keim, PhD Sarah Mannon, CCLS Sarah Myers Sarah O'Brien, MD Sarah Saxbe Sarah Schmidt, LISW-S Sarah Scott Sarah Tracey Sarah VerLee, PhD Sasigarn Bowden, MD Satya Gedela, MD, MRCP UK Scott Coven, DO, MPH Scott Hickey, MD Sean Eing Sean Rose, MD Sean Tams, PhD Seth Alpert, MD Shalini C.

Sisk, RN, BSN, MHA Tracie Steinke RD, LD, CDE Tracy Mehan, MA Travis Gallagher, AT Trevor Miller Tria Shadeed, NNP Tyanna Snider, PsyD Tyler Congrove, AT Valencia Walker, MD, MPH, FAAP Valerie Lazzara Mould, MA, CTRS-BH Vanessa Shanks, MD, FAAP Venkata Rama Jayanthi, MD Vidu Garg, MD Vidya Raman, MD Vidya Sivaraman, MD W.

Garrett Hunt, MD Walter Samora, MD Warren D. Lo, MD Wendy Anderson, MD Wendy Cleveland, MA, LPCC-S Whitney McCormick, CTRS Whitney Raglin Bignall, PhD William Cotton, MD William J.

Barson, MD William Ray, PhD William W. Long, MD. View All Author Bios. You Might Also Be Interested In. Neck Guards: An In-Demand Addition to Hockey Safety Gear.

What Running Distances Are Safe for Children? Dance Injuries: From Rehab to Rehearsal. This includes growing strong bones and muscle, plus supporting your immune system. If your food variety is small now slowly work to build this up, work at your own pace. Nourishing foods are great to fuel with up to 1.

Examples include:. Most of all make sure you choose foods you enjoy! Your specific needs will differ based on the type and amount of training you do. Water and milk are great choice s of fluid to help support your hydration , development and recovery needs.

Water helps to keep your body cool and milk is great for supporting strong bones and teeth! Coaches should always allow time for a drink break!

Like carbs, not all fats are created equal. Choose healthier fats, such as the unsaturated fat found in most vegetable oils, fish, and nuts and seeds.

Limit trans fat like partially hydrogenated oils and saturated fat, found in fatty meat and dairy products like whole milk, cheese, and butter. Choosing when to eat fats is also important for athletes. Fatty foods can slow digestion, so it's a good idea to avoid eating them for a few hours before exercising.

Sports supplements promise to improve sports performance. But few have proved to help, and some may do harm. Anabolic steroids can seriously mess with a person's hormones , causing unwanted side effects like testicular shrinkage and baldness in guys and facial hair growth in girls.

Steroids can cause mental health problems, including depression and serious mood swings. Some supplements contain hormones related to testosterone, such as DHEA dehydroepiandrosterone.

These can have similar side effects to anabolic steroids. Other sports supplements like creatine have not been tested in people younger than So the risks of taking them are not yet known.

Salt tablets are another supplement to watch out for. People take them to avoid dehydration, but salt tablets can actually lead to dehydration and must be taken with plenty of water. Too much salt can cause nausea, vomiting, cramps, and diarrhea and may damage the stomach lining.

In general, you are better off drinking fluids to stay hydrated. Usually, you can make up for any salt lost in sweat with sports drinks or foods you eat before, during, and after exercise. Speaking of dehydration , water is as important to unlocking your game power as food.

When you sweat during exercise, it's easy to become overheated, headachy, and worn out — especially in hot or humid weather. Even mild dehydration can affect an athlete's physical and mental performance.

There's no one set guide for how much water to drink. How much fluid each person needs depends on their age, size, level of physical activity, and environmental temperature. Athletes should drink before, during, and after exercise. Don't wait until you feel thirsty, because thirst is a sign that your body has needed liquids for a while.

Sports drinks are no better for you than water to keep you hydrated during sports. But if you exercise for more than 60 to 90 minutes or in very hot weather, sports drinks may be a good option. The extra carbs and electrolytes may improve performance in these conditions.

Otherwise your body will do just as well with water. Avoid drinking carbonated drinks or juice because they could give you a stomachache while you're training or competing. Don't use energy drinks and other caffeine -containing drinks, like soda, tea, and coffee, for rehydration.

You could end up drinking large amounts of caffeine, which can increase heart rate and blood pressure. Too much caffeine can leave an athlete feeling anxious or jittery.