With rapidly developing bodies and minds, proper nutrition for junior athletes is critical not only to their athletic success, but more importantly to their growth, development and overall health (Cotugna et al. 2005). The dietary intake of junior athletes has long followed population trends rather than sports nutrition recommendations (Meyer et al. 2007). Fortunately, adolescent athlete nutrition requirements have been recently reviewed (Desbrow et al. 2014). Sports Dietitians Australia (SDA) has stressed the importance of unique nutritional requirements as a consequence of daily training and competition in addition to the demands of growth and development for the adolescent athlete.
The following are position statements from SDA on dietary energy and macronutrient consumption for adolescent athletes which are also highly relevant to junior athletes.

Dietary Energy

‘The position of SDA is that no predictive equations currently exist to accurately determine the energy needs of adolescent athletes. The difference between an athlete’s energy intake and the energy expenditure associated with his or her sporting activities provides an indication of the energy that is available for optimal function and growth. Markers of growth and development should be compared against reference standards throughout the life of an adolescent athlete to determine if total energy intake is appropriate’(Desbrow et al. 2014).

Protein

‘The position of SDA is that in the absence of specific evidence from studies on adolescent athletes, the most prudent approach for competitive adolescent athletes is to follow the guidelines for adult athletic populations regarding protein consumption. In this regard, the adolescent should adopt eating patterns that provide a regular spread of high quality protein sources across the day, including a plan for the period immediately after a training session, where the consumption of protein containing choices appears to convey the greatest benefits’(Desbrow et al. 2014).

Carbohydrates

‘The position of SDA is that the carbohydrate requirements of training and competition are well established in adults. There is little evidence to suggest that the carbohydrate requirements of adolescents differ substantially from those of adults. Adolescent athletes should be encouraged to adjust carbohydrate intake to match actual daily energy demands and adopt strategies to include nutrient rich carbohydrate foods and fluids where possible’(Desbrow et al. 2014).

Fat

‘The position of SDA is that the consumption of fat should be in accordance with public health guidelines. Adolescent athletes should be encouraged to consume unsaturated fats including plant based sources and fish. Furthermore, they should limit their intake of food containing high concentrations of saturated fats such as fried foods and baked products and use practices that reduce the fat content from animal sources (e.g., choose lean meats). Due to its energy density, manipulating dietary fat intake has the capacity to rapidly influence an adolescent athlete’s total energy intake’(Desbrow et al. 2014).

SDA endorses that dietary education and nutrition recommendations for adolescent athletes should reinforce eating for long term health and that nutrition needs are met by core foods rather than supplements. Additional information concerning dietary calcium, Vitamin D and iron intake can also be found in their latest position statement.

NM’s first nutrition note briefly discussed hydration levels and this is again very important for junior athletes. Children and juniors in particular, have a higher surface area to weight ratio and a lower sweating rate compared with adults, which puts them at a thermoregulatory disadvantage (Meyer et al. 2007). This is particularly important to keep in mind as we enter the warmer and more humid months of the year in Brisbane. Although children and juniors may not perspire as much as adults during exercise, studies have shown that children tend not to hydrate adequately during endurance exercises which can lead to dehydration (Bar-Or et al. 1980; Meyer et al. 1995). This is perhaps where sports drinks can improve hydration levels. Compared with plain water, voluntary ingestion was significantly greater with flavoured water and this increased even further with the addition of carbohydrates and NaCl (Rivera-Brown et al. 1999; Horswill et al. 2005). Just a quick reminder that sports drinks and energy drinks are very different. Due to their stimulant content, energy drinks pose potential health risks to children and adolescents and they should be avoided (Schneider and Benjamin 2011). Sports drinks have a specific limited function for junior athletes and it is recommended that they should be consumed when there is a need for more rapid replenishment of carbohydrates and/or electrolytes during periods of prolonged intense physical activity.

Nomad Multisport junior athletes continue to push themselves physically and academically, so, next time you are all sitting down for a family meal, start the conversation and ask your junior athlete/s:

Why is it important to enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods?

Congratulations to all who partook in the Noosa Triathlon this year! Well done on your strong performances, the season has well and truly started!

Cheers,

Anton

References

Bar-Or O, Dotan R, Inbar O, Rotshtein A and Zonder H 1980. Voluntary hypohydration in 10- to 12-year-old boys. Journal of Applied Physiology 1, 104-108.

Cotugna N, Vickery CE and McBee S 2005. Sports nutrition for young athletes. The Journal of School Nursing 6, 323-328.

Desbrow B, McCormack J, Burke LM, Cox G, Fallon K, Hislop M and Leveritt M 2014. Sports dietitians Australia position statement: Sports nutrition for the adolescent athlete. International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 24, 570-584.

Horswill CA, Passe DH, Stofan JR, Horn MK and Murray R 2005. Adequacy of fluid ingestion in adolescents and adults during moderate-intensity exercise. Pediatric Exercise Science 1, 41-50.

Meyer F, Bar-Or O and Wilk B 1995. Children’s perceptual responses to ingesting drinks of different compositions during and following exercise in the heat. International Journal of Sport Nutrition, 13-13.

Meyer F, O’Connor H and Shirreffs SM 2007. Nutrition for the young athlete. Journal of Sports Sciences S1, S73-S82.

Rivera-Brown AM, Gutiérrez R, Gutiérrez JC, Frontera WR and Bar-Or O 1999. Drink composition, voluntary drinking, and fluid balance in exercising, trained, heat-acclimatized boys. Journal of Applied Physiology 1, 78-84.

Schneider MB and Benjamin HJ 2011. Sports drinks and energy drinks for children and adolescents: are they appropriate? Pediatrics 6, 1182-1189.