THE COMPETITIVE EDGE

Special Needs of theTeen Athlete

DIET AND PERFORMANCE CONNECTION

• Energy • Boosts performance• Prevents fatigue• Prevents injury

CARBOYHYRDATES AS MAIN FUEL SOURCE

•Spares muscle mass•Decreased muscle fatigue•Decreased CNS fatigue•Decreased negative stress

response

CARBOHYDRATES:HIGH-OCTANE FUEL

• Calories should come from grains, fruits, veggies

• Body’s preferred fuel source• Only way to build glycogen

– overall diet important– poor choices can effect that day

• No perfect food• Carbohydrate-loading-- NO

• 60 minutes or less-- glycogen only -- carbs okay

• 60 to 90 minutes -- may want to add a few carbs with a sports drink

• 90+ minutes -- extra carbs necessary

• Best replenished within 2 hours of exercise

USE OF GLYCOGEN AS FUEL

High Protein Diets Can Cause Health Problems

• Poor long term weight control

• Heart disease risk increases

• Cancer risk increases

• Blood pressure increases

• Gout

• Kidney stones

• Osteoporosis

Basic Hunger / Satiety ScaleBasic Hunger / Satiety Scale

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Empty/Starving Stuffed/Overfull

Neutral

Hunger / Satiety Patterns

• Makes heart work harder • Slows reaction time• Reduces strength, power,

speed, muscle endurance, cardiovascular endurance

• Dehydrating• Interferes with glycogen

storage

ALCOHOL & PERFORMANCE

FLUID - REPLACEMENT GUIDELINES

• Cold to touch water• Sport drinks okay• No soda, tea, coffee• Diluted milk or juice• Every 15 minutes

Nutritional Challenges for Female Athletes

• Iron Anemia• Low calcium intake• Low calorie intake• Stress fractures• Distorted body image

– body weight concerns

BUILDING MUSCLE MASS

• Resistance training• Hi-protein diets actually cause

less muscle mass• Eat extra calories from

carbohydrates• Supplements don’t work

Factors That Influence Performance

GeneticsTraining

NutritionSelf-determination

“Many athletes who train hard to excel are defeated

by their diets instead of their competitors”

--Coleman and Steen