Teens, Eating Disorders, and Athletes Nutritional Needs Change Throughout the Life Cycle

Teens Adolescents need a variety of nutritious foods throughout the day. Teens should eat a diet rich in iron and calcium. Adolescence is a time of great activity and RAPID growth, so you need nutrient dense foods to keep up with the growing phase. Teens should avoid high sugar and high fat snack foods and monitor amounts of caffeine and carbonated drinks.

Iron Teen females need 15 mg / day Teen males need 12 mg /day Good sources: meat, poultry, fish, cereal, beans, green leafy green vegetables.

Drink WATER instead of sugary, carbonated, caffeinated drinks. Soda Sippers How much sugar do you get from soda each day? Here’s what a recent USDA survey shows: Note: There are 10 teaspoons of sugar in One can (12 ounces) of regular soda!! Sugar turns into fat when not used and caffeine blocks the absorption of calcium for bone structure and growth Drink WATER instead of sugary, carbonated, caffeinated drinks. GUYS GALS 15 tsp. 20 tsp.

Special Nutritional Concerns Eating Disorders In our society, we are bombarded daily with images of the ideal body. From birth, we link food with personal and emotional experiences. Eating disorders involve physiological changes associated with food.

Types of Eating Disorders Anorexia Nervosa: an eating disorder involving a psychological loss or denial of appetite and self-starvation Bulimia Nervosa: an eating disorder in which large quantities of food are eaten at one time (binging) and then purged from the body by vomiting or use of laxatives

Athletes

Three nutrients needed to provide energy are… Three nutrients needed to provide energy are…..Carbohydrates, Protein and Fat Muscle is built by exercise, NOT by eating extra protein. Nutrient-dense foods are required because of high energy output. Water is ESSENTIAL--2 cups of water is recommended for every pound lost during a workout. Potassium replacement is recommended after a workout. A good way to accomplish this is by eating dried fruit, fruit, vegetables, and drink low-fat milk.

Hydration Water helps the body regulate many important functions: temperature blood pressure appropriate levels of electrolytes in the body aid in nutrient transportation helps with recovery from intense training. Allowing the body to become dehydrated can cause Decreased performance Muscle cramps Altered blood pressure Weight loss during exercise Delayed recovery time Drinking too much water can alter electrolytes and cause bodily harm. Athletes should drink water before and after an event even if they don’t feel thirsty and about every 15 minutes during an event. Consider a sport drink for workouts over 45 minutes or workouts in the heat. Aim to replenish 150% of lost fluid after training or monitoring urine color (pale yellow is ideal).

Training Conditioning and nutrition is the key to top athletic performance. Athletes who eat a varied, nutrient dense diet following the dietary guidelines do not need sports bars or dietary supplements. Athletes need to get 55 to 60 percent of their calories from carbohydrates, 20 to 25 percent of their calories from fat and 15 to 20 percent from protein.

Pre-event/exercise The last meal before a competition or intense exercise should be complex carb-rich meal (grains, fruit, starchy veggies, milk, and yogurt) and include a moderate amount of protein and be low in fat and fiber rich foods. Meals should be consumed 2-4 hours before training or competition. If you have a sensitive stomach, consume the last meal 4 hours before and sip on a sport drink or easily digestible carbohydrate- filled snack in the hour prior.

During an event/exercise: During exercise, the body draws glycogen to fuel working muscles. Carbohydrate is the body’s primary energy source during exercise. Dietary carbohydrates (grains, fruit, starchy veggies, milk and yogurt) are stored in the liver and in the muscle as glycogen. During exercise carbs help improve performance by: reducing the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), providing fuel for actively working muscles, and being forced to slow down or stop. Sparing protein and fats (you don’t want your body to start breaking down muscle for energy).

Recovery The body is primed to replenish lost nutrients soon after exercise. After a workout, game, match, or race, start refueling within 15-60 minutes. Recovery in 3 stages: Snack + Fluid (within15-60 minutes) carbohydrate & 10-15g protein Meal + Fluid (within 2 hours) Balance (mostly carbs, lean protein, low fat) Snack + Fluid (within 4 hours) carbohydrate & 10-15g protein Most “burn-out” has to do with nutrition and sleep recovery abuse