How Much Do Young Swimmers and Youth Athletes Need to Eat?
Young swimmers and athletes actually need to eat a lot!
They expend a lot of energy not just through their daily life activities but also through growth. Now, add on the amount of energy they spend on going through and recovering from their pool trainings, mobility sessions as well as dryland exercises; it adds up to an enormous amount of energy that they spend, especially if they train and compete in other sports too!
Parents are often afraid that their child is overeating and therefore, end up restricting their food intake. More often than not, this can lead to under-fuelling, poorer performance, and other health complications in the long term. For instance, under-fuelling can mean that the energy meant for their growth gets spent on training instead, which compromises their growing process.
Unfortunately, there are no calorie counters or food tracking apps that will tell you how fuelled or under-fuelled they are (and you do not need to use them either!). But one way to tell if your child is under-fuelled is to look out for the following symptoms:
Symptoms of being under-fuelled
Constantly fatigued or tired
Often in a poor mood
Constantly feeing hungry
Underperforming at training
Falling sick frequently
Persistently suffering from injuries or niggles
If they are experiencing any or a combination of these symptoms, it is likely that they are not eating enough to sustain their energy expenditure and they need to eat more.
On the flipside, if your child is gaining a significant amount of weight over a short period of time, it might be worthwhile to look at the quality of the foods (high calorie, nutrient-poor foods vs. lower calorie, nutrient-dense foods) he or she is eating instead of simply restricting or reducing their food portions.
If you are unsure if your child’s growth rate and/or food intake is appropriate, do consult a sports dietitian or nutritionist for a tailored approach that is suitable for them.
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MEET THE AUTHOR
KEITH TAN
Performance Nutrition and Recovery Specialist & Performance Coach
SPECIALISATIONS
Performance Nutrition
Clinical Dietetics
Strength and Conditioning
Anthropometric Profiling / Body Composition Measurement
Weight Management