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Optimal nutrition is a critical component of growth and development but also plays an integral role in sports performance. The young athlete who is not well-fueled or hydrated may experience deficits in strength, speed, and stamina, as well as decreased focus, increased fatigue, and increased risk of injury.
However, the message about eating needs to be pertinent to young athletes; otherwise, it goes unheeded. A focus on nutrition is not as accepted as an emphasis on performance.
The goal of sports nutrition is to help keep athletes playing their sport. To do this, young athletes need to learn not only what to eat and drink, but why, when, and how much they should consume. In addition, it is in the athlete's best interest to educate the family (parents, grandparents, guardians) about fuel for sport.
Team physicians should schedule a time to talk with their teams in advance, during, and after the regular season about the importance of proper hydration and fueling, or better yet, enlist the expertise of a sports dietitian.
As part of a comprehensive sports exam, it is important to ask questions of the athlete and/or caregiver. You can have the athlete or his/her parent/caregiver to fill out a nutrition assessment form in advance. A nutrition assessment form can help identify potential areas of concern, which can be addressed during the exam. A sample form can be found online at http://www.teamunify.com/vatst/__doc__/Nutrition%20Screening%20Form.pdf (accessed April 21, 2010).
Preface the "eating" discussion with your athlete by asking him/her to tell you how he/she feels when doing sports (ie, energy levels, strength, speed, recovery).
You can use the questionnaire to provide objective data for your patient. For example, the basketball player who tires early in the game may tell you that he doesn't eat breakfast, may not drink before or during practices. He reveals that he is too nervous to eat before games.
This type of "show and tell" can be very useful for your patients, helping them to see what may be performance-impairing behaviors and, subsequently, making recommendations for improvement based on timing, quantity, or choices of foods/fluids.
Many athletes' "complaints" may have a nutrition-related cause and solution. Table 1 (see page 302) lists some common performance detractors, possible nutrition causes, and solutions.
Specific Guidelines
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