Nutrition For Youth Athletes: Beyond The Daily Plate
- Melissa Hardy PDt, CDE, CSSD, IOC Sport Nutrition Diploma.
- Mar 26
- 6 min read
Proper nutrition is the foundation of athletic performance, especially for youth athletes who are growing, training, and competing – at any level. In our Nutrition for Youth Athlete Course, presented by Melissa Hardy, Sport Dietitian and Owner of East Coast Performance Nutrition, we dive into the essential topics that parents, caregivers, coaches, and youth athlete supports need to know to best support young athletes.
When it comes to supporting youth athletes, eating enough and eating frequently throughout the day can be a game-changer. Yet, many young athletes struggle with under fuelling, the pressure to maintain a certain body composition throughout puberty, and misinformation about sports nutrition. As an adult in a youth athlete’s life, you play a vital role in shaping an athlete’s relationship with food, body image, and performance.
The Importance of Eating Enough
The benefits of sport participation are vast, from improved physical fitness to enhanced mental resilience and social development. However, these benefits exist only when an athlete is in a state of energy balance, meaning they are consuming enough energy (calories) to support both life and sport. Without adequate fuel, athletes risk impairing their health, performance, and long-term development.
One of the most common issues among youth athletes is Low Energy Availability (LEA), which occurs when an athlete does not consume enough calories to support both their training and essential bodily functions. According to the 2023 IOC REDs Consensus Statement, LEA is defined as "a mismatch between energy intake and energy expenditure required for health and the activities of daily living, growth, and sporting activities." LEA can lead to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDS), a syndrome that impacts physiological and psychological function with “detrimental outcomes that include but are not limited to decreases in metabolic function, reproductive function, musculoskeletal health, immunity, glycogen synthesis, cardiovascular and haematological health, which can all individually and synergistically lead to impaired well-being, increased injury risk, and decreased sports performance”
Adolescent athletes are at an increased risk of REDS due to the combined energy demands of growth, development, and training. Unlike fully matured adults, young athletes require additional energy not just for sport but also for normal biological processes like puberty and bone development. Without sufficient energy intake, they may experience delayed growth, disruptions in hormone regulation, increased injury risk, and long-term consequences on bone health and metabolic function. Understanding these risks is crucial to ensuring that young athletes stay healthy and reach their full potential.
A practical review on REDS in adolescent athletes, emphasizes the importance for heightened awareness and education among healthcare professionals and coaches to identify and manage REDS effectively in adolescents. This course provides the tools to recognize and prevent these issues, ensuring athletes can train and compete at their best, and increases chances of reaching their health potential.
How to Foster a Positive Relationship with Food and Body
The way adults talk about food, exercise, and bodies can significantly impact an athlete’s mental and physical well-being. Coaches and caregivers must recognize when team culture, language, or behaviors contribute to disordered eating patterns or body dissatisfaction. Creating an environment where food is viewed as fuel, rather than something to be restricted, helps athletes develop a healthier, more sustainable approach to nutrition. Teaching athletes to listen to their bodies, avoiding weight talk, and normalizing body diversity in sport are key to fostering a healthy sport environment.
Common Pitfalls Parents May Overlook When Fueling Adolescent Athletes
Parents play a critical role in supporting their young athletes’ nutritional needs, but common misconceptions can inadvertently hinder performance and overall health. Some mistakes that East Coast Performance Nutrition’s team of dietitians have observed are:
Fear of sport drinks and recovery beverages: Due to misinformation in the media, many parents avoid sport drinks and beverages with added sugars, fearing they are unhealthy. However, adolescent athletes have less capacity to store glycogen than adults, making properly timed carbohydrate intake crucial. Sports drinks during high intensity training, and recovery beverages such as chocolate milk provide quickly digested carbohydrates, electrolytes, and protein- supporting energy levels, hydration, and muscle recovery. These are not harmful for active youth, they are in fact, beneficial!
Underestimating energy needs: Many parents assume their child's energy needs are similar to their own or even lower. However, growing and highly active youth may require significantly more calories to support both development and training demands. If they come home from school feeling ravenous, it’s likely they are responding to hunger from missed fuel earlier in the day. Ensuring consistent and balanced meals and snacks throughout the day can help meet their energy needs and prevent within-day energy deficiency.
Encouraging 'clean eating' to an extreme: While promoting whole, nutrient-dense foods is beneficial, excessive restriction of certain foods or food groups can lead to unintended consequences, including inadequate energy intake and an unhealthy relationship with food. It's important to emphasize balance and flexibility in an child’s diet, ensuring they get the necessary nutrients without creating unnecessary restrictions or guilt around food choices. Never label foods as “good vs bad”.
Skipping or insufficient post-training recovery meals: Proper post-workout nutrition is essential for muscle repair and glycogen replenishment. Failing to provide a balanced snack or meal after exercise can lead to prolonged recovery time and increased risk of injury. Sport means late night travel for many families, and if the only option is a drive through post practice, then this is the best option at that time. Fed = best.
Excessive supplementation trying to help with recovery and performance. There is no supplement that is going to correct for overtraining, under fuelling, burnout from high training demands, or poor recovery.
Fuelling for Athletic Performance
Understanding sports nutrition fundamentals allows athletes to adjust their daily intake based on training demands. Macronutrients like carbohydrates and proteins are essential for energy, muscle repair, and overall performance. Helping young athletes balance their meals and snacks before, during, and after training can optimize recovery, reduce the risk of injury, and enhance long-term performance. The second half of this course covers macronutrient needs in detail.
The Role of Coaches, Caregivers and Athlete Supports
Beyond providing nutritional guidance - Hello snack time reminders, coaches and caregivers must also foster a culture that prioritizes athlete well-being. The last part of the course explores strategies for support athlete health, including reflective questions for personal and professional growth.
After completing this course, you will be able to:
Understand how Low Energy Availability (LEA) relates to the Athlete Triad and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDS).
Recognize that athletes can’t fully benefit from physical activity without maintaining energy balance.
Identify the signs and symptoms of under-fuelling, disordered eating, and exercise addiction in athletes.
Suggest practical adjustments to daily meals to align with weekly training needs.
Guide athletes on how to fuel properly before, during, and after training to support performance and recovery.
Recommended Books for Parents and Coaches
For those looking to dive deeper into supporting young athletes develop into adults with a positive relationship with food, sport, and body, these books provide valuable insights:
Good for a Girl by Lauren Fleshman, is an important read for parents and coaches because it offers valuable insights into the challenges that female athletes face, particularly in terms of body image, performance expectations, and the impact of societal pressures. It’s also Melissa’s top recommendation for any high school female athlete considering varsity sport, offering an honest perspective on the unique challenges women face in competitive athletics.
How to Raise an Intuitive Eater by Sumner Brooks and Amee Severson. Ideal for parents or coaches with weight bias, and those who believe a smaller body is a better body. This book helps cultivate a positive and balanced approach to food and body image. The book focuses on teaching children to develop a positive relationship with food and their bodies, helping them cultivate intuitive eating habits from an early age.
The Price She Pays by Katie Steele and Tiffany Brown explores the overlooked mental health challenges that female athletes face, including the pressures of perfectionism, disordered eating, and the stress of balancing sports with other life demands. By reading it, coaches and parents can better understand the psychological pressures that young female athletes might experience, equipping them to offer appropriate support. Melissa feels it should be essential reading for those supporting athletes who have experienced eating disorders, REDS, menstrual disturbances, or abuse within the sport system.
Key Takeaways
After engaging with this course, participants will be able to:
Recognize how LEA contributes to the Athlete Triad and RED-S.
Understand that energy balance is essential for performance and health.
Support athletes in making nutritional adjustments that align with training demands.
Promote a positive, non-restrictive approach to food and body image.
Final Thoughts
Youth athletes deserve an environment that supports both their physical and mental well-being. As a coach, parent, or caregiver, your influence can either enhance or hinder an athlete’s ability to thrive. By prioritizing proper nutrition, encouraging a healthy mindset around food, and fostering a positive team culture, you can help young athletes unlock their full potential - both in sport and in life.
Don't miss this opportunity to deepen your knowledge and better support the athletes in your life. Register for the Nutrition for Youth Athlete presentation here and empower young athletes with the nutrition they need to succeed!
