Proper sports nutrition is essential for teen athletes to perform at their best, avoid injury, and support healthy growth and development. As a parent, you play a key role in helping your teen athlete develop ​good nutrition habits. This comprehensive guide will help you understand your teen's nutritional needs and how to support their athletic goals.

Why Sports Nutrition Matters

During adolescence, ​your teen athlete undergoes rapid growth and development. They need extra calories and nutrients to support muscle growth, bone development, and changes associated with puberty. Without proper fueling, your teen may face these issues:

• Fatigue - Can impair performance during sports and schoolwork.

• Increased injury risk - Lack of nutrients can weaken muscles, tendons, and bones.

• Slowed growth and maturation - Nutrients like calcium and vitamin D are vital for growth.

• Disordered eating habits - Strict dieting raises the risk of developing eating disorders.

By supporting healthy nutrition tailored to your teen's sport, age, body size, and goals, you’ll help them achieve peak athletic performance, good health, and positive self-image.

Nutrients for Active Teens

Active teens need more of certain nutrients than their less active peers. Make sure your teen's diet provides adequate amounts of the following key nutrients:

Carbohydrates

​Carbs are your ​teen athlete's main source of fuel before, during, and after exercise. They help delay fatigue so your teen can keep performing at their best. High carb foods include:

• Whole grains

• Fruits

• Starchy vegetables

• Beans and legumes

• Dairy foods

Protein

Protein provides the building blocks for important tissues like muscle. Without enough protein, muscle growth and recovery from sports will suffer. Good sources are:

• Lean meats

• Poultry

• Fish and seafood

• Eggs

• Beans, lentils, nuts and seeds

• Milk, cheese, yogurt

• Soy foods like tofu and tempeh

Shoot for 20-30 grams of protein in meals and snacks eaten before or after workouts to maximize repair and growth.

Healthy Fats

Don’t encourage low-fat diets, which can shortchange teens of fatty acids vital for health and sports performance. Encourage mono- and polyunsaturated fats from sources like:

• Olive oil

• Nuts and nut butters

• Seeds

• Fatty fish like salmon and tuna

• Avocados

Vitamins and Minerals

Micronutrients like vitamins and minerals support energy production, muscle contraction, bone health, immune function, and protection from oxidative damage. Important ones for active teens include:

Hydration Recommendations

Dehydration, even mild, ​can negatively affect sports performance. Make sure your teen athlete hydrates properly with these tips:

• Drink consistently - Have your teen sip water every 15-20 minutes during activities. Don't just drink when thirsty.

• Drink more in heat - Have extra water on hot days.

• Choose proper beverages - Water is best for hydration. Limit sugary drinks like soda and fruit juice.

• Carry a water bottle - Provide a reusable bottle to make drinking water simple.

• Eat water-rich foods - Fruits and vegetables like melons, oranges, tomatoes, lettuce, and celery help hydrate.

​Pay attention to signs of dehydration like excessive thirst, fatigue, headache, cramps, and dark urine. Seek medical care if symptoms are severe or last a long time.

Meeting Energy Needs

The daily calorie needs of teen athletes vary tremendously depending on:

• Gender - Males generally require more calories than girls as they tend to be bigger and have more muscle mass.

• Body Size - The more you weigh, the more energy you burn during activity and at rest.

• Fitness Level - Well trained teen athletes need up to 60% extra calories than inactive peers.

• Duration & intensity of training - Teens doing endurance sports or training over 20 hours a week need more calories.

As a parent, don’t obsess over calories. Focus on providing regular meals and snacks ​containing nutrient-dense fuel throughout the day. Let your teen listen to internal hunger and fullness cues to guide how much to eat.

Signs your athlete isn't getting enough calories include:

🚩 Fatigue, weakness 🚩 Lack of growth 🚩 Frequent illness or injury
🚩 Loss of menstrual period in girls

If these occur, involve your teen’s doctor and sports dietitian to create a personalized nutrition plan.

Meal & Snack Recommendations

Fuel up your teen athlete's tank by providing nutrient-rich meals and snacks spaced evenly throughout the day. Follow these tips:

✅ Give a pre-exercise snack 1-4 hours before sports:

• Fresh fruit & Greek yogurt

• Trail mix made with nuts, seeds & dried fruit

• Whole grain toast with nut butter

Carbohydrate-rich snacks boost energy levels for practices and games.

✅ Don’t let your athlete leave home without a pre-game meal including:

• Lean protein like eggs, Greek yogurt or lean meat

• Slow-burning carbs such as oatmeal, whole grains and starchy vegetables

• Healthy fats from olive oil, nuts, seeds or avocados

Eating 1-4 hours pre-game maintains energy, strength and mental focus.

✅ Prepare nourishing post-workout meals within 30-60 minutes including:

• Lean meat or fish

• Whole grains like brown rice or quinoa

• Veggies

• Dairy foods like milk and yogurt

Combo of carbs & protein aids muscle repair, growth and replenishes energy.

✅ Keep nutrient-dense snacks handy at all times, like:

• Fresh and dried fruits

• Yogurt and cheese

• Vegetables with hummus

• Hard boiled eggs

• Trail mix, granola bars

• Smoothies made with milk and fruit

Snacks provide an energy boost and nutrients for growth and development.

Special Diets & Supplement Regulations

Some teen athletes adopt special diets they believe gives them a competitive edge. As a parent, take caution with restrictive plans that demonize entire food groups. This raises the risk of nutritional gaps and disordered eating patterns.

Discuss supplement use carefully as well. While sports supplements are marketed as ergogenic aids, most lack evidence and some contain banned substances.

According to the ​National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), here's what parents and teen athletes should know:

Vegetarian Diets

Vegetarian teen athletes may be at risk for deficiencies in ​protein, iron vitamin B12, zinc, calcium and ​vitamin D. Consult a sports dietitian to ensure nutritional needs are met, especially during growth spurts.

Paleo and Keto Diets

Strict low-carb diets can impair performance. Carbs are the primary fuel to supply muscles during exercise. Some natural carbs come from nutrient-dense sources, so completely avoiding them can mean missing out on vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Intermittent Fasting

While fasting diets have gained popularity for weight loss, they aren't recommended for growing teens. IF could impair muscle growth after training if post-workout nutrition is delayed for too long.

Protein Supplements

Protein supplements aren't needed to build muscle as long as your athlete eats adequate protein from whole foods at meals and snacks. Excess protein supplements can displace more nutrient-dense calories. Some products also contain unhealthy additives.

Creatine

While creatine may provide some benefit for strength and sprint training, data in teens is limited. Due to lack of research, creatine isn't recommended for athletes under age 18.

Stimulants

Stimulants like caffeine may enhance strength and speed but can be problematic. Since dosing isn't regulated in supplements, stimulants raise the risk of overconsumption, dehydration and overheating. Many sports organizations ban stimulant use.

Developing Healthy Habits

Good nutrition depends largely on habits formed early in life. Use these tips to set your teen athlete up with a solid nutrition foundation:

✅ Lead by example

Model balanced eating, drinking enough fluids, and having a positive body image. Avoid talking negatively about your own weight and appearance.

✅ Promote moderation

Banning “bad” foods leads to overconsumption when teens are out of your sight. Allow treats in moderation to develop a healthy relationship with food.

✅ Encourage self-care

Talk about listening to hunger/fullness signals instead of tracking calories or nutrients. Emphasize health rather than weight or appearance.

✅ Teach cooking skills

Have teens help grocery shop and prepare meals. They’ll be more invested in eating properly if they cook tasty fuelling foods.

✅ Limit eating out

Restaurant meals are often low in nutrients and high in fat, sugar and salt. Focus on nutritious meals cooked at home.

Red Flags of Disordered Eating to Watch For

The pressure to lose weight combined with unrealistic body ideals raises teens’ risk of developing disordered eating habits. Watch for any of these red flags:

🚩 Rapid weight loss or gain 🚩 Constant dieting or binge eating
🚩 Avoiding certain food groups (fat, carbs, etc) 🚩 Obsession with calories and nutrients
🚩 Compulsive over-exercising 🚩 Use of diet pills, laxatives or supplements for weight loss 🚩 Negative body image and extreme weight/appearance dissatisfaction

If you notice any of the above signs or have any concerns about your teen's nutritional or mental health, seek guidance from a doctor right away. Catching problems early greatly improves prognosis.

Conclusion

Like a car requires the right type of fuel to perform properly, teen athletes need enough quality nutrition to accomplish their goals safely. Supply regular meals and snacks with adequate carbs, proteins and other nutrients. Promote lifelong healthy habits by modeling balanced eating, letting treats fit in moderation, encouraging body positivity, and teaching cooking skills. Pay attention so any problematic issues can be addressed promptly by the appropriate health professionals. With your support in developing proper nutrition, your teen athlete will thrive in sports and life.