Nutritional requirements for the child athlete – What you need to know.
Vigorous physical activity has many health benefits for children. However, the period of rapid growth during childhood and adolescence means that their nutritional requirements may differ from those of adults.
Physical activity: Recommendations and benefits
The World Health Organization recommends that children and adolescents aged 5-17 years participate daily in at least 60 minutes of moderate to high-intensity exercise, mainly aerobic.1 Physical activity helps to development of motor skills and their coordination, strengthens muscles and bones and may have a beneficial effect on blood pressure.1,2 It also helps the person feel better.3,4
Active children have specific needs
Nutrition plays a major role in achieving optimal growth, injury prevention, and overall performance.5 Children and adolescents go through a period of rapid growth and maturation, which has nutritional implications. The greater the degree of the child's involvement in exercise, the greater his nutritional requirements.
Total energy intake
Carbohydrates, fats and proteins
Carbohydrates are primarily known as the body's preferred energy source during exercise, although this may not be immediately true for children.2,6 It is believed that during exercise, children use more fat as an energy source than adults. Carbohydrates, however, should not be excluded from the child's diet, especially whole grain products, which are a very good source of dietary fiber and other nutrients.5Both children and adolescents, as well as adults, benefit from carbohydrates during prolonged exercise.
Fat intake is important for the exercising child. Fats can be used as a source of energy, while essential fatty acids must be obtained through the diet. Many foods typically high in fat, such as fatty fish, meat and dairy, contain many vitamins and mineral elements necessary for growth. For example, vitamin B12 and fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin A and D, but also minerals, such as iron, zinc, chromium, magnesium and calcium.5
Proteins are important because they provide essential amino acids, which play a vital role in the growth of tissues, including muscles. In general, exercising individuals effortlessly increase protein intake, increasing energy intake.5 Vegetarians, however, exercising children may need some guidance in order to meet their protein requirements.
Fluid intake
Children and teenagers do not have the same ability as adults to regulate body temperature. Children tend to accumulate more heat from the environment as they have a higher ratio of body surface area to body mass5, which is particularly problematic in hot environments. The sweat rate may also be lower in children, although as they mature it seems to increase.5 For these reasons, children should be careful to drink enough fluids during the day and during exercise to prevent dehydration and heat stress.
The disadvantages of physical inactivity
THE obesity and overweight may be more prevalent in inactive children, as in these cases the child does not expend enough energy to compensate for excess intake, so the excess energy is stored as body fat.7 Nowadays, a large number of children do not systematically participate in some kind of physical activity. Recent research from the European HELENA project found that only 57% of adolescent boys and 28% of girls get 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity per day.8 Another study from 34 countries worldwide found that 76% of boys aged 13-15 years and 85% of girls of the same age were failing to meet recommendations for physical activity levels.9
in conclusion
There are many benefits to a child being physically active. As children go through a stage of rapid growth it is important that they get adequate total energy and nutrients. Carbohydrate requirements during physical activity appear to differ in children from adults, while fats may be more useful during exercise in children. Also, physically active children should consume adequate amounts of fluids, as they are at greater risk of dehydration and heat stress than adults.
References
- WHO (2011). Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health – 5-17 years old.
- McMurray RG et al. (2002). A school-based intervention can reduce body fat and blood pressure in young adolescents. J Adolescent Health 31(2):125-132.
- Donaldson SJ, Ronan KR. (2006). The effects of sports participation on young adolescents' emotional well-being. Adolescence 41(162):369-389.
- Steptoe A, Butler N. (1996). Sports participation and emotional well-being in adolescents. Lancet 347(9018):1789-1792.
- Petrie HJ et al. (2004). Nutritional concerns for the child and adolescent competitor. Nutrition 20:620-631.
- Montfort-Steiger V, Williams CA. (2007). Carbohydrate intake considerations for young athletes. J Sports Sci Med 6:343-352
- EUFIC-Basic Information (2006). Nutrition of children and adolescents. Available at:www.eufic.org/article/el/page/BARCHIVE/expid/basics-child-adolescent-nutrition_greek/
- Ruiz JR et al. (2011). Objectively measured physical activity and sedentary time in European adolescents: The HELENA study. Am J Epidemiol, doi:10.1093/aje/kwr068
- Guthold R et al. (2010). Physical activity and sedentary behavior among schoolchildren: A 34-country comparison. J Pediatr 157(1):43-49.e1.
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