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Athletics is popular among young people. To ensure optimum performance in athletics and maintain health, there is a need for proper nutrition. However, many young athletes tend to follow popular trends rather than recommended nutrition. To perform efficiently, young athletes require lower body weight, but this may affect their maturation, bone density, growth, and many more. However, young athletes need good nutrition to feel more energetic, improve strength, and maintain a healthy weight. Simply knowing foods like yogurt, vegetables, potato nutrition fact is not enough.
Eating Energy is Important
Without eating energy-giving food, it’s easy to get fatigued, lose concentration, become irritable, and perform poorly. Young athletes need to take the recommended calorie count to be able to keep up their activity level. Carbs are good for keeping up the energy. Stay away from white carbs and stick to complex carbohydrates like brown rice, oatmeal, whole grains, legumes, and many more. Sweet potato nutrition fact also shows that it is a great source of energy. It takes longer to break down, unlike simple carbohydrates.
Eat More Protein
Protein is crucial for a young athlete. It helps to build and repair your tissue. The problem, however, lies in eating at the right level. The protein level you consume should match your activity level so that protein is distributed throughout your day. As an athlete, you need higher protein than the general public due to exercises and their durations and body weight. You should consume about 1.2 g of protein per kg of your body weight.
Always Hydrate
Staying hydrated is vital, but it becomes even more imperative for young athletes. When dehydrated, it can lead to fatigue and poor performance. Start your day fully hydrated; this man drinks water a couple of hours before the game starts. Throughout the game, ensure you continue to drink water. Rehydrate frequently to make up for fluid lost during the game. If the sport takes more than an hour, you need more than water to keep your energy up. A sports drink or a diluted fruit drink is a great idea to boost your energy.
Pick Your Fat Carefully
Like picking your carbohydrate, it is essential to watch out for the type of fat you consume as a young athlete. You can focus on healthy fat gotten from nuts, plant oils, and fish. However, avoid processed food and any other that contains a high level of trans-fat and saturated fat. Some foods contain zero fat but still offer you all the nutrition you need. Potatoes are one of them; potato nutrition facts show it contains almost zero fat and still offers you all the energy and protein you require. It’s like the superfood for young athletes.
