athletes' medical information - Coca-Cola

athletes’ medical information
The physiology of children and adolescents
differs from that of adults in several ways. The
mechanisms of thermoregulation are less
effective in children, and special attention must
be paid to the environment, activity patterns,
clothing and hydration to avoid problems of
hyperthermia or hypothermia.
The growth spurts during childhood and
adolescents require nutritional support in terms
of adequate intake of energy, protein and
minerals. Active young people may find it
difficult to meet their needs for energy and
nutrients when the costs of training and growth
are added. Young people may not have
developed the nutritional knowledge and time
management skills to fit in all the eating
occasions required to achieve high-energy,
nutrient-rich eating.
Although the rate of obesity in children is
still rising, active youngsters and young athletes
still need a plentiful supply of energy from
foods, including nutritious snacks between
meals and energy-containing drinks. A snack
before afterschool or afternoon activities will be
valuable in providing extra fuel for the session
as well as an energy boost during the long
period between lunch and dinner.
Young athletes have been shown to drink
more of a flavoured drink than water during
activity, which may be an important consideration
for promoting fluid intake, especially if exercise is
in the heat. They may also be involved in sports
in which there are benefits to consuming
carbohydrate during exercise to supply additional
muscle fuel. Therefore, there may be legitimate
benefits to making sports drinks available to
young athletes. After exercise, recovery is
promoted by speedy intake of protein,
carbohydrate and fluids. Snacks consumed
before and after the workout may need to be
eaten in the car or while travelling between
activities. However, there are many portable
nutrient-rich choices that can be consumed “on
the run,” including sandwiches, cereal and milk,
flavoured milk drinks, yoghurt and other dairy
foods, fruit and dried fruit/nut mixes. It is not
always easy to find appropriate choices at
sporting venues, so it is wise to plan ahead. Many
children and adolescents are not aware of their
hunger until they become fatigued or suddenly
ravenous, so it is good to educate them about
being organised and preparing ahead of time.
Many young athletes are eager to increase the
rate of their growth and muscular development
in pursuit of the physique of an adult. While
growth and maturation are genetically
determined, high-energy eating plans can assist
the young athlete to maximise the outcomes of
growth and specialised training programs.
Young athletes eating a wide range of foods
should not need to use dietary supplements,
including the use of energy drinks which
contain high amounts of caffeine and are not
suitable for young athletes. Athletes and
coaches should be aware that supplements do
not provide a shortcut to success.
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