So Your Kids Play Sport. What do You Feed Them?

Hard to believe that they grow so big. They grow up fast!

When kids are rapidly growing their metabolic rate is extremely fast and nutritional requirements are much higher than normal.

If they do no meet their nutritional requirements then their body will 'take' it from other organs or tissues and make do the best it can.

In high metabolic zones, such as the muscles, often they cannot get enough mineral into the system so they begin to cramp – which we call growing pains.

I believe that it is important to 'eat well' and supplement well', so make sure you read my article on health promoting nutrition.

The best way to avoid cramps is to use a good multimineral/multivitamin and a strong magnesium product.

The best multi for young adults is Tresos B. I recommend he take 1 to 2 each day. In the morning with food. Make sure he takes it with food as he will fell crook (due to the strong B group vitamins). Tresos will give him heaps of energy during the day and stop him going 'brain dead' in the afternoon.

The best magnesium on the market is Bioceuticals Ultramuscleze (UME). It comes in a powdered form so he will have to mix it with water or his favourite fruit juice. UME is a great product. It will stop him cramping, reduce muscle soreness and help with recovery from sporting events. Indeed all teenage and athletic kids need to supplement with magnesium as their demand for it is so great. There is no way they will get it from their diet.

With regard to protein, he will need at least 2 grams (or more depending on the amount of sport he does) of protein per kilo of body weight. That is for a 75 kg teenager, they will need AT LEAST 140 grams of protein.

Remember that by weight most meat (chicken, tuna, turkey, kangaroo, beef) is about 20% protein (it's a little bit less to be precise).

So if a 75 kg teenager wants to eat about 750 grams (0.75 kg) of meat per day, in all its forms, that is about right.

Given that it is hard to feed them that much meat, use of a protein powder is an easy and convenient way to go. The best protein powder for him is Musashi's P40 which will give him a good mix of protein and useable carbohydrates, with minimal sugar. If you blend it with milk and a bit of water it tastes like a chocolate milk shake.

It also comes in a pre-mix form that is ready to drink also called 'P40'. We often provide them in a 'slab of 24' which is a bit cheaper.

The advantage of the powder is that it is more cost effective and you can add other foods to it like fruit and eggs to increase the calories and protein levels. The advantage of the pre-mix formula is that it is ready to go, you don't have to blend anything, and it is easy to carry in the car for school pickups, or put in the lunch box.

I highly recommend using a protein drink as an afternoon snack to keep their energy levels up, avoid snacking on junk food, and nutritionally prepare them for any sporting activities after school.

I would also recommend the use of a product such as the P40 pre-mix as opposed to using 'sports drinks'. The P40 pre-mix is better for them, will enhance their sporting efforts, improve recovery time and are far less acidic than sports drinks like 'gatorade'. By the way, gatorade destroys their teeth as well. The dental association wants to have them banned!

We have to do this with out kids as well.

In fact for one of them, my 5 foot  52 kilogram 10 year old, he cannot think or function without a protein drink – or equivalent – after school. If he does not get feed, his brain ceases to function and emotionally completely loses the plot! Tragically the way to his brain is through his stomach.