Teen athletes need to perform their best at tournaments and need to follow a disciplined lifestyle. However, it is not recommended for athletes to follow a restricted diet for a very long time when it comes to following a diet. It is true they need fuel for training and exercise. However, if they need to go on a diet, they should consult health experts in the field so that they get a personalized diet chart to perform their best during tournaments.
Menos Hiras is a student and is deeply passionate about sports, especially basketball and football being his favorites. He also has a love for photography and is currently developing his skills with the intention to become a sports photographer in his free time. When it comes to athletes’ performance, he says they should get a recommended diet plan for getting the adequate amount of nutrients to perform at their best when losing weight or maintaining their current weight.
The diet involves more than just consuming sports drinks
There is a common misconception that athletes consume sports drinks all the time for the performance. This is not true. The fitness and diet plans are customized to the athlete’s individual needs, so not all of them need to eat high protein or no-carb meals.
The right food and hydration will complement their growth as professional sportsperson. Those younger athletes have special nutritional needs, so they require more calories for performance. Those in their teens require about 2000 to about 5000 calories every day. There can be changes here and there as their caloric intake depends upon how strenuous their tasks are.
In extreme calorie intake restrictions, growth issues will prevail, which accelerates the risks of serious health problems like fractures and other muscle or joint injuries.
What about energy bars?
Contrary to popular belief, the market’s energy bars and protein bars do not actually do good for athletes. However, they do not cause any harm either. They do have some minor benefits; however, some products with supplements can harm the individual and mess with his/her hormones. Side effects can make things worse, which can affect the athlete’s performance during the main tournament.
Focus on a balanced diet
Athletes should focus on a balanced diet and hydration to get sufficient fluids into their bodies to reach the peak of their performance instead of selecting what supplement will work for them.
Wrapping things up
It is prudent for a teen athlete to eat many kinds of food to easily reach the peak athletic performance. There is something called carb-loading in the sports world; however, Menos Hiras believes this to cause more harm than good to a teen athlete as the human body should never focus on a single food group. The body needs fats, minerals, vitamins, and protein. So, athletes should focus on a balanced diet to reach their peak performance with success!