Food and Athletes

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Food and Athletes by Lissa Coffey

“The strongest principle of growth lies in human choice.”
-George Eliot, 1874

We have a choice in the kinds of exercise we pursue. It’s a good idea to introduce kids to different sports and physical activities when you get the chance. Take them to a friend’s soccer game, or a cousin’s dance recital. Have them go running with dad on the weekend, or go bowling as a family. Pretty soon they’ll discover what they really enjoy, and that it is fun to be fit!

When playing a sport, you need the right equipment. A healthy diet goes right along with that. Kids who are playing for the school team or working out at the dance or karate studio probably need to eat more food. Why? Because they are burning more calories by practicing and playing so much.
We've got some healthy eating tips for athletes.

It is important to get enough calcium. Calcium helps to build strong bones, which are less likely to break under the stress of heavy activity. Calcium is found in dairy products, and also in dark, leafy green vegetables, and calcium-fortified products like orange juice. Iron-rich foods are also important to include in a healthy diet. Iron helps keep an athlete from getting tired easily.

And, of course, you need to drink plenty of water before, during, and after you exercise. When we sweat, we lose water through the skin. This helps to keep our bodies cool, but if we lose too much water this way we could become dehydrated. Water is the best drink for hydrating our bodies because it is natural, it is a part of what we are made of, and it contains no calories. Sports drinks are fine once in awhile, but they contain sugar. For the same reason, avoid soda, especially sodas which contain caffeine.