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Before he headed off to school, Ben stared into his lunch bag and asked, "Why did Mom pack all this food?"
"She's Italian," his dad replied.
I'd say she's a smart Italian. Ben's sport schedule is grueling: An hour of weight training 4 days a week; two-hour workouts with his water polo team 5 or 6 days each week; plus games and tournaments. Oh ... and he also carries a full load of high school studies.
What keeps a young athlete growing and going at peak performance? I asked registered dietitian and sports nutritionist Stephanie Bouquet (she's Italian, too). Bouquet provides personalized nutrition consultations and group programs for athletes of all ages. Her basic formula: Provide key nutrients. Timing is everything.
Carbohydrates: "Young athletes need a carbohydrate-rich diet every day to fuel muscles and feed the brain ... not just the day before or the day of a game," Bouquet stresses. She explains that carbohydrates (sugars and starches in food) are stored in the body as glycogen — the readily available energy source for the muscles. If this energy depot is empty or is not replenished after a workout, the muscles become "chronically glycogen depleted" which leads to fatigue and inability to perform. Consume carbohydrates every 3 to 4 hours throughout the day to keep the "carbohydrate tank" refilled, she advises.
Read more about nutritionists in Seattle on www.howtobecomeanutritionist.org
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