Fueling Your Child Athlete with a Healthy Meal Plan
Escrito por fernandes em 22 de Maio, 2026
Gymnastics requires a high level of mental well-being for safe and successful execution. These resources are designed to help athletes, parents, and coaches recognize and support mental health concerns in athletes and improve mental skills to overcome challenges in sport and life. While vitamin D is best known for its role in bone health, it has many functions in other physiological systems (e.g., immune system, muscular system). Hence, vitamin D status (particularly in adult athletes) has received considerable recent scientific attention. Currently, the influence of vitamin D status, and benefits of supplementation in young athletes identified as deficient, remains largely unknown. However, recent prospective studies suggest little correlation between serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and sports performance in younger athletes (Orysiak et al., 2018), even when vitamin D deficiencies are corrected (Bezuglov et al., 2019).
Growing up I was known as “little Lindsey” and I fixated on this identity, attempting to control my body through exercise, purging, and restriction. I share about my struggles accepting weight changes, especially during times of injury and illness. Ultimately, years of underfueling and over-exercising prevented me from reaching my athletic potential as an NCAA Division 1 athlete, and led me to mental and physical burnout.

Injury Rehab and Nutrition for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and NFL with Dr. Jessica Wulke
Recommendations for iron for developing girls accounts for iron lost from menstruation. Often a population reference value is used as an age cut-off for menarche (e.g., 14 yr). Individual recommendations should be adjusted when individual differences exist (particularly when menarche occurs earlier). It is also possible that vegetarian athletes have increased requirements due to low iron bioavailability of non-heme iron sources.
A vital protein in our bodies, I discuss the place for supplementation versus consuming certain foods like gelatin with vitamin C to promote collagen synthesis. With a lot of mixed messaging and marketing hype surrounding collagen, I discuss what the science says, especially for female athletes. Recent research suggests collagen’s effects on tendons and ligaments may help prevent certain injuries in female athletes, such as ACL tears. I summarize my thoughts on collagen and my stance on supplements in general, leaving listeners with tangible advice for evaluating their own supplement use. In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition, I have the honor of interviewing a true legend, world renowned exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist, Dr. Stacy Sims.
Boosted energy bar
- Sports medicine specialist Marie Schaefer, MD, shares preventive training and nutrition tips for gymnasts.
- Let’s cover what each of these nutrients is and the foods that contain them, starting with carbohydrates (carbs, for short).
- Many of her meals can be made without cooking in an athlete’s room, and lots are plant-based.
- We discuss tips for career longevity and how Dede has maintained her health and love for sport throughout.
- We schedule your child’s first visit within one to two days of your appointment request.
- We highlight the inclusiveness of running, as well as the impact female coaches can make for all athletes.
When gymnasts are constantly tired, sore, injured, or emotionally all over the place, it’s easy to assume it’s just “part of the sport.”But most of the time, it’s a fueling issue. When it comes to preparing for an endurance race or adventure, the training sessions are the easy bit. But what’s rarely considered is how this individual is going to integrate a high volume training program onto an already demanding work, family lifestyle. Georgia Cass is a Strength & Conditioning coach, performance coach and Founder of LiftHer Strength.
However, scientific advisory summaries indicate that when comparing vegetarians with non-vegetarians, most studies demonstrated no significant differences in dietary iron intake or hemoglobin concentrations. Although serum ferritin concentrations are statistically significantly lower in vegetarians on a consistent basis, they are usually within the reference ranges (SCAN, 2010). That said, it seems prudent to ensure young vegetarian athletes monitor iron status routinely.
The Fueled Gymnast Academy is a small group, virtual sports nutrition program.
Experts at the Center for Young Athletes are leaders in their field who lecture nationally and internationally. They frequently provide educational services for community organizations, including primary and secondary schools, universities, and youth leagues. Our experts can advise on a range of topics that include ACL injury prevention, performance enhancement, and concussion awareness and prevention.
Fuel Your Purpose in1-2-3
Without a strong core, the other muscles in your body are more prone to injury. Fuel and hydration should always begin at the beginning of each day as well. Our pediatric experts provide the best care possible for children with conditions ranging from minor illnesses to complex, more serious conditions. You’ll get downloadable fueling guides, handouts, journal prompts, and easy-to-apply tools.
Elite Ultrarunning on a Vegan Diet + Injury Prevention with Dr Stefanie Flippin
At the Center for Young Athletes, our pediatric sports medicine specialists are experts in helping young people with sports-related injuries return to the top of their game and prevent additional injuries from happening. Regular exercise provides many unimeal scam benefits to young people, including social interaction, improved physical health, and the development of self-identity and self-esteem. In addition, the second decade of life is an important time in establishing an individual’s relationship with food, and the lifelong connection between diet, exercise and body image. The pathway to elite adult performance is considered multifaceted and nonlinear (i.e., success at junior levels infrequently predicts elite adult performance).
Lunch Ideas for Teenage Athletes from a Sports Dietitian
Jessica has extensive experience treating professional athletes and continues to treat athletes in the NFL and Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders. For the first time, we talked about nutrition and training for cheerleaders and NFL athletes. Jessica explains the importance of training the mind and body during rehab, building a stronger brain-body connection with neurocognitive training. We discuss Jessica’s job working with the NFL and Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders (DCC), especially when they’re injured, and how the athletes approach their sporting careers differently.
How a Professional Athlete Fuels and Trains + Why You Should Embrace Fats! With Dani Moreno

Angie and I discuss “healthy weight gain” and muscle gain, with strategies for athletes needing to increase their energy intake. Angie introduces her cookbook “Fuel Your Body”, which is targeted at busy athletes with limited cooking knowledge and resources. Many of her meals can be made without cooking in an athlete’s room, and lots are plant-based. They both believe in a holistic approach to mental and physical health and wellbeing. We speak to the complexity and nuance of pain science and management, as well as the role of psychology here.
Meal = Carbohydrate + Protein + Fat
Angie specializes in helping baseball and softball athletes fuel, and this is the theme of our conversation. We talk about caffeine consumption in athletes, and the effect of energy drinks and other stimulants on performance and sleep. Angie and I give listeners advice for fueling late night training and competition, and the importance of sleep.
Steps for Staying Hydrated During Cold Weather Running
There is little evidence to suggest that the utilization of CHO in adolescents differs substantially from that of adults (for review, see Desbrow & Leveritt, 2020). Dietary CHO needs should be considered in light of the training loads and competition characteristics that are typically undertaken by adolescent athletes. Firstly, developing athletes can be involved with numerous organizations (e.g., schools, clubs and regions), creating different competition frequencies and formats, such as sports carnivals, representative events and trials. It is also common for aspiring adolescent athletes to participate in a number of different sports. These different energy demands and subsequent CHO requirements must be considered, particularly when the participation in different sports is concurrent. Transitioning on from my own struggles with disordered eating, over-exercising, and my body, I discuss 3 key recovery tips.