Patched Up!: Help Teens Eat Like Athletes

By Danielle Greenman, RSFH Sports Medicine Certified Athletic Trainer Program Coordinator

Eating like an athlete is something our team of certified athletic trainers encourages our high school students to do every time we meet with the kids, and that is several times a week. We ask, “are you eating like an athlete?” We ask them what they’ve eaten that day and we remind them that how they fuel their bodies strongly impacts their performance and recovery on the field.     

We aren’t teaching them strict dietary regimens, but good, basic nutrition that will energize and sustain their growing bodies while they train and play. But how are teens supposed to know how to eat like an athlete when they are inundated by conflicting ideas about nutrition? How do they know who to listen to? What about the student-athlete who doesn’t have as much access to healthy food or family dinners at home?     

This is our approach. Our student-athletes come from diverse home settings and cultures so we have to start with something that will be relevant to them all. We get to know these kids and earn their respect by teaching them how to excel at what they love. To maximize the students’ success, the trainers consistently communicate the essentials of a balanced diet. The babble about proteins, carbohydrates and saturated fats that swirls around during a nutritional conversation pretty much bounces off our audience, in the Charlie Brown “wah wah wah” way. But they are listening to what we communicate from MyPlate, which is a program promoted by First Lady Michelle Obama.     

MyPlate replaced the food pyramid last summer and takes an approach sports trainers and dieticians have practiced for years. The website, www.choosemyplate.gov, which is operated by the US Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, has beneficial, straight forward resources. It shows what your plate should look like, provides examples of the types of food to eat and has an easy calculator for what amount should be eaten based on age and gender.     

So, the breakdown is different than it used to be. Half of the plate should be fruits and vegetables. The other half should be divided between protein and grains. The side should be a serving of dairy. If needed, we help individualize MyPlate through a simple process on the site. For example, players or runners, performing at high levels of intensity, need additional carbohydrates to be able to push the limit. Others require supplementary protein to help build and repair muscles.    

Our young athletes are getting it. MyPlate is effective because it’s easy and fast - just like getting dinner at the drive thru - only our students know a little bit more about what to chose for their plates now after each practice. Roper St. Francis Sports Medicine provides Certified Athletic Trainers to many high schools in the Lowcountry. 

Have questions, comments or ideas for Patched Up!? Contact us here.