Nutrition Myths and Facts for Teen Athletes
Many teenagers are very eccentric about sports and fitness, which is a trend nowadays. However, without proper information, it is not easy to follow sports routines that teenagers are interested in, such as weight training, athletic sports, and more.
A common element of following a fitness routine is gaining proper nutrition. Unfortunately, nutrition is one of the major concepts of fitness that is most ignored. Most Indian households are not nutritional-centric or have fortified nutrition meal planning. Many teenagers and parents believe that Indian foods contain all nutrients when combined into a proper meal, but this is not entirely true.
Sure, very diverse food elements come together in an Indian lunch or dinner plate, but the ingredients are nutrient specific. It is important to look out for nutrients, and know more about nutrient-specific foods, creating a properly balanced diet to serve the nutrition required to thrive. Keep reading.
Why Nutrition Is An Essential Part Of Teen Athletes?
Someone truly said, "You are what you eat". This also applies to the nutritional value of the food one eats. In simple words, food is the source of nutrition in teenagers' bodies, and the amount of food they eat is the amount of nutrition they get.
Food can be anything, but nutritional-specific foods have different values, which help teenagers thrive with their best sports ability. One can eat junk food, which has lots of unnecessary fat and sugars, making the body fat. Or they can eat lots of nutritional or balanced food full of minerals and vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables.
A nutritional diet supports a healthy body, rejuvenating cells through vitamin and mineral supplements. It also provides protein and fiber to the body, refreshing the mind and making it focused and clear.
Nutrition Myths and Facts for Teen Athletes
Here are some nutritional myths and the actual truth for teen athletes:
1. No Snacking
Many sports people think that if they snack constantly, they can easily gain weight, but it is not concerned with snacking. The only thing one should be concerned about when snacking is the quality. A sports person cannot eat junk food regularly while they are snacking. They should find some healthier alternative to enjoy those snacks without disturbing their nutritional gain. Cheat meals are also a clever way to combat the habit of snacking. Dividing a big meal into small parts can support healthy snacking, too.
2. Only Green Fruits And Vegetables
Many people think that healthy food is defined by green, boring foods, including fruits and vegetables. But this is not true. Different kinds of food are not green but have plenty of benefits that support a healthy nutritional diet. Colorful bell peppers, beetroot, mango, oranges, and many other food sources can be eaten daily. The nutritional value of green fruits and vegetables surely has higher nutritional value. However, food is not defined by color. Rather, it is defined by nutritional value. Green food is healthy, but so are other natural food sources. This goes around even for fruits; green apples, guava, and grapes are good for health but so are pineapple, bananas, and more.
3. Proper Table Manners Are Not Necessary
Nutritional value is not only about what you eat but also about how you eat it. Always eating in a rush or eating food improperly can cause various problems. It can cause problems such as acidity and gas, hampering the nutritional value a body gains to enhance health. Eating food properly is also an essential part of nutrition. Eating food slowly and chewing around properly helps the food get digested easily with most of the nutrients.
4. Water Does Not Play Role In Nutrition
Food that is not chewed or eaten properly can get stuck in the intestine without proper nutrient absorption. Water is essential to digest food, breaking it down into simple molecules. Water also clears the food pipe after a meal to keep from coughing. Water also helps with the cleansing of the guts, enabling stronger metabolic reactions.
What Is A Balanced Diet?
A balanced diet combines food rich in nutritional value, such as proteins, fibers, fats, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates. A little of everything according to the daily intake can make a plate much more nutritious, tasty, and full of variety.
What Happens When Teen Athletes Skips On Nutrition?
When a young athlete skips nutrition while still developing their athletic skills and maturing into an adult, long-term effects may arise. Over-exhaustion can cause various injuries on the field due to muscle cramps. At the same time, various vitamin and mineral deficiencies can cause disease and even deformities. Some common symptoms are shortness of breath, lack of oxygen to bones, and fatigue.
Conclusion
Now that you know various nutritional myths and facts about teen athletes. Sticking to a nutritious and balanced diet to enhance one's physical ability is better. Make sure to visit a dietitian for a more centric and personalized plan to thrive on nutritional values. Be fit like never before.
The views expressed are that of the expert alone.
