Five Strategies to Make Sure Young Swimmers Get Enough Protein
Five Strategies to Make Sure Young Swimmers Get Enough Protein
By Jill Castle, MS, RDN is a childhood nutrition expert and co-author of Fearless Feeding: How to Raise Healthy Eaters from High Chair to High School
Protein is a nutrient everyone in the sports world talks about, from boosting it in the diet to eating the right types.
Protein certainly plays an important role in the young swimmer’s diet. For one, it has a starring role in growth, supporting the building of new tissue.
Protein also lends a hand in muscle repair. During intensive exercise, muscles work hard and break down. Protein, and the amino acids that make up protein, help repair muscle damage and support muscle growth.
Most nutrition experts agree that getting protein from food is the ideal strategy for growing athletes. But some athletes (and their parents) worry that their swimmer isn’t eating enough.
Rest assured, most young athletes get plenty of protein in their diet from the food they eat. In fact, studies show that most young athletes eat 2-3 times more protein than they need. However, swimmers who diet or follow a vegan diet may fall short on good protein sources.
Getting enough protein isn’t the only issue for athletes, though. The timing of when protein is eaten matters also. For example, spacing protein evenly across the day is ideal for making sure protein is available to the body when needed. And, eating a source of protein within 45 minutes of a grueling workout is linked to improved muscle repair.
Here are some fail-proof strategies to ensure swimmers get enough protein, and at the right times:
Read more:
Protein certainly plays an important role in the young swimmer’s diet. For one, it has a starring role in growth, supporting the building of new tissue.
Protein also lends a hand in muscle repair. During intensive exercise, muscles work hard and break down. Protein, and the amino acids that make up protein, help repair muscle damage and support muscle growth.
Most nutrition experts agree that getting protein from food is the ideal strategy for growing athletes. But some athletes (and their parents) worry that their swimmer isn’t eating enough.
Rest assured, most young athletes get plenty of protein in their diet from the food they eat. In fact, studies show that most young athletes eat 2-3 times more protein than they need. However, swimmers who diet or follow a vegan diet may fall short on good protein sources.
Getting enough protein isn’t the only issue for athletes, though. The timing of when protein is eaten matters also. For example, spacing protein evenly across the day is ideal for making sure protein is available to the body when needed. And, eating a source of protein within 45 minutes of a grueling workout is linked to improved muscle repair.
Here are some fail-proof strategies to ensure swimmers get enough protein, and at the right times:
Read more:
