GREEN BAY — In Beyond the Score we have talked about many topics impacting youth athletes such as injuries, injury prevention, cost, supplements and a lot more.
One thing that ensures every athlete can be at top of their game: nutrition. But what does an athlete need to properly fuel their body?
“The two hours a day that you’re working out in the gym, that’s great, but what are you doing the other 22 and nutrition is a huge part of that,” said Bay Port alum and miami dolphins fullback Alec Ingold.
For coaches of any sport, they say for athletes nutrition is key.
“Well I think it’s really important to maintain their health and maintain the weight they want to play at so they can be physical and they can be fast so they can recover from their workouts and injuries,” said Neenah head football coach Steve Jung.
Alex Del Vecchio who is a powerlifting coach at Oshkosh North says he can tell when players don't put the right nutrients into their bodies.
“You can't show up with a box of donuts every morning and expect to feel good,” he said. “Some of that stuff is going to drag you down."
As a dad of four football players, Jung makes sure his kids are getting the proper nutrients.
“We eat a lot of beef, a lot of steak and a lot of burgers, but mainly, if we're having chicken, it’s with pasta,” he said. “We eat a lot of fruits and vegetables.”
Jung's son Luke, a soon to be senior, says a healthy lifestyle has paid dividends for him on the field.
“It's helped me put on a lot of weight and it makes me bigger and more physical,” said the Neenah wide receiver.
To figure out just how important an athlete’s diet is. NBC 26 talked to Lindsay Fencl, a sports dietician.
“The super high training load that they’re going through, strength training and practices, it’s so pivotal to prevent injuries, to prevent any hormone imbalances, to actually continue growing,” Fencl said.
She says the biggest thing parents and athletes don’t realize is how much protein they need. They should be taking in about 0.6 to 0.8 grams per their bodyweight.
“It is actually quite hard to focus on getting enough protein throughout the day,” said Fencl. “With athletes, especially high school athletes and middle school athletes, if they’re very focused they forget to eat in general. So making sure they have those easy snacks and having something right after practice to start recovering those muscles, having an extra snack in their lunch box.”
She says for any athlete, they need to follow the 4 component rule. protein, carbs, fats and then fruits or vegetables. She says carbohydrates are underestimated.
“Higher fiber, whole grains are really important, in addition to starchy vegetables like peas and corn and stuff like that,” said the sports dietician.
People like to stay away from fatty foods, but some fats are great for athletes.
“Healthy fats are very anti-inflammatory, which is very vital for recovery and injury prevention,” said Fencl. “healthy fats is another thing that’s really easy to not include in your meal like avocado or nuts so it’s really easy to forget about them.”
According to Fencl and the coaches, stay away from trends on social media. Athletes need more than just chicken, rice and broccoli.
“I always tell people a variety of foods,” Fencl said. “Try and incorporate red meats, fatty fish. white fish, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, all of them. Try and incorporate a variety of grains, fruits, starchy vegetables for the carbs.”
Lastly, Fencl says if you’re a parent, don’t worry if your athlete is eating too much or taking in too many calories.
“Sometimes, they need like 3,500 to 4,000 calories a day – a small athlete. Necause they’re literally training in the morning, gym during the day and practice at night. It’s insane the amount of food that they need,” she said.
