Recovery is a vital aspect of athletic performance, especially for youth athletes. Proper recovery not only enhances performance but also helps prevent injuries and promotes long-term health. Below are ten steps to optimize recovery from sports for youth athletes.
Step 1: Prioritize Your Nutrition
Recovery starts well before the day of the game or training session. Youth athletes need to establish a solid nutritional foundation days before competition. This includes consuming a balanced diet rich in carbohydrates, proteins, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. Nutrient-dense carbohydrates are especially important for replenishing glycogen stores in the liver and muscles, which are crucial for optimal performance and recovery. Continue Reading →
You don’t have to stop cycling, but you may need to seriously reduce the amount of time you’re spending on your bike…unless you want to be osteoporotic and sarcopenic. This affects everyone.
When we hear about bone (osteopenia/porosis) and muscle loss (sarcopenia), we tend to think about elderly frail people, not active and fit cyclists. The problem is that avid cyclists are EXTREMELY prone to both muscle and bone loss. It’s highly likely you need to do something about it before it becomes a serious health concern. The good thing is that a lot can be done before the damage is significant but the time to act is now. If you think this doesn’t apply to you, perhaps you are right if you cycle a couple days a week. However, if you cycling many days a week, your risk is greatly elevated. In other words, if you’re on your bike for around 20 hours a week, it’s time to get off and do something else.
Loss of bone quality is significant with cyclists. We can do a lot to prevent this.
How is it possible that such ‘fit’ and active people can get loss of muscle and quality of bone, regardless of age? After all, isn’t exercise good for us? Don’t we build stronger bones and more muscle with lots of activity? Isn’t cycling considered a good activity?
Protein is an essential macronutrient that plays a crucial role in the growth and repair of muscles in the body. This makes it particularly important for youth athletes who are actively participating in sports and physical activities. To ensure optimal performance and recovery, it is recommended that youth athletes consume 2 grams of protein per kilogram of lean body weight every day. This also means that they should aim for at least 25-30 grams of protein per meal.
When it comes to protein sources, there is a significant difference between animal-based sources and vegan sources. This is particularly the case with the vital amino acid, leucine. Leucine is an essential amino acid that plays a key role in muscle protein synthesis. This is the process by which new muscle tissue is built. Animal-based sources of protein, such as meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products, are higher in leucine when compared to plant-based sources of protein.
As a parent of a child involved in youth sports, you want your child to be healthy, happy, and performing at an optimal level. Nothing is worse than uncertainty as there is no game plan to approach it. You have questions and they need to be answered.
Your child plays a sport and gets knee or leg pain. What do you do? You want your child to work on strength and conditioning. Is it safe? Where do you go? How much is too much? What do you look for when selecting a personal trainer/strength coach? Should your child play one or two sports? Which offers a lower risk of injury? Your child has a question about hip tightness and you don’t know who to ask. Continue Reading →
There are many opinions out there about what to eat. We have individuals needs, medical conditions, lifestyles, etc. We have to respect all of this when we consider good nutrition. But, there is a simple fact that cuts through all of this…protein needs for athletes. At Don’t Be a Meathead, we follow the science. We know that we need to increase/maintain muscle weight and lower body fat and especially visceral fat. We want to maximize our health early and as we age. Most of us are in this for the long run.
If you want to stay lean and gain muscle, you need the proper amount of protein. Macros are important and if your numbers are not right, you are not going to look or feel great. In addition, your recovery and performance will be hindered.
Well now, it looks like I’ve opened up Pandora’s box with this topic. After all, everyone with education and even those with no education in nutrition, think they know what to eat. Everyone is an expert or at a minimum, we get that ‘it works for me’ comment. Truthfully, that means very little. I can starve and lose weight…but show me a system where you lose fat weight and gain muscle…at the same time. Show me how you measure the changes in the body as you go. There is so much information out there but very little of it follows any of the current research. Sadly, a lot of what is done can actually be harmful to your health.
I can only discuss what I know is safe and in the studies regarding this topic.Continue Reading →
