In the days before the competition:

• Don't allow your child's muscle stores of glycogen, ATP, and CP to be exhausted by hard exercise immediately before the event.
  
  
• Make sure calorie intake is adequate for several days prior to the event.
  
  
• During training, make sure your child eats at least the minimum of servings from the Food Guide Pyramid.

On the day of competition:

• Athletes in short-term events (one lasting up to four minutes) and "stop-and-go" sports (basketball, football, volleyball, and soccer) require fluids and carbohydrates throughout the day of the competition.
  
  
• Failure to refuel and replace fluid losses because your child has to compete again can cause performance to deteriorate, particularly towards the end of the day.
  
  
• If less than an hour between competitions, have your child consume a sports drink.
  
  
• When there are several hours between events, have your child eat easily digestible, carbohydrate-dense snacks such as fruit, grain products (fig bars, bagels, graham crackers), low fat-yogurt, sports bars, and liquid meals in addition to drinking fluids.
  
  
• When events are separated by three hours or more, your child can consume high-carbohydrate meals.

A variety of sports require intense exertion for periods of 4 to 10 minutes or longer. The 1,500 meter run, wrestling matches, middle-distance swimming events, and rowing contests all demand maximum effort without rest.

In the days leading up to the event:

• Make sure muscle glycogen stores are adequate. Because muscle glycogen is the predominant fuel for these events, and restoration of muscle glycogen takes 24 to 48 hours, your child needs to:
  • Reduce training (taper) several days prior to competition, and
    
    
  • Eating a high-carbohydrate diet.
• Replace fluids lost during training sessions so as not to be dehydrated entering competition, which can impair performance and increase the risk of heat illnesses.

Training for and competing in endurance events like cross-country running and skiing, triathlons and bicycle racing significantly lowers muscle and liver glycogen stores. Muscle glycogen depletion is a well-recognized limitation to endurance performance. Athletes who train exhaustively on successive days must consume adequate carbohydrate and calories to prevent the cumulative depletion of muscle glycogen.

Here are some nutritional recommendations for endurance athletes:

• Week prior to event (for event lasting longer than 90 minutes): maximize muscle glycogen through carbohydrate loading.
  
  
• 1 to 4 hours before prolonged training and competition, consume a carbohydrate rich meal.
  
  
• For events lasting 1 hour or longer: consume carbohydrates during the day of competition.
  
  
• During all events: insure proper hydration. For fluid replacement guidelines, click here.

• Consuming carbohydrate-rich foods and fluids during stop-and-go and endurance sports lasting an hour or longer can improve performance by providing glucose for muscles when they are running low on glycogen, allowing the athlete to maintain pace longer and/or sprint harder at the end of exercise
  
  
• Your child should try to consume 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate (120 to 140 calories) ever hour. He or she can obtain this amount from either carbohydrate-rich foods and/or sports drinks.
  
  
• An adequate amount of carbohydrates can come from any of the following:
  • One banana (30 grams of carbohydrate)
    
    
  • One Power Bar (47 grams)
    
    
  • Two gels (about 50 grams)
    
    
  • Four small fig bars (42 grams)
    
    
  • Two large graham crackers (42 grams)
    
    
  • 20 to 40 ounces of a properly formulated (4-8% carbohydrates) sports drink (36 grams for 20 ounces of SunnyD Intense Sport).
  
  
  
• Food and drink should be consumed before your child feels hungry or tired, usually within 30 minutes after starting exercise.
  
  
• Consuming small amounts at frequent intervals (every 30 to 60 minutes) helps to promote hydration, maintain blood glucose levels, and prevent gastrointestinal upset.

Suzanne Nelson is the head of Husky Sports Nutrition Services at the University of Washington and a nationally recognized sports nutritionist. She is co-author of Ultimate Sports Nutrition (2nd ed.)(Bull Publishing). For her full biography, click here. Have a question? You can email Dr. Nelson at Suzanne@MomsTeam.com.

How Many Calories And Servings From The Food Pyramid Do Youth Athletes Need Each Day?
Fluid Guidelines For Young Athletes
Examples of High Carbohydrate, Low Fat Meals
The Importance Of A High-Carbohydrate Diet
Healthy Snacks For The Youth Athlete
Heat Illnesses: Symptoms And Treatment
The Warning Signs of Dehydration

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