Before, during and after sport
Physical activity will benefit every aspect of your health at all ages including:
• Stronger bones
• More energy
• Better mood and lower stress levels
• Improved appearance
• Increased efficiency of heart and lungs
• Reduces the amount of fat stored in the body
• Increased muscle strength and endurance
Today, most teenagers do not get the recommended amount of physical exercise when means the metabolic process slows down resulting in a higher risk of obesity. The rate of obesity in teenagers in Ireland is at all time high so it’s never been more important for parents to get involved and encourage them to get out and exercise.
It is recommended that teenagers should participate in 60 minutes of physical activity at a moderate level, every day. This can include everything from sport, P.E., swimming or briskly walking. Choose something that is fun and that you enjoy doing. Remember you can break up the 60 minutes over the day to make it easier. If possible, why not walk to school, join a club after school, play football, take the stairs or perhaps join in some games at lunchtime.
Try to include activities that encourage your muscles and bones to grow stronger and improve your flexibility at least twice a week.
A healthy diet, regular training and exercise, plenty of rest and a positive attitude along with motivation are key ingredients to reach peak performance in sport
Eating the right foods and drinking enough fluid before, during and after each training session or competition will help your child to:
• Have more energy and less fatigue
• Perform better
• Increase stamina and strength
• Recover faster
• Reduce chance of illness and minor injury
• Gain a competitive edge
Before training
It’s important to begin each training session properly fuelled and ready to go! This will allow you to exercise harder and for longer. To ensure your energy levels are at their best when you exercise, eat a meal or snack that is high in carbohydrates and low in fat 2 to 3 hours before you exercise. Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose to provide energy, if you don't eat enough carbohydrates, you will have inadequate stores of glycogen and early fatigue will set in. Always take fluids with your meals to avoid dehydration.
Fried foods, sausages, burgers, chips should be off the menu before training!
Good options are:
• Pasta with tomato based sauce and chicken
• A bowl of high fibre cereal with milk and chopped banana or raisins
• Toast with low fat spread and jam or honey
• Jacket potato with low fat cheese, tuna or baked beans
If your teen doesn’t have time for a sit-down meal, try to have a snack 30 minutes before training, with a drink of water:
• Fruit/dried fruit
• A cereal bar
• A fruit yoghurt and piece of fresh fruit
• Rice cakes with peanut butter or low fat cheese
During training
It is important to drink little and often during training to avoid dehydration. Even mild dehydration can cause you to feel more tired and can affect your performance. Don’t wait until you feel thirsty - thirst is a sign that your body has needed fluids for a while. During long workouts, it can be beneficial to drink fluids containing sodium, which is lost through perspiration. Generally, the longer the training the greater the amount of carbohydrate that is utilised. As a rule of thumb, if your sport or training is longer than an hour, you may benefit from consuming some carbohydrates during sport to delay fatigue.
After training
The best way to restore your energy levels after training is to eat a snack that is high in carbohydrate and also contains a small amount of protein. The sooner you eat a snack after training the quicker your muscles will recover.
Great options for snacks after training:
• Cereal bar and a yogurt drink
• Flavoured low-fat milk with a banana
• Fruit smoothie
• Cheese on crackers
• Bagel, crumpet or pancake with jam or peanut butter
• Handful dried fruit and nuts
Sports supplements have not been tested on teenagers, so there is no evidence that they are safe to take
