Nutrition For Juniors

[bald badger]

Hi,
My 16 yeat old is taking his racing more seriously and we are looking at nutrition, and in particular post training/racing carbos - apart from the general advice of put them back as quickly as possible I am looking at drinks - but there are so many - I am looking at www.sciencein sport.com - the drinks appear to come from Blackburn (Gods country!) but the web site is very much a marketing excersice with limited science (I speak as a scientist who has ben involved in chemical sales for 15 years) Cananyone recommend any company (I'm not sayign sports science is bad - just little science alot of marketing) which has good quality reasonably priced drinks which real athletes have used!!

Also any general tips on nutrition would be appreciated.

Good Running,

Bald Badger

[Pyrenees Haven]

To be honest at such a young age I would not advocate getting into the habit of using sports drinks as they may turn into a support crutch and you psychologically get attached to them. You can replace all that is lost during racing and training with a good well balanced diet. After a hard run or training session (if your son eats fish) a simple tuna fish sandwich on white bread is good enough. The white bread gives him his simple carbohydrates and the tuna his protein. If he has sweated alot add a handful of salted peanuts. For fluid you are ok with cordial or if the session was particularly hard a coke is ok as well. If he is vegetarian then something like houmous or a bean pate again on white bread.

Debbie

[Pyrenees Haven]

I should add that if you do want to go down the sports drink route then the Science in Sport Rego recovery drink seems to work pretty well.

[Roy Scott]

Absolutely agree with PH here. Better to get someone so young into good habits regarding diet before looking at Sports drinks. I very much doubt if he is training and racing long enough to need this anyway.

[Pilgrim]

I recommend Aggressive Health by Mike Nash. Packed full of information (and quite a few references to his own website but what can you expect?)

[Stagger]

PH is spot on. Do it through diet and rest. They are as important as training.

[Grouse]

Dates. You can live on 'em.

[Roadrunner]

I suggest Stella!!! (only jokng)

Why not look at diet and using the Forgoodness shakes from the supermarkets?

[WillMarsh]

I suggest Stella!!! (only jokng)

Why not look at diet and using the Forgoodness shakes from the supermarkets?

Only 1 quid at Morrisons at the mo

Stocked up on Friday

[Robbie S]

Porridge or Muesli a few hours before training, curry and purple grape juice after