Children and nutrition

[runningwild]

Not sure if anyone can weigh in, but I thought it was worth a try.  My nutrition knowledge is pretty limited, and the internet has tons of conflicting information.

My 10 year old son plays competitive hockey (he's a goaltender).  His workouts on and off the ice are very intense.  Some of the stuff they do during dryland training is a great workout for me!  I'm wondering what sorts of foods he should be eating before and after these hard workouts.  A lot of what he does is mainly short bursts of high intensity activity and explosive movements, over a period of 2+ hours.

And, is it inappropriate to make smoothies with protein powder for kids?  My son loves smoothies, and I thought this might be a quick way to get some more protein in his body (he's a pretty picky eater).

All thoughts are welcome.

Cheers,
 Stephanie

[Newt]

Protein smoothies are great for everyone including children after workouts.

As for pre and during, the things athletes need to do is what they need to do. lots of fluids, and replace electrolytes and carbs, things easily digested and absorbed. small sips between shifts as too much will rebel.

Avoid the sugary stuff the rest of the day though.

quick answer as I don't have much time right now but hope this helps

Peace
Peter

[runningwild]

Thanks Peter, that does help.

Luckily he has never been resistant to our healthy lifestyle, and he doesn't drink pop or juice.  Mostly water and milk.  (it's crazy the number of kids that drink pop....) I've been told Nuun tablets are fine for kids, so I'm going to get him to try those this season as well.

Thanks for the info, it may have been quick, but it is helpful.

Cheers,
  Stephanie

[NancyR]

A quick bit about protein shakes, be careful when you buy protein powder there are some with crappy ingredients, generally the cheaper ones.  I don't like ones with all kinds of added sweeteners, and chemicals.  Read the label.  Also some people have digestive issues with whey protein, most are fine, but maybe introduce it a half a serving at a time.

I love to make mine fancy, adding fruit, nut butters, spinach, ground flax, bee pollen, organic cocoa, on and on.. have fun with it.

Gotta go, good luck!

Nancy

[The Moose1]

Dietitians and most doctors agree that a healthy diet from the Canada Food Guide will provide our bodies with everything we need.  That being said, I was also told that chocolate milk has an almost perfect ratio of nutrients for a recovery drink (that was directly from a few dietitians).  There's a great article in May's Running Times magazine about supplements and their value to runners. http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=19427
You can also find some interesting studies on muscle recovery by Googling "recovery drink chocolate milk", including this interesting study http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152240.php.
For anecdotal evidence, I used to become very moody about 2 days after a very hard effort (20 miles and up at a hard pace), once I started recovering with chocolate milk (or a can of Slim Fast for the extra calories) immediately after a hard run I haven't had any issues, and my recovery time has dropped noticeably.
Bananas are another excellent recovery food.
So, while protein drinks probably won't hurt, why bother with the extra expense when you can buy chocolate milk for $1 a litre and get the same benefits with no danger of any added chemicals?

Mike

[Newt]

Mike,
My definition of a protein RECOVERY drink would include Chocolate milk, pretty much any drink that is predominently carbs with about 10-33% of the calories from protein. Though some Recovery drinks are better and healthier than others and with so many people sensitive to or not tolerating Dairy well it may not always be the best choice.

but there has been quite a few times after a particularily hard workout and no blender handy that I've grabbed a litre of ice cold Chocolate Milk as some research has indicated that the Recovery drink is the most effective within 30-40 mins of the workout.

Peace
Peter

[runningwild]

Milk and I generally do not get along, lol.  That being said, my son loves it!  Funny how I didn't even think of that when Sandy and Patti have told me numerous times how great it is as a recovery drink.  I think I'll be toting chocolate milk along to the arena this season!

Cheers,
 Stephanie