Training adds to growth needs
Energy needs can rise quickly with practice duration, intensity, tournaments, double sessions, and growth spurts. Appetite may not always keep pace—especially with early mornings, nerves, stimulant use, or limited breaks. A young athlete can eat “healthy” foods and still eat too little overall.
Build a rhythm before chasing precision
Reliable meals and snacks are more important than perfect macro ratios. Include carbohydrate-rich foods for training fuel, protein foods across the day, fats for energy and nutrient absorption, fruits and vegetables, and calcium-rich foods. Pack backups so missed buses, late practice, or a closed cafeteria does not erase an eating opportunity.
Before, during, and after
- Before: Choose a familiar carbohydrate-rich meal with some protein several hours ahead when time allows. Closer to activity, use a smaller, easily tolerated snack.
- During: Water is often enough for shorter activity. Long, intense, or hot sessions may call for carbohydrate and electrolytes, guided by conditions and a qualified sports professional.
- After: Eat a meal or snack containing carbohydrate, protein, and fluid. Recovery food can be ordinary food: a sandwich and milk, yogurt and cereal, rice with eggs, or beans in a tortilla.
RED-S can affect any athlete
Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport occurs when energy intake is not enough for training and normal body functions. It is not limited to girls, elite competitors, or athletes in visibly lean bodies. Possible signs include declining performance, repeated injuries, stress fractures, fatigue, mood changes, difficulty concentrating, frequent illness, feeling cold, disrupted periods, delayed puberty, or reduced libido.
Those signs deserve medical and sports-dietitian assessment. The answer is not simply a rest-day supplement or more protein powder; the total mismatch between intake, training, recovery, and health must be addressed.
Be skeptical of supplements
Pre-workouts, fat burners, muscle builders, and “natural” performance products may contain large stimulant doses, undisclosed ingredients, or contaminants. Supplements do not replace enough food, sleep, coaching, or rehabilitation. Discuss any product with a pediatric clinician or sports dietitian and use third-party certification where appropriate.
Keep body talk out of the coaching shortcut
Pressure to lose weight, make a category, or “look athletic” can trigger restriction and hide under-fueling. Performance conversations should focus on strength, recovery, skills, mood, sleep, injury, and reliable eating access—not public weigh-ins or comments about shape.
Sources and editorial boundary
- American Academy of Pediatrics: RED-S in Young Athletes
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Sports Nutrition for Busy Families
- CDC: Healthy Routines for Children and Teens
GetMacros.net wrote and checked this guide against the linked public-health and pediatric sources. Those organizations and clinicians did not write, review, endorse, or sponsor this page.