What to feed a child athlete: a pediatric nutritionist advises

Bodybuilders who engage in strength training not at a professional, but at an amateur level, want to be not only well pumped up, but also to have a beautiful relief and proportionally developed body. To achieve similar results, athletes often experiment with various techniques and nutritional supplements. Many bodybuilders are interested in how effective Baby food is really for training. Some decide to try it personally, while others, on the contrary, first look for information on the advisability of including such a supplement in their diet on the Internet.

Composition and features of baby food

There are many varieties of food for little ones on store shelves. The composition and features largely depend on the brand. Almost everyone has a set of ingredients that distinguishes their products from other analogues. Baby food, contrary to popular belief, is not rich in protein composition. It contains only 10 to 20 percent protein. Most of the product consists of fats and carbohydrates. This means that comparing baby food with a protein complex is wrong. The product is more like a gainer.

This composition makes food for babies suitable exclusively for ectomorphs - people who have a naturally thin physique and have a high need for carbohydrates to gain weight. Athletes who are prone to obesity should refrain from consuming baby food, as it can cause an increase in subcutaneous fat.

Thus, this product has two significant disadvantages:

1. low percentage of protein, which athletes need for high-quality muscle growth;
2. a large ratio of carbohydrates and fats, which are deposited in the fat layer under the skin.

In addition, the high cost of the product should be taken into account. Comparing the cost of baby food with protein complexes from well-known global manufacturers, you will notice that purchasing the latter is much more profitable. The product also has its advantages. Infant formulas are enriched with vitamins and minerals, which sports complexes cannot boast of, but their dosage is noticeable only for the body of a small child, and not for an adult who is also actively training. In other words, the benefits of such nutrition are only for a certain limited number of athletes, and not for everyone.

Diet based on training

Important! Strict low-carbohydrate diets for teenagers 12-16 years old are prohibited - during this period, the young athlete’s body is actively growing and requires a sufficient amount of energy. Eating is individual for each child. But 1.5-2 hours before training you need to eat a full meal. It is forbidden to exercise on an empty stomach.

After the training process, have a small snack. But a full meal should be about an hour after training. In order to restore glycogen reserves in muscle tissue.

Child athletes should drink plenty of fluids, purified water or green tea without sugar. This should be done before, during and after training. During training, you need to drink a small amount of water, 2-3 sips several times.

The diet of children involved in sports must include meat and fish. Rich in amino acids necessary to ensure the full growth of the body. And also “protein” cereals - cereals, flour products. Be sure to include milk porridges and sources of lysine and arginine - essential amino acids - in your diet. In addition, the body needs foods rich in so-called lipotropic substances. These are amino acids that prevent fatty liver, participating in the normalization of fat and associated cholesterol metabolism:

• beef,
• chicken eggs,
• lean fish and seafood,
• low-fat cottage cheese,
• soy, especially soy flour.

Developing regularity and timeliness is the main guarantee of a properly structured diet. Athletic children should eat every 3-4 hours. Be sure to include hot dishes, soups, cereals, vegetables and fruits in your diet.

How to take baby food

Bodybuilders who consciously decide to use infant formula should carefully read the instructions from the manufacturer. The vast majority of such products are diluted with either water or milk.

To increase the amount of protein consumed, bodybuilders usually opt for milk. Today, few athletes resort to consuming baby formula, but there was a time when it was truly in great demand. In the nineties of the last century, bodybuilders did not even dilute the product, but ate powder mixtures in dry form, since there were no protein complexes on sale then.

Baby food makes MASSIVE

Basic diets for young athletes [edit | edit code ]

Using the basic principles of rational nutrition for athletes and the results of research aimed at determining the needs of young athletes for energy and nutrients, taking into account the specifics of various sports, the authors developed diets with different calorie content and calculated optimal sets of products that provide the body of young athletes with all the necessary nutrients. The food sets indicated in the diets are intended for preparing a menu taking into account 5-6 meals a day. The proposed diets are basic, on the basis of which, depending on the specific pedagogical objectives and focus of training, as well as the metabolic characteristics of the loads used (high lactate levels, reduction of excess blood bases, uncompensated acidosis, etc.), individual and group diets with different orientation (protein, carbohydrate, protein-carbohydrate).

The specifics of training young athletes at different periods of their annual training impose special nutritional requirements. There are basic nutrition, nutrition before competitions, during competitions and during the recovery period.

At various stages of preparation, depending on the type of sport, the following diets are recommended.

Group 2

- sports associated with short-term but significant physical activity:

• basic training stage - diet II-3;
• stage of pre-competitive preparation and competitions - diet II—2;
• recovery stage - diet II-2 or II-Z.

Group 3

- sports characterized by large volume and intensity of physical activity:

• basic training stage: for girls - diet III-1 or III-2; for young men - diet III-2 or III-Z;
• stage of pre-competition preparation and competition: for girls - diet III-1 or III-2; for boys - diet III-2 or III-Z;
• recovery stage: for girls - diet III-2; for young men - diet III-2.

Group 4

- sports associated with prolonged and intense physical activity:

• basic training stage - diet IV-2 or IV-3;
• stage of pre-competition preparation and competition - diet IV-2 or IV-3;
• recovery stage - diet IV-1 or IV-2.

Food rations are compiled in accordance with collections of recipes for dishes and culinary products for catering establishments. In the absence of any product specified in the daily set, in order to preserve the nutritional and biological value of the diet, its equivalent replacement must be made in accordance with the product replacement tables.

Reviews of baby food for bodybuilding

A huge number of topics and discussions on thematic websites and forums are devoted to baby nutrition in bodybuilding. Reviews left by athletes about this product as a muscle-building supplement are mostly negative. This is facilitated by the composition of the mixtures. They contain little protein, but a lot of simple (fast) carbohydrates, as well as fats, which cause excess weight. The high price of food for babies is also a big disadvantage. For a similar amount you can purchase a high-quality protein complex from leading manufacturers, receiving a significant portion of protein and a minimum of harmful fats and carbohydrates. Not everyone likes the taste of baby formula. Both gainers and proteins are much more pleasant to drink, so training athletes who want to have impressive muscles and definition give preference to this sports nutrition.

baby food for muscle gain

Igor February 26, 2018

What athletes need to eat

What athletes need to eat

The importance of protein for humans is difficult to overestimate:

1. It is the support of all biological structures (it is the main building material from which muscle and bone tissue, tendons, and ligaments are composed).
2. Protein speeds up all metabolic processes.
3. Energy reactions are also closely related to the activity of the protein enzyme.
4. Protein is the main catalyst for biochemical processes.
5. Protein is part of hormones and is therefore directly related to growth factors.
6. It has a good effect on the immune system.

You can get the right amount of protein from fish, meat, eggs or dairy products.

Fish also contains a large amount of vitamins and fatty acids. If we talk about what vitamins an athlete needs, we can say that almost all of them are in these products.

What athletes need to eat

By following the requirements for proper nutrition, you will make up for the missing amount of amino acids and other components. From meat it is better to choose rabbit, some varieties of veal or chicken - they contain the least fat. Dairy products provide the body with methionine, this amino acid is very important because it is not produced by the body.

What other nutrition should people involved in sports have? It is better to eat complex carbohydrates. The required amount of carbohydrates per day can be obtained from:

• cereal crops (wheat);
• rice (variety - brown);
• any vegetables;
• fruits with minimal glucose content;
• black bread.

But you need to completely give up sweets. It is better to replace them with honey. It contains many necessary useful components that are necessary for an athlete.

It is not always possible to strictly follow all these rules, so many people take supplements in capsules or cocktails. How much and how to take such supplements correctly is decided by a specialist.

What athletes need to eat

Despite the fact that a person involved in sports is constantly trying to get rid of fat, it must also be contained in the athlete’s diet. True, its quantity is the smallest in comparison with other components. This element is spent on performing slow but labor-intensive exercises. It has a good effect on the functioning of all organs and keeps body temperature within normal limits. Its benefits are no less valuable than those of other components, so it should also be included in the daily diet.

Positive and negative sides

In the modern world there are a large number of baby food manufacturers. All manufacturers strive to bring it closer to the level of mother's milk.

At their core, the mixtures are similar to each other, but may differ in the quantitative composition of useful substances. Photos of baby food for the masses can be seen on various advertising posters for weightlifters and fans of this sport.

Its use has its positive and negative sides.

Positive points:

• easily absorbed by the body;
• does not contain genetically modified elements;
• consists of proteins, nutrients of natural origin;
• is an excellent substitute for cow's milk;
• does not cause disturbances or disorders of the digestive tract;
• tastes good;
• rich in vitamins of various types, iron elements, acids that help improve metabolism in the body.

Negative points:

• To compensate for losses and build muscle mass, a large amount of the mixture is needed;
• the presence of modern sports nutrients of significantly higher quality and, in terms of the totality of useful elements, cheaper in cost;
• Use is prohibited if you are lactose intolerant.

general information

Nutrition plays an important role in the development of the body and mental activity. By consuming only proper and healthy food, the child will be protected from the negative effects of the environment.

Compared to the body of an adult, a child develops at a rapid pace, which requires much more energy. Therefore, he needs high-quality food products, which the body must receive in a timely manner. Otherwise, various problems may occur: retarded growth and development, frequent illnesses.

Basic nutrition tips

To achieve good results, men and girls need to maintain proper loads during training, recover well and eat well every day. You should go to training in a good mood and be energized.

A proper diet for an athlete does the following in the body:

1. Activates and normalizes metabolic processes in the athlete’s body for muscle growth and the recovery process.
2. Provides the athlete with all the necessary microelements, vitamins and calories.
3. Regulates weight (after all, different sports uniforms are needed at different times of the year)

During various sports exercises, the body expends a large amount of energy. Energy is spent on maintaining the functioning of the heart, breathing, and digestion. If you eat poorly before training, then the body is exhausted, which has a very bad effect on the health of athletes. That is why it is so important for men and girls who visit gyms and perform various sports exercises to eat properly and balanced.

Your menu should consist of healthy and fresh foods; it is advisable to avoid processed foods and other unhealthy foods.