How an unrealistic, unsustainable lifestyle is major contributor to student athletes' struggles with nutrition...and how to change this.
Diane Johnson
Empowering youth athletes with simple and strategic nutrition & wellness support.
WHY is nutrition so hard for so many student athletes? And why is it so hard for their parents?
WHY is it that so many struggle to:
They KNOW that nutrition is an important part of their life and performance, but oftentimes making nutritional adjustments in their routine seems so daunting, they simply avoid it.?
Why is this ‘thing’….nutrition, food and eating….which is a basic life necessity, so HARD!??
This is a question that I have asked a lot. And although there certainly are many challenges with our food system, it isn't the food that is the problem.
The reality is, that the student athlete lifestyle that has evolved over the last 10-15 years is unrealistic and unsustainable.?
Now I tend to look at nutrition in sport differently and if you follow any of what I talk about, you probably already know that.
PS - If you don’t regularly follow, you can do that easily at?Diane Johnson
In today's fast-paced society, where the pursuit of excellence is paramount, student athletes are constantly juggling academic demands, rigorous training schedules, personal and work commitments and more. I’ve said before that student athletes today are busier than some of the highest ranking executives that I know. The main difference being that student athletes are still growing and do not yet have the tools they need to manage such a schedule.?
The high aspirations and pursuit of excellence that drives many student athletes can undoubtedly inspire greatness, but often leads to unrealistic expectations that take a toll on their overall well-being, including nutrition. Nourishing themselves falls to the bottom of a pile of things that SEEM to be more important.?
“I don’t have time to eat” is one of the most common remarks we hear from student athletes.?
When the reality is more like, student athletes don’t have time and can’t afford NOT to eat. Their health pays the price when they don’t.?
(GUTS helps student athletes reframe these thoughts that limit their nutrition. See what some of the student athletes we work with say about this process here.)
TIME is the most common nutrition barrier reported to us by student athletes (and their parents).
Feeling busy and over run can lead to poor eating habits. Balancing rigorous training sessions, classes, and extracurricular activities often leaves little time for meal planning and preparation. As a result, student athletes may resort to quick-fix options like fast food or processed snacks, which lack the necessary nutrients to support their physical demands. The convenience of these choices comes at the expense of proper nourishment, hindering athletic performance and long-term health.
(If you are a parent of a young athlete who feels like they are 'failing' at keeping their young athlete fed, then email me. You don't have to feel this way.
diane@guts athletenutrition.com)
The intensity of training and competition can also contribute to the challenges student athletes face in meeting their nutritional needs. Their demanding schedules often involve multiple training sessions per day, leaving little time for recovery and refueling. And remember that many student athletes are dependent on parents for transportation to and from their training events. Which means really that it’s not just one busy schedule that is impacted, but two or three. Parents carry a lot of the burden of younger student athletes’ training regimens and it impacts THEIR ability to fuel well. The trickle down effect of this is inevitable.?
One of the main (and newer) lifestyle culprits that has had a huge impact on student athletes is the pervasive influence of social media. Student athletes are bombarded with images and narratives of seemingly perfect bodies and unrealistic dietary regimes. The pressure to conform to these unattainable standards can be overwhelming and may trigger disordered eating habits, such as restrictive dieting or excessive calorie counting. The desire to maintain an ideal physique can eclipse the importance of fueling the body adequately for optimal athletic performance.
The thing to remember here when it comes to lifestyle, is that it isn’t JUST sport or school, or parents’ work schedules. The problem is that in the last few years, ALL of them have ramped up in intensity, expectations and responsibilities. And the constant drive in our Western society to do more, achieve more and have more, is taking its toll.?
To address these challenges, it is crucial to shift the narrative surrounding student athletes' lifestyles and nutrition. Here are a few strategies that can help student athletes strike a balance and optimize their nutrition:
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1. Sport Leadership:
Leaders in youth sport need to advocate for the health of their student athletes. This means making sure that families understand that doing more is not always the answer. Parents and athletes need to be educated early on that more lessons, private coaching, moving up in age groups and more pressure is not the answer to a balanced and enjoyable experience in sport. Young athletes AND their parents need time to lead a life outside of sport which will lend itself to greater balance and ability to prioritize self care and nutrition.?
If you are a Coach or Leader in a sport organization and you too are seeing the nutrition gap but have no idea how to change this, message me Diane Johnson and I will help you.
2. Education and Awareness:
All sport programs (starting in the grass roots) should incorporate education about balanced nutrition and the role it plays in fueling athletic performance. This messaging needs to start when athletes are young so that parents too can develop new skills over time to assist their athletes in fueling properly.?
GUTS is helping student athletes, parents and coaches look at nutrition differently. It doesn't have to be so hard.
3. Meal Planning and Preparation:
Meal planning and preparation is a very helpful strategy to ensure access to nourishing meals in the midst of busy schedules. But not everyone knows HOW to efficiently plan or prepare foods in advance. Sometimes telling someone to start doing this becomes just one more thing they have to do in their already insane schedule.? Athletes and their parents need an opportunity to develop these skills. Once they know how to effectively plan, prep and prepare meals in advance it can go a long way to simplifying their fueling routine.?
4. Mindfulness:
In our fast-paced lifestyle, self awareness can dwindle. Student athletes and families simply plod ahead with no time to notice or reflect on what is going on or how they are feeling. Learning to be more mindful will enhance both athletes’ and parents’ abilities to notice their thoughts and habits and become more aware of things they could change.?
Coaches...if you are looking for ways to teach mindfulness through sport, then grab this resource.
5. Nutrition in School Environments:
Remember that we are talking about STUDENT athletes. They spend most of their day at school, with peers and a lot of their ‘nutrition’ happens in this space. It is worth questioning how foods available at school cafeterias are contributing to sound nutrition habits or derailing them all together. Schools could do so much by reviewing what they offer in their cafeterias and vending machines and organizing cooking workshops and events.?
6. Learn to say NO:
Every conversation we have with student athletes who seek out individual nutritional guidance involves helping them establish healthy boundaries. We simply can not always take on more and even though we might not yet believe that we can, we get to say NO. Creating a sustainable lifestyle means being able to reflect about what we need and don’t need and confidently expressing that. This is a learned skill that too many student athletes (and their parents) don’t yet understand. But just like anything, it gets easier with practice.?
(We help student athletes practice these skills that enhance their lifestyle and make nourishing themselves easier. Email me to find out how. [email protected])
We can lecture about nutrition, hand out all the meal plans and macro recommendations that we like, but until we address the lifestyle challenges that are holding student athletes back, nothing much will change. By acknowledging the impact of unrealistic lifestyles on student athletes' struggles with nutrition, we can work together to create a supportive environment that promotes holistic well-being and optimal athletic performance.
Because one thing is for sure, their sport journey will be a lot shorter and less enjoyable if they aren’t able to fuel their bodies.?
And whether you believe it yet or not, your lifestyle...
...essentially HOW you live...
Is up to you!?
When you are ready to explore this, there are a few ways that I can help you.
Until next week.
~Diane
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1 年Education, education, education, is the name of the game...