Healthy Diet Plan for a 19 Year Old Athlete
An athlete faces the challenges of getting the right combination of healthy foods at the right time to support the body to physically excel. For 19-year old athletes, this challenge may be complicated by things such as being in college, starting in the workforce, lack of sleep, cooking for themselves, and for men, continuing to grow.
Basics and Calories
Exercising athletes of all ages need to determine the correct number of calories they need to sustain their workouts without gaining fat from excess calories. Males especially at this age may still be growing and need a very high number of calories, sometimes over 5000 daily if training rigorously.
Meals and Snack Planning
A Male Gymnast's Diet
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Planning ahead can be a key piece of the puzzle for an on-the-go 19-year old. Try to keep the right foods available to have 3 meals and 2 snacks daily that are fairly evenly spaced throughout the day.
The Athlete's Diet
According to the American Dietetic Association, college-age athletes who are training heavily need between 6 and 10 g of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight per day. Protein needs for athletes in heavy training are 1.4 to 1.7 g per kg of body weight per day. For the 200-lb. athlete, the range is 120 to 160 g per day. Eating a high carbohydrate diet that is low in fat and includes lean protein sources such as:
- fish
- chicken
- turkey
- beef
- dairy
- eggs,
- beans or legumes is recommended
- According to the American Dietetic Association, college-age athletes who are training heavily need between 6 and 10 g of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight per day.
- Protein needs for athletes in heavy training are 1.4 to 1.7 g per kg of body weight per day.
Food Timing
Losing Weight With Competitive Gymnast Diets
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For athletes, eating frequent meals and snacks ensures that fuel is available for training and that muscle tissue isn't broken down for the body's metabolic needs. This meal, consumed within an hour after exercise, should contain a ratio of 4:1 carbohydrates to protein to ensure optimal muscle recovery and repair.
Related Articles
References
- “Advanced Sports Nutrition”; Dan Benardot, PhD, RD, FACSM, 2006
- Medicine and Science in Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Performance
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020. 8th ed. December 2015.
- Vitale K, Getzin A. Nutrition and supplement update for the endurance athlete: Review and recommendations. Nutrients. 2019;11(6). doi:10.3390/nu11061289
- Mountjoy M, Sundgot-Borgen J, Burke L, et al. The IOC consensus statement: beyond the female athlete triad--relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S). Br J Sports Med. 2014;48(7):491-497. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2014-093502
- Zinn C, Wood M, Williden M, Chatterton S, Maunder E. Ketogenic diet benefits body composition and well-being but not performance in a pilot case study of New Zealand endurance athletes. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:22. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0180-0
- Burke LM, Ross ML, Garvican-Lewis LA, et al. Low carbohydrate, high fat diet impairs exercise economy and negates the performance benefit from intensified training in elite race walkers. J Physiol. 2017;595(9):2785-2807. doi:10.1113/JP273230
- Urbain P, Strom L, Morawski L, Wehrle A, Deibert P, Bertz H. Impact of a 6-week non-energy-restricted ketogenic diet on physical fitness, body composition and biochemical parameters in healthy adults. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2017;14:17. doi:10.1186/s12986-017-0175-5
- Getzin AR, Milner C, Harkins M. Fueling the triathlete: Evidence-based practical advice for athletes of all levels. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2017;16(4):240-246. doi:10.1249/JSR.0000000000000386
- Burdon CA, Spronk I, Cheng HL, O'Connor HT. Effect of glycemic index of a pre-exercise meal on endurance exercise performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2017 Jun;47(6):1087-1101. doi:10.1007/s40279-016-0632-8
- Seal AD, Anastasiou CA, Skenderi KP, et al. Incidence of hyponatremia during a continuous 246-km ultramarathon running race. Front Nutr. 2019;6:161. doi:10.3389/fnut.2019.00161
- Doering TM, Reaburn PR, Phillips SM, Jenkins DG. Postexercise dietary protein strategies to maximize skeletal muscle repair and remodeling in masters endurance athletes: A review. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2016;26(2):168-78. doi:10.1123/ijsnem.2015-0102
Writer Bio
Cecily Dawson was first published in 1995 in "Health Counselor Magazine." She is a registered dietitian and teaches high school health and physical education, with 17 years of previous experience in collegiate sports medicine. Her degrees include a Master of Science in community human services from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and a Bachelor of Science in health education from Northern Michigan University.