5000+ Calories a Day: The Sports Nutrition Challenge

How National Nutrition Month involves an end, I’m reminded that nutrition shouldn’t be nearly cutting calories and maintaining a healthy diet. There is so rather more to it that we don’t take into consideration every day, unless it involves the patients we look after or our personal lives.

I frequently visit a youth sports medicine center with one among my children. The doctors there treat quite a lot of conditions and issues, from orthopedic injuries and concussions to eating disorders and, in our case, impaired growth related to calorie expenditure during sports.

Some people might see a toddler who’s fit and energetic and think, “Wow, how lucky!” I see a toddler who’s so competitive that his growth charts have plummeted in the course of the critical period of adolescence. While I’m pleased with his commitment and determination, I’m also concerned about his growth and development.

We are fortunate to have an excellent resource in our area that has helped us turn things around for my son. He is a competitive swimmer and runner who trains for hours day by day and requires over 5,000 calories a day to satisfy his dietary needs for his sport and sustain along with his missed workouts! It sounds easy, right? It is definitely quite a challenge and requires a number of exertions. Please let this post function a reminder to be open to the struggles of others; sometimes the problems they face are usually not so simple as you would possibly think.

If you’d prefer to read more about this and other nutrition topics, take a look at the journal, which features articles written by “leading dietitians and scientists who support scientifically sound nutritional practices such as food, diet, and nutrition,” including the next articles related to sports nutrition:

• Risky Business: Athletes Using Dietary Supplements
• Human Performance and Dietary Supplements Summit Summary Report [CE]
• Protein Power: Answers to Athletes’ Protein Questions
• Nutrition for Athletes with Weight Problems: Crohn’s Disease and Eating Disorder Cases
• Energy Drinks, Caffeine, and Athletes [CE]