Nutrition for Athletes During Puberty By Julianne Pondelli MS, RD, LDN
F
igure skating is a sport where athletes are intensely training at a younger and younger age. As coaches, we may start working with an athlete who is very young and gains success in the sport quickly. Even though skaters in esthetic sports tend to have delayed puberty, the athletes will eventually grow and develop. We can be better prepared to help them through this time if we know what to expect and how to coach them through it. Puberty is a period of rapid growth. For girls, this usually occurs around eleven and a half, but as early as eight and as late as fourteen. Boys tend to be about two years behind girls' development. Delayed puberty can be the result or combination of genetics, inefficient nutrition or overtraining. Whatever age it occurs, both boys and girls will have their adolescent growth spurt at the onset of puberty causing an increase in height and weight as well as change in weight distribution. There will also be hormonal shifts which can impact their emotional state and attitude. Team USA coach Tom Zakrajsek labels the normal attitude shift “storming, norming and reforming”. He defines it as “Storming because when a young adult challenges their parents or coaches it can sometimes create conflict. Norming because once things settle down and normalize the athlete is able to reform their attitudes and achieve even greater success in the sport.” There are both positive and negative effects that are associated with an athlete's performance once they go through puberty. The increase in muscle strength can have a positive impact, while there may be a decline in balance and control which can have a negative impact. Rapid increase in height and weight will change the body’s center of gravity, which will be especially noticeable in a sport like figure skating.
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While the athlete is adjusting to the changes their body is going through, they may struggle with their skating. Jumps that were once easy may become inconsistent. Coach Tom believes they must “go back to the basics and re-learn every aspect of their technique as their brain is reforming. Sometimes coaches mistake this for them not putting in the effort, especially if they have previously excelled in the earlier stages of their career.” Tom believes this shift is “normal and the coach should be sensitive to helping them re-learn and understand their technique in a more refined way.” Puberty is temporary and the athlete will eventually adjust to their new developed height and muscle. In addition to technique development, coaches can help their athletes through puberty to help limit jump inconsistency and maintain stamina through off ice training and nutrition.
Off ice conditioning: Focusing on strength training and plyometrics at this time will help increase fitness levels that will compliment skating. By using and developing muscle, skaters will become acclimated to their growing body off the ice.
Energy: Ensuring athletes are eating the best possible
foods to fuel their skating while going through puberty. While they are growing, they will need more energy. Extra calories are required during growth spurts, as well as to replenish energy from skating. Consistent fueling can help to ensure that the athlete is not only getting enough energy to fuel their workouts, but also to grow and mature properly. An ideal distribution of macronutrients for athletic adolescents consists of 45-65 % carbohydrates (pasta, rice, grains) 10-30% protein, (lean meat, eggs, tofu) and 25-35% fat (olive oil, nuts, nut butter, and avocado). Athletes need more protein in their diet than their non-active peers.
