August 2006

PAGE 5

Using Snacks to Help Meet the Energy and

Nutrient Needs of Athletes

y Amy J. Reuter MS, RD

Table 1. Examples of nutrient dense snack foods for athletes*

Special to

Healthy Snack foods for Athletes

ention the word "snacks" to a

M

group of youths (or adults) and

images of cookies, candy, and

BACKPACK SNACKS

chips swirl in the minds of many

Granola & cereal bars

of them. While an occasional candy bar,

Fig bars

cookie, or handful of chips can fit into a

Dried raisins, apricots or peaches

training diet, athletes will be much better

Dry whole grain cereal

served by incorporating a healthy snacking

Oatmeal raisin cookies

plan into their daily routine. Nutrient dense

snacks provide energy as well as vitamins and min-

Pretzels

erals to aid in growth and development. Snacks are an

Graham crackers with peanut butter

excellent way for athletes to fill in the nutrient and energy gaps in their current diets.

Animal crackers

The keys to a successful snacking plan include finding personally appealing, easily

Fat-free pudding cups

digestible, nutrient dense foods and setting a consistent daily snack time for con-

Juice boxes

suming them.

Mini bagels

Healthy snacks help meet the increased energy needs of athletes. Here are

estimates of energy used by a 100 lb. person for the following activities:

COOLER FUELERS

Swimming Laps ..................8 calories / minute

Low fat or nonfat milk

Jumping Rope ......................8 calories/ minute

100% fruit juice

Playing Soccer....................5.5 calories/ minute

Sports drinks

String cheese

Many athletes are unable to obtain adequate calories and nutrients from only

Yogurt cups or squeeze tubes

three meals a day. Smaller food amounts consumed more frequently are often easier

Fresh fruit or fruit cups

to digest. In fact, an estimated 1/3rd to 1/4th of a youth's daily calories are consumed

Turkey, ham or roast beef sandwiches

between meals. By snacking between meals, athletes can maintain a constant energy

Frozen yogurt

level throughout the day.

Frozen juice bars

Nutrient intake does not always increase with an increase in calorie consump-

tion. Despite an average caloric intake of more than 4,000 calories daily, many of the

*modified from the Sports Science Institute

50 collegiate football players surveyed at Michigan State University were lacking fruit,

vegetables and dairy products rich in vitamins and minerals (Medicine & Science in

Sports & Exercise: Vol 36 (5) Supplement May 2004, p S349). Snacks provide the per-

fect opportunity to consume more nutrient dense foods and balance out what could

be missing from the other meals. Educating athletes on smart nutrient dense snack

choices is essential. When it comes to choosing snacks, athletes should try to "get a

lot of nutrient bang for the calorie buck." Whole-grain, minimally processed or

unprocessed, low-fat snack foods which are also low in refined sugar provide essen-

tial nutrients along with energy.

Beverages also make great snacks. They are easy to digest and provide fluids to

prevent dehydration along with energy and nutrients. Healthful beverage choices

include low fat milk, 100% fruit juice and sports drinks. Discourage sugar-laden bev-

erages as snacks including sodas and juice drinks. These drinks contribute calories

B

with very few nutrients and athletes may fill up on them in place of more nutritious

foods.

Many energy bars, gels and powders are available and highly marketed to ath-

letes. While these can be good snack choices, real food is just fine and less expensive

for replenishing energy and nutrients. In a recent study at San Diego State University,

no change in performance was detected among trained cyclists when given raisins or

sports gels (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: Vol 36(5) Supplement May

2004 p S174).

Athletes have many nutrient dense food choices for snacks. Table 1 provides sev-

eral snack examples. This table has been modified from The Sports Science Institute's

classification of healthy snacks. As the names suggest, "Backpack Snacks" can be

stored at room temperature while "Cooler Fuelers" need to be kept cool. Encourage

athletes to try several of these healthy snack foods before practice to determine their

own preferences. Experimenting with new snack foods on game day can be risky and

may lead to an upset stomach, headache, or other negative effects.

After choosing specific healthy snack foods that are appealing and well-tolerat-

ed, athletes can then select the amount and timing of these snacks. Setting aside a

consistent time will prevent snacking from being an unending activity. In addition,

keeping a plentiful supply of these healthy snack foods both at home and in a sport

bag will assist in making good choices. Encourage athletes to keep a food journal

including type and amount of food, time and comments on performance. This infor-

mation can be used to make snack and training diet adjustments as needed.

Fill the gaps with snacks! Filling in the nutrient gaps with healthy snacks pro-

vides athletes with needed fuel when time is tight and decreases filling up on less

nutritious fare. Snacks help athletes maintain a high energy level throughout the day

and provide the nutrients and additional energy required for peak performance. s

Amy Reuter's column is presented by the Washington Interscholastic Nutrition Forum

(WINForum). Please visit them at www.WINForum.org.