Fuelling the Engine: A Young Athlete’s Guide to Energy Balance and Performance
We can't take healthy eating for granted
I was amazed the other day when two of the young athletes I coach said they hadn’t eaten breakfast. This was shortly followed by one of them producing a ‘cheese straw’ as their mid-training snack.
It reminded me not to take what is out of our sight as a given (sleep is the other major factor affecting athletes’ performance, which is out of our control). So, I’ve been working on helping educate both the athletes and their parents.
Before we start, it’s World Book Day, so why not buy one of my books?
Reviews and links to buy are on my author website here: James Marshall author books Thank you.
Back to Nutrition:
There is no point in complicating things so people get paralysed with fear of doing the wrong thing. I focus on keeping things:
Affordable
Realistic
Tasty
For example this:
1. The “Why” Behind the Fuel: Understanding Energy Balance
Parents need to know that the energy demands of a young, growing, healthy athlete are different from those of a sedentary adult. Applying (insert celebrity diet fad here) to a young person risks them being undernourished.
For a young athlete, energy balance is far more complex than a simple “calories in vs. calories out” equation. It is the dynamic relationship between total energy intake and the energy required for exercise, growth, and fundamental physiological survival.
In a developing body, “balance” is achieved only when sufficient fuel remains after training to support the synthesis of cellular components, cellular transport, and the formation of new tissues.
In short, they need to eat to recover, repair, and grow.
2. The Hidden Risks: Low Energy Availability and RED-S
Consistently under-fuelling leads to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). This is a systemic physiological failure where the body’s “operating system” begins to glitch. For a teenager, the “so what?” factor is significant: RED-S can result in permanent bone loss and long-term metabolic damage.
4 Critical Health Impacts of Low Energy Availability:
Skeletal Health Failure: A lack of energy impairs bone remodelling, significantly increasing the risk of stress fractures and decreased bone mineral density.
Cardiovascular Impairment: The heart is a muscle; LEA can lead to a lower heart rate, reduced blood flow, and impaired cardiovascular function.
Gastrointestinal Distress: LEA slows gut motility, leading to gastroparesis, bloating, and nutrient malabsorption.
Endocrine Disruption: The body increases cortisol (stress hormone) while lowering metabolic rate, leading to chronic fatigue and stalled growth.
It can also disrupt the menstrual cycle of girls (but this warrants a separate post).
To avoid these risks, the teenager must adopt practical ways to ensure they maintain an adequate energy balance. Parents need to help them, rather than hinder them.
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3. Practical Fueling Strategies for Busy Schedules
Fuelling is a skill that must be practised. To keep the engine running, follow the Three-Step Method:
Selection of Fresh Produce: Prioritise a huge variety of colourful salads and vegetables to ensure micronutrient density.
Variety of Carbohydrates: Use a mix of fast-releasing and slow-releasing carbs (oats, rice, wholemeal toast, wholemeal pancakes).
Diversified Protein Sources: Rotate through eggs, lean meats, and oily fish (mackerel, sardines, or tuna), which are highly affordable, high-quality protein sources.
Lack of time isn’t an excuse: it’s usually a lack of planning. Here’s a recipe I shared with our athletes last night.
The Speed-Fueling Menu
Note that while solid food is the foundation, what you drink and specific “boosters” also play a role in keeping the engine running:
Bananas, nuts, whole-grain bagel peanut butter sandwiches (cut into halves or quarters), and homemade flapjacks are good on the go (and at competitions). Eggs or baked beans on toast are good for between school and evening training sessions.
Crisps, breadsticks and sweets are inadequate sources of nutrition, and yet parents seem to give them to their children regularly as fuel!
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4. Hydration underpins everything
My son wakes up on Saturday mornings and only drinks one glass of water before leaving for his football match. I’m trying to explain how he has dehydrated overnight and needs to top up his fluids.
I wonder how many teenagers are chronically dehydrated at kick-off time?
My next project for the athletes is to get them to weigh themselves at bedtime and after peeing first thing in the morning. They can then track the difference and realise how much fluid needs to be replaced (not all in one go) and pace their drinking accordingly.
Hydration education is wasted when the athletes can’t even remember their water bottle.
Summary
Telling young athletes to look after their nutrition often falls on deaf ears: they either don’t know where to start, or are relying on parents to be organised and knowledgeable.
Educate, encourage, and give examples that the teenagers can follow.
Start simple: bring a water bottle, eat breakfast. Build from there.
Set an example as a coach/ parent.
Have you had any success with modifying the behaviours of your athletes? Please share in the comments: