My athlete wants to gain weight!
| Unlike the rest of American society, young athletes are often trying to INCREASE size rather than decrease it. With the media stressing weight loss- your child may have the opposite desire! Too small a body frame on the soccer field results in a tackle to the ground rather than continued scrimmaging. And too small a body frame is obviously a detriment in football, wrestling, and ice hockey. Here is some "healthy" advice... Calories in must be more than calories out! Seems too simplistic- but it's all you really need to understand. Little Suzie eats 2500 calories per day and watches TV and plays on the X box. At the end of the day she only uses 1700 calories for her activities- having 800 calories left over for growing. If over the course of a year- she continues to have too many left over calories - healthy growing becomes unhealthy weight gain. Little Patty eats 3000 calories per day and is a premier level gymnast who practices three hours per day, 5 days per week. At the end of the week she has only 100 calories left over for sleeping, growing, and maintaining a good immune system. If over the course of a year- she continues to have too few calories- she may not grow as much as her peers, may get sick more often, and may not reach her adult height potential. Patty eats MORE than Suzie, yet still didn't eat enough for her life style!! Don't look at how much your child eats compared to their friends- instead remember- CALORIES IN needs to be slightly more than CALORIES OUT! Eating a healthy diet of carbs before workout and protein and fat afterwards is a simple start. Eating a little more than your friends who don't play sports is a good idea. Equations are helpful but sometimes confusing. A good rule of thumb is every child should grow about 2 inches per year and 4 inches during a growth spurt. If your athlete hasn't grown 2 inches in the past year- consider asking your doctor if there is something medical or something nutritional that is lacking. I believe eating food is the best way to gain muscle, bone strength, height, and mental quickness. Supplements are NOT needed in most children's diets (except for Calcium with Vitamin D!) If your child works out a lot- your child needs to eat a lot! Limiting a growing child's diet is like limiting gasoline from a race car during a race- ridiculous!! Sometimes- even with good eating, an athlete desires more. Although not my first choice- adding a protein/carb supplement may be beneficial. Studies have shown this kind of supplement can aid in gaining muscle, increasing size, and decreasing post exercise fatigue and injury. My choice is to combine carbs and proteins offering increased calories that can aid in immediate use (carbs) as well as post exercise recovery (protein). DO NOT BUY YOUR CHILD SUPPLEMENTS WITH CREATINE OR TAURINE!! These can increase the risk of kidney damage, dehydration, and even death! Creatine may be safe for adults- Taurine (especially when combined with caffeine or alcohol is NOT safe!) Here are some examples of products to consider: This is not an exhaustive list- I have no financial interest in any supplement, vitamin, or herb. I am not on the board or advisory committee for any supplement, pharmaceutical company, or sales team of any supplement, vitamin or herb. Do your own research- be an advocate for your child- this is only a place to start- Amplify XL has 265 calories, 45 g protein, and 6 g carbs per serving. It doesn't taste bad and has a reasonable amount of sugar without being too high. Max Mass has 300 calories, 26 g protein and 44 g carbs per serving. WeightGainer2200 has 2200 calories, 50 g protein, 400 g carbs and may be better suited for adults. Some products have more carbs (Xplode XL) while others have more protein (Amplify). Protein bars, such as Mass XXX have around 500 calories, 40 g protein, and 76 g carbs. Here is a "home made recipe" with calories: 1 cup of peanut butter 1/2 cup of honey 1 cup of whey protein 1 cup of cereal (granola or rice crispies) Mix together, make into small cookies, refrigerate and have as a snack Many of these supplements have peanuts, peanut flour, or other nut products- which is a great source of calories and protein- just be sure your child doesn't have a peanut allergy! Products with creatine, and therefore not appropriate for young athletes (in my opinion) are available at retail stores and over the internet and should be avoided. Products with taurine, and therefore inappropriate for athletes (in my opinion) are available in retail stores, grocery stores, and over the internet and should be avoided. All of the powder supplements are about $40-80 per container- and while I would prefer you spend that money on fruits, vegetables, and steak-- there are young athletes that will benefit from increased calories in a quick milk shake once daily. Also consider Smoothie King or a fast food milkshake as easy, quick, high calorie snacks- and while not especially "healthy" they are a safe addition to an otherwise "healthy" diet. Milk is always a better choice than water when mixing powder if the goal is to increase protein and calories. Pre-competition drinks though should be water or electrolyte drinks (such as Powerade or Gatorade) since milk can increase abdominal pain, gas, and diarrhea- not good during competition! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- wellbody does not promote supplements of any kind. There is no intentional advertising for or against any branded product- brand names are listed for example only and the athlete's family should investigate each product to make decisions on safety for their child's individual needs. wellbody realizes you have many options including retail business, the internet, as well as parents and coaches becoming involved with selling supplements. Most supplements are NOT FDA approved, many are not researched at all, some are researched with poor methods. Just because a salesperson, your neighbor, or your coach tells you how "great" their product is- doesn't mean it is "safe" for your child! Children with diabetes, food allergy, or special medical needs require a more intense regimen. ASK YOUR DOCTOR before starting any supplement, vitamin, herb, or medicine! Take home points: 1. Food is best. 2. Supplements are rarely necessary but sometimes desired. 3. Calcium and Vitamin D are supplements that may be considered to add to a "normal diet" 4. Stay away from creatine, taurine, and caffeine! 5. Carb/protein milkshakes may add calories that a young athlete desires if 3 or 4 meals a day isn't offering enough. 6. Too much protein is "wasted" (dumped) so ingesting more is not beneficial. Thanks to the GNC on 135th and State Line for assistance with research for this web page. All information on this web page is the opinion of Dr. Randy Goldstein and is not intended to encourage or discourage the sale of one product brand name over another, nor is it intended to encourage or discourage the reader to buy a specific product. The negative opinion on taurine, creatine, and caffeine is specifically intended for the young athlete. |