Amy Stephens
MS, RDN, CSSD, CDCES
Licensed dietitian
specializing in sports nutrition
and eating disorders
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Optimizing NUTRITION FOR A HIGH SCHOOL FEMALE ATHLETE
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By Amy Stephens RDN CSSD
Kate Cochran, Nutrition Intern, NYU Track and Field Athlete
I’m Kate Cochran, a graduate student at NYU studying nutrition and a member of the NYU cross country and track team. I’ve been running competitively since I was fifteen, and my journey has taught me the critical role that nutrition plays in athletic performance. One of my main reasons for pursuing a graduate degree in nutrition is to share valuable information with young athletes about how proper fueling can enhance their sports performance. It wasn’t until college that I truly focused on my nutrition, and once I started eating well and enough, I saw a dramatic improvement in my running performance.
High school is a time of significant change for young women, especially those who are athletes. As your body undergoes physical and hormonal transformations, it can be challenging to keep up with your sport while managing social perceptions on body image and the differences in individual experiences with changing bodies and progress in sports. Some girls might see their performance plateau during puberty, while others may not. It’s crucial to embrace these changes and support your body with proper nutrition to ensure healthy development. Especially because of your body’s changes during puberty, you must fuel in order to be healthy. Your career isn’t over after puberty; proper nutrition can help you overcome any plateau.
When I began running in high school, I wasn’t educated about nutrition. Running was easy before puberty, but my performance plateaued as my body changed. Frustrated and receiving mixed messages from coaches, I stopped caring, ate poorly, and skipped meals. It wasn’t until I was twenty-one that I researched nutrition, and it significantly improved my athletic performance. Start focusing on nutrition now to support your body’s natural changes and avoid unnecessary struggles, like underfueling.
Why Focusing on Nutrition is Essential
For female athletes, a significant amount of energy is required to support the physical and hormonal changes during puberty and early teenage years. If you don’t eat enough to support your growth and training, it can delay maturation by slowing down your endocrine system and suppressing hormones, leading to long-term health effects.
What to Expect When Your Body Changes During Puberty
What’s most important is ensuring you’re eating enough to fuel your body’s needs, especially as your body changes during puberty and throughout adolescence. To manage these symptoms and support your body through these changes, follow these tips:
- Body Composition Changes: Shifts in muscle and fat distribution.
- Shift in Energy Levels: Fluctuations in stamina and performance due to hormonal changes.
- Increased Nutrient Needs: Higher caloric and nutrient demands.
Nourish Your Body Through Puberty
What’s most important is ensuring you’re eating enough to fuel your body’s needs, especially as your body changes during puberty and throughout adolescence. To manage these symptoms and support your body through these changes, follow these tips:
- Eat Three Balanced Meals a Day: Include protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
- Snack Between Meals: Keep your energy levels steady.
- Fuel Before and After Workouts: Ensure you have the energy for performance and recovery.
- Always Have a Snack on Hand: Be prepared to refuel anytime.
Key Nutrients to Support Growth and Development
A wide variety of foods can meet your caloric and nutrient needs. Eating a variety of whole foods from different food groups can help ensure proper nutrient intake.
Carbohydrates
Sources: fruits, vegetables, potatoes, breads, pasta, rice, and cereals.
Calcium
Sources: Milk, cheese, yogurt, leafy greens, nuts, fortified OJ and beans.
Protein
Sources: Black beans, tofu, chicken, fish, beef, yogurt, and pork.
Iron
Sources: Red meat, chicken, turkey, leafy green vegetables, almonds, black beans, and lentils.
Fueling and the Menstrual Cycle
Proper fueling will ensure that female athletes maintain a healthy menstrual cycle, which is a key aspect of overall health and sports performance. Normal menstrual cycles are typically 21-35 days apart and last two-to-seven days. Missing a period is not normal. If you have missed several cycles in a row, speak with your doctor. The menstrual cycle is especially important to athletes, as it indicates hormonal and bone health, and energy availability.
- Energy balance: consume enough calories to support your daily activity. Irregular or missed periods can indicate an imbalance with energy intake and expenditure, also referred to as underfueling or low energy availability (LEA). This can negatively impact performance and lead to injury.
Underfueling – what is it and why is it harmful?
Underfueling is when you aren’t eating enough to meet the energy demands of your daily activities and workouts. This means you’re not providing your body with the necessary fuel it needs to function properly and perform well in sports. Underfueling is harmful especially during puberty for several reasons:
- Without enough fuel, your body can’t perform at its best. You’ll feel more tired, and your running times may plateau or even slow down.
- Underfueling can delay growth and development of new muscle and bone tissue and weaken existing tissues due to a lack of nutrients needed for muscle and bone maintenance.
Signs and symptoms of underfueling:
- Amenorrhea (missing a period)
- Low energy
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Not seeing improvements in performance despite training
How to prevent underfueling:
- Have three balanced meals a day and snack between meals.
- Ensure you’re getting a mix of carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats in your diet.
- Pay attention to hunger signals and make sure you’re eating enough to feel energized.
- Recognize that normal hunger cues might be absent; eating often will ensure adequate fueling.
- Fuel properly before and after workouts to ensure recovery.
For more information on fueling for proper energy availability, read the blog post on relative energy deficiency syndrome (RED-S).
By focusing on nutrition now, you can support your body’s natural changes and avoid unnecessary struggles. Remember, your athletic career doesn’t end with puberty; proper nutrition can help you overcome any plateau and achieve your full potential.
When I was in high school I didn’t realize how important it was to eat three meals per day. Fueling doesn’t need to be complicated. There isn’t one “magic” fueling plan; eating is individualized. It’s more important to listen to your body and choose foods that meet your nutritional needs. You don’t need to eat exactly what’s listed here if you are listening to your body by eating enough, and eating a good balance of carbs, protein and healthy fats.
Here is a sample fueling plan for a workout day:
Breakfast: 1 cup of oatmeal with your favorite toppings (nut butter, yogurt, fruit, honey) & a fruit smoothie (add protein powder for some extra protein)
Snack: 1 cup greek yogurt with honey, berries, and granola
Lunch: turkey or chicken sandwich with cheese and your favorite crunchy snack (trail mix, chips, crackers)
Snack before practice: toast with your favorite nut butter, cinnamon and sliced banana, granola bar
Post practice snack: protein bar and a chocolate milk
Dinner: grilled chicken breast & rice with a vegetable that is appealing to you (kale, swiss chard, spinach) or grilled vegetables (peppers, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and carrots)
Key tip: try to pack your bag with enough snacks and fuel the night before school/practice.
Where to get nutrition information:
- Registered dietitians with a concentration in sports nutrition. Look for professionals with credentials such as RD (Registered Dietitian) or CSSD (Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics).
- Trusted websites such as The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics or American College of Sports Medicine