Nutrition for young hockey players
is important because not only do you want them to grow into strong adults, you want them to be strong on the ice. At Launch Nutrition we help young hockey athletes reach their potential on the ice by offering sports nutrition counselling. We tailor our nutrition recommendations to the athlete by taking into account age, height, weight and their position on the ice.
Here are the top most important elements of nutrition for young hockey players.
1. Energy intake aka calories - it is vital that young hockey players eat enough energy to sustain their high activity levels. Most young hockey players need to eat the same amount of calories as their parent and sometimes even more. During hockey season, ages 7-12 typically eat the same as their parent of the same sex or slightly less. Teens can easily eat 1.5-2x more than a full grown adult. During hockey season, pack double on snacks or even an extra sandwich if they are coming home ravenous. Ensuring their diet is sustaining their activity level is key for top performance and proper growth.
Assessing if your young hockey player is eating enough - the most baseline strategy is evaluating their hunger levels. Are they coming home from school ravenous? Are they hungry before bed? If the answer is yes to these than that is an indication they are underrating throughout the day. Another hallmark sign is a lack of weight gain. Most often young athletes will continue to grow in height even if they are under eating, but they fail to gain weight. If your child's weight has plateaued or your not sure if your child is eating enough it may be time to talk to a dietitian.
What if I or my hockey player wants to lose weight? - it is not recommended to attempt weight loss or body fat loss during the hockey season. Read why in the next paragraph.
Risks of under eating - young hockey players who under eat can develop a condition called Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). This condition is no joke and can result in a player needing to withdraw from hockey for the season until their body re-stabilizes. Early signs are frequently getting sick, low energy, low mood, and underperforming on the ice. A hallmark sign of RED-S for teen athletes is either infrequent or absent periods for females and a loss of morning erections for males. Other late stage signs are stress fractures and certain bloodwork that comes back abnormal. If you think you or your child has or is at risk for RED-S I strongly recommend you talk to a sports dietitian who is knowledgeable in this field.
2. Carbohydrates - carbs are the body’s go to during games and practices. Hockey players need to eat a surprising amount of carbohydrates to fuel their performance - 60-65% of their calories from carbs. Aim for half your plate of carbs before a game. The specific amount of carbohydrates a young hockey player needs varies based on their body weight but can range from 80-300g of carbohydrates 2-3 hours before a game or practice. If young hockey players are not eating enough carbohydrates they may underperform and notice that they get run down and sick more often. There's also a preliminary research pointing to a deficit in carbohydrates as a culprit for Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S, see risks to under eating).
"Young hockey players need to eat 60-65% of their calories from carbs."
3. Protein - protein is the body’s building blocks and our muscles are made of protein. Young hockey players have higher protein needs because they are constantly building up their muscles throughout the season. How much your young hockey player needs varies based on weight, position and age. A good rule of thumb is to aim for 20-30g of protein at meals and after games and practices. Like carbs, not getting enough can result in underperformance, a lack of strength progression and getting run down and sick more often.
There is a lot more that I didn't talk about here like:
During game carbs, fluid, calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin C, fat, omega-3, fibre and vitamin D
The right amount of calories, carbs and protein varies for every player and is crucial for young hockey players performance on the ice, growth and overall health! It's not only important for their speed on the ice and strength building throughout the season but their long term health, like bone strength, that will serve them the rest of their life. It’s always important to fuel properly for hockey so that your child succeeds.
Remember that training is king, and nutrition is queen and she deserves your attention!
If you want personalized guidance for your young hockey player you can book a Meet n’ Greet to see if we are a good fit, or jump right in and book an initial consultation with our sports dietitian, Chelsea Verbeek.
