The Pocono Record – Wayne Mogielnicki
To be in top condition for competition young athletes need proper nutrition — even more than their older counterparts do. “Adolescence is the major growth time for everybody, but boys and girls participating in organized sports are depleting their bodies of energy and proteins and carbohydrates while their bodies are trying to grow, so it’s kind of a double whammy for them,” said Christopher Ina, athletic training coordinator at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. “That’s why we stress to high school athletes that they need to eat properly, stay hydrated and get enough sleep to keep up with what their body needs. If they don’t, their body is going to fall behind and they won’t be able to perform at their best.” (more)