Why junior athletes are not small adults when it comes to body composition

I am fortunate to work with many talented young athletes and teams where performance is a strong focus.  I enjoy seeing young athletes learn, progress and improve – but I am also acutely aware of the potential negative aspects of a high performance environment for growing and developing kids and adolescents.  I watched one of the ‘The Mighty Ducks’ movies over the weekend with my family and it was a great reminder of what junior team sport is all about – teamwork, friendship and fun (as well as hard work!).  Those who have an influence on juniors can play a role in either helping or hindering development and performance, and the importance of enjoyment should be given due attention, even (or especially) within an increasingly competitive environment. 

Many junior athletes experience significant, and sometimes unbearable, pressure to perform.  Pressure can come from various sources, both internal and external, with a focus on performing at their best, beyond basic genetic ability.  This is where body composition (both muscularity and/or leanness) can become a focus, and for some this experience is far from fun.

Discussions around body composition – how much body fat or muscle an athlete has – and its impact on performance are an accepted part of professional senior sport.  Fortunately, sports dietitians are no longer known ONLY as the ‘fat police’ in teams, but a reasonable portion of a team dietitians’ work continues to involve measuring, monitoring and setting goals with athletes around weight and body composition.  Thank goodness the days are (mostly) long behind us where player weight and skinfolds are posted up on the wall alongside the 3km time trial results, in full view of all passers by.  Naturally, in a competitive sporting environment, the first thing people want to know is who came first….or last.  The impact of a certain body composition result on a player’s performance, however, is only one factor contributing to performance.  Being the leanest person in a team does not necessarily translate to being the best player.  This is particularly true for junior athletes – in fact we might question the degree of significance of body composition for sports performance at a junior level.

Kids and adolescents are not just small adults and need to be acknowledged and treated as such.

The problem

Awareness at the elite level has improved over the years with regard to individualisation of body composition goals and recognition that it is one of a number of factors that contribute to performance.  However this understanding has not necessarily translated to junior ranks (although many clubs and sporting organisations are doing a great job in this area).  Whether due to increased competitiveness in sport, impact of social media, or other factors, when you also add in COVID restrictions of late, these can all have a significant impact on those individuals who are susceptible to having concerns around body composition and body image.  Both boys and girls can be affected, but of late the stereotypical client that I see with body composition/body image concerns are 15 year old females.  Observation only, but for me it bring backs memories of myself at that age (as pictured in my local rep netball team) and dealing with my own stuff when it came to pressure to improve my performance, look a certain way and feel good about myself.

Why is it a problem?

Many factors can contribute to body composition and body image issues.  Some are inherent to an individual, but we cannot ignore external factors such as social media and pressure from peers, parents, coaches or others with influence. 

‘Comparison is the thief of joy’- I can’t remember where I read or heard this quote, but it always sticks in my mind when I think about teenagers these days who do a lot of sport.  Comparison to images on social media and comparison to their sporting idols, as well as their team mates and opponents. 

Realistic goals

I meet many adolescent males who want to be built like an elite AFL or NBL/NBA player  - NOW!  I guarantee that the majority of adult elite athletes did not have the same amount of muscle mass or level of leanness when they were 16 that they do when they are 25 years old, and we need to remind young athletes of this.  Bodies are designed to grow and develop throughout adolescence and teenagers develop at different rates.  The only person you should be comparing yourself to is you.  Easier said than done, but the goal is to get the best out of your own performance.  Sometimes the anxiety associated with striving to achieve a body composition that is unrealistic at a particular age/stage can have a significantly negative impact on performance, which increases the risk of young talented athletes dropping out of sport due to disordered eating or mental health issues.

There is huge variability between individuals with regard to body dimensions, weight, body composition and health.  These characteristics are largely determined by genetics, however environmental factors do play a role, with nutrition and training making an important contribution to our health, well-being and body composition.  A wide range of bodies can also be elite competitors – it’s important to remember that.

Too much focus on body composition

For many sports, you can’t get away from the fact that body size and composition has an impact on performance. For some sports, a bigger body size may be advantageous for performance – for example in basketball.  As young athletes progress to higher levels and competition gets tougher, there may be a greater need to consider body composition, however great care should be taken with regard to sensitive messaging around body composition for junior athletes. 

Junior athletes need to progress according to their stage of growth.  Young male athletes are often desperate to gain muscle mass, and although they feel like it is super important right now, there is really no rush.  A smaller junior athlete may rely on their speed and agility as their performance strengths – just because team mates that may be at a more advanced stage of growth and have more muscle, this may not be the best goal for them. Goals should be tailored to individual needs and support existing strengths and genetic potential, and it can be beneficial to seek professional opinion and support, particularly when there are specific needs and sensitivities.

Nutrition for junior athletes

Nutrition strategies for junior athletes should focus on adequate fuelling, recovery, hydration and sport-specific needs as priorities.  When an overall healthy eating strategy is adopted, with consideration of sports nutrition principles applied to training and competition (and individual growth stage and hunger!), body composition will often work itself out.  For those junior athletes who may need some extra support, an accredited sports dietitian can assist junior athletes and their families to make nutrition choices to support their training, competition and day-to-day needs while also considering their growth, health and well-being.

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Lose the lollies - why lollies should not be seen at kids’ sport

Lollies are for parties. 

They were when I was a kid anyway.

How confectionery has become part of post-game culture at junior sporting venues has me bewildered.  Somehow, the practice of elite endurance athletes, who are known to use simple forms of sugar as fuel during prolonged training and events, has transcended to kids’ being handed a bucket full of colourful jellies as primary recovery food following a 36-minute basketball game.  Why?  Or why not should be of greater concern for parents across Australia who are effectively the gatekeepers of the regular post-game sugar fest.

How did this happen?

Jelly lollies have become popular with endurance athletes as a convenient, portable and enjoyable carbohydrate source for lengthy training sessions.  Long rides or runs, where it may be difficult to consume adequate solid foods, make lollies an easy choice for a quick energy boost.

A typical junior sporting event usually takes less than 1 hour.  I am talking typical team sports here, in particular the ones I attend on a regular basis - basketball and footy.  Every time I attend a game, at any venue, I almost always spy lollies or chocolate in some form (ok, Saturday 8am basketball perhaps less likely, but not completely unexpected…).

This concerns me……a 10 year old does not need a quick acting carbohydrate immediately before, during or after a game, especially if they have eaten well beforehand.  Yes, kids do get hungry after sport, and recovery may also be a consideration for particularly active children.  Give the child some proper food to eat.   There is absolutely no need for lollies post-game. 

Why am I so angry!

Lollies and junior sport should not be used in the same sentence and here’s why:

-        Feeding children lollies after a game creates the perception that lollies are an everyday food, or even worse teaches kids that lollies and sweet foods are a reward for effort.

-        During and after sport a child’s saliva production is reduced and teeth are vulnerable to attack (so my wonderful dentist thoughtfully reminds me) – introducing a sticky, sugary sweet is asking for trouble.  Want a massive dental bill – keep giving your kids lollies (and sports drink) every time they run around a court.

-        There are SO many better choices out there to help kids recover, feel good and fill them up after sport. 

Sure, it may just be a jelly snake here and there and you may think I am over-reacting, but kids get enough opportunities to eat lollies at other times.  Keep the lollies where they belong – in beautifully packaged little bags handed to guests as a birthday celebration thank you.  Not in the sports bag.

Is soft drink the new sports drink for junior sport?

I usually don’t feel alarmed too often when it comes to food, but a recent observation at a children’s sports camp left me certainly shocked, and genuinely disappointed.

As you may have guessed, this disappointment relates to soft drink, and children.  I know there is an entire aisle in the supermarket dedicated to sugary, bubbly drinks but I never really thought about who actually buys and drinks this stuff….until I saw it with my own eyes – and I didn’t like it.

When I was a child, the only time we ever had a bottle of soft drink in the fridge was for someone's birthday or Christmas!  It was a special occasion drink, and contributed to the excitement associated with kids’ parties and resultant sugar highs!  I'm just not quite sure when carbonated water with sugar and additives became an everyday drink? 

Research shows that a large proportion of the population’s sugar intake comes from sweetened beverages.  This includes children, but I naively have never really taken much notice of what kids drink.  I am pretty aware of the amount of sugar that my own children consume from foods and drinks, but I am not over-the-top when it comes to avoidance.  I think that being a dietitian the assumption is that kids’ lunchboxes will be filled with only organic beans and kale crisps – so far from the truth!  They eat what I would consider pretty standard school-age fare, including whatever they want when they are at a party (I don’t send them with a personalized bag of chopped vegetables!).  But one food habit I am particularly solid on with my own children is the sugar-rich drinks, and I have now discovered this does make me a bit of an outlier when it comes to family fluid habits.  

I am usually not one to bother too much about what other people are eating or drinking - adults can make their own food choices and we all have different needs at different times so I am certainly not one to judge.  But I couldn’t look away, and to be honest felt really sad, when I saw the drinks popping out of the childrens’ lunchboxes at the junior camp.  I just happened to be in attendance over the lunch break and noticed a group of girls  who each had a can of soft drink in hand.  I was then compelled to look around me a little bit more and honestly, I was truly shocked at the number of soft drink cans I saw.  There was no canteen at the venue, so all of these primary school-age children had been sent to a sports camp, where they were going to be active all day, with soft drink packed in their bag?!  I don’t understand.....

I am not sure whether the perception is that these kids will be active all day so a bit of sugar won’t hurt for energy, or that they need extra fluid for hydration so throw a can in?   I totally get it that packing super-nutritious lunches everyday for kids is a challenge with busy lifestyles, but I don't understand the need to add a can of drink – especially for kids doing sport.  Even traditional sports drinks aren't necessary most of the time for active kids (see my article Hydration is important, but what is the role of sports drinks and electrolytes and who needs them?)

The obvious downside of sweetened beverages is the sugar content, but we also need to consider the additives and acidity - the combination of sugar, acidity and reduced saliva production with exercise leaves young teeth exposed and particularly vulnerable to decay.  

Water, milk and dairy-based fruit smoothies are all great options to hydrate and fuel young athletes.   

Active kids don’t need sugar in a can for energy to run and play. 

Keep an eye out for my next Thoughts post about infused water and making water more appetising if you don't love plain water. 

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