Protein Supplements for Children

QUESTION:

Hi Gary,  I appreciate your time and dedication

First of all, I want you to get to know more about my 12 years daughter whose life dream is to become an Olympic champion and a world champion Her life is dedicated to swimming and actually she is a champion here in our country ( Egypt) I always encourage her and give her all the support she needs.

My question is, her coach advised me to start giving her protein supplement as a way of helping her having stronger muscles

I know that it’s better for kids to have a complete healthy meal rather than having supplements but my concern is that she has no time to eat a proper meal, she stays late at school till 6PM then she comes home for her training sessions. I can only control her supper late at night after her training but the rest of the day she eats at school.

she trains 6 days weekly, 2 hours each in water and 4 times weekly, 2 hours each in the track ( running and jumping obstacles,…)

P.S. she didn’t reach her puberty age yet ! Please advise !

Thanks,

Best Regards, RY

ANSWER:

Hi RY,

I do not believe in protein supplements for children and encourage children to eat a healthy meal and healthy snacks in between.

Protein is well known for its role in muscle development and recovery.  This role in development is especially important for the adolescent athlete who is still growing and maturing.

Protein is found in meats, meat alternatives and dairy products.  Good sources of protein include beef, lamb, goat, pork, duck, turkey, fish, tofu, egg, nuts, seeds, legumes (beans, lentils), soy products, milk, yoghurt, cheese and ice cream.

It is important that you look for ways to eat some of these foods at school when she is not in your care, as well as foods with the necessary carbohydrates and other vitamins.

For a 12 year old girl she is doing a lot of training 6 x 2hrs in the water and 4 x 2 hours on the track.

Please keep a close eye on her energy levels as 10 x 2 hour sessions a week is a lot.

I would strongly recommend that you download the following two eBooks to read, which will help you as parents and your daughter.

Swimming for Parents – www.SwimmingForParents.com

Nutrition for Swimmers – www.NutritionForSwimmers.com

All the best,

Regards

Gary

The Swimming Expert