YOUTH ATHLETES
EATING FOR ENERGY
Athletes competing in recreational athletics or elite competition should fuel their bodies with a well-rounded diet of proteins, fats, carbohydrates from a variety of whole foods. As athletes become more specialized in their sport macronutrients can be adjusted to fit the needs of the athletes. During exercise, Glucose is the primary energy substrate, until glucose store availability is low and oxygen is present fat and protein substrates are not used for ATP production.
A basic way to explain energy expenditure is by the type and duration of running events. In the sport of running, a sprinting athlete, under 30 second events, only use glucose during an event. Sprinters are primarily anaerobic power athletes, utilizing the phophagen system for energy production. Endurance athletes primarily use carbohydrates for energy at the beginning of an event or during high intensity short bouts like a hill. When carbohydrates stores are low, the body uses oxygen and fatty acids and proteins for long term energy production via the Kreb cycle. Mid distance athletes fall in between the two extremes event times. An 800-meter event is typically a 2–4-minute event using fast glycolysis and the oxidative system (Powers, 2017).
