atoms

Training during the hot summer months is already hard enough, to make it a little easier on your body, eat a little healthier. A teen’s body is growing and changing during high school. Mix sports in with that too, and the body needs the right things going into it. Not eating enough during the season, can cause the body to loose muscle mass which raises the chances of injuries.

Deciding how many calories to eat a day is a bit tricky. There are different factors to consider when deciding. Age is the biggest factor on that. Another factor would be how many miles you are putting on a week. The more miles put on, the more calories that are getting burning off, which makes for a higher calorie intake. The standard numbers though are 2800 calories for the twelve year old runner in middle school, up to 3800 for the eighteen year old senior. These calories should be taken at three meals a day, and three snacks a day. Meals should have a calorie intake of five-hundred to eight-hundred. Meanwhile snacks should only be one-hundred to four-hundred.

For eating something light right before a workout, try half of an energy bar and sports drink one hour before a workout. After a workout, try doing the same thing for faster recovery. It will help get rid of any lactic acid build up in the legs and get runners ready to perform the next day. Another thing that will help with this is getting at least two to three liters of water a day. Keeping the body hydrated will make runners feel like they have more energy (Dorfman). Following these tips can make an impact on a runner’s nutrition and training habits. This will push a runner to be the best they can be.

There are many things that need to be done to reach your full potential in high school. We can’t all be like Obsa Ali and win state with one shoe, but we can reach our full potential by eating foods filled with nutrients and training right. Going by these guidelines will ensure you to have some success in high school running.