Child Nutrition Essay

It is well known that nutrition is very important for a child’s development. If a child does not eat an adequate amount of food, he or she can suffer a stunt in growth, an undeveloped brain, and in serious cases even death. The importance of proper nutrition for adolescence cannot be emphasized enough. However, the importance of a proper diet for children is multiplied for those that participate in athletic competition. Not only must the parents feed their child to ensure that their development goes as it should, but they must also feed their child to ensure that the child’s athletic performance is at its peak. With adolescent’s participation in sports at an all-time high, it is important to teach parents and coaches the proper way to feed …show more content…
The body produces sweat during strenuous activities to help maintain homeostasis. Sodium, water, calcium, and iron are all lost while an athlete sweats. One who loses too much of these will suffer a decline in athletic performance, potentially suffer muscle cramps, and have a higher of a heat stroke. It is recommended that an athlete drink ten to twelve cups of water daily. Twelve to twenty ounces of fluid two to three hours before event is beneficial. Six to twelve ounces of fluid should be consumed every fifteen to twenty minutes during an event. Proper hydration is important, and should be closely …show more content…
Parents and coaches will give a young athlete many different supplements, in hopes that they will benefit the child’s athletic performance. Many of the adults have little to no nutritional backgrounds, but they still give nutritional advice. Many of the supplements they give have not been tested and poses as a potential health risk to the athlete. Many of the goal they are trying to reach through giving the child supplement can be reached through a proper diet alone. Millions of dollars are spent annually on useless and possibly dangerous