Nutrition practices for working with youth athletes 📝
How to apply nutrition with youth athletes.
Appearance Pressure, Body Image, and Nutrition Practices in Youth Athletes: Implications for Performance
Study Details
This new review highlighted key evidence and provided guidance on nutrition for youth athletes 📚
With specific focus on areas including, appearance pressure, body image and performance 🔍
Here are the 8 key practices for applied nutrition in youth sport ⬇️
Key Findings
Use performance-focused language 🍽️
⚡ Avoid labelling foods as “good” or “bad”
🗣️ Focus on “fuel for performance, recovery and growth” rather than calories or restriction
🍛 Avoid unnecessary comments on portion sizes or food quantity
Establish practical fuelling routines ⏱️
🍌 Ensure access to carbohydrate-rich snacks before training
🥤 Use carbohydrate-rich drinks/snacks during sessions >60 min
🥪 Prioritise simple recovery foods within 30–60 min post-training
📚 Educate athletes on how nutrition supports session quality, adaptation and recovery
🛌 Reinforce the importance of fuelling during rest, illness and injury periods
Coordinate messaging across the support team 🤝
🧑⚕️ Include accredited sports dieticians or SENR Nutritionists where possible
📢 Align nutrition messaging across coaches, parents and support staff
🧠 Focus on practical skills that help athletes apply nutritional knowledge
Normalise growth and development 🌱
📈 Reinforce that puberty-related changes in body composition and weight are normal
⏳ Highlight that development timing differs between athletes
💪 Emphasise building physical capacity over changing body size
Avoid appearance-focused communication 🚫
⚠️ Avoid weight- or appearance-focused comments within team environments
🗨️ Challenge body composition-driven conversations among athletes, staff and parents
Foster psychological safety 🧠
💬 Encourage open conversations around nutrition, body image and mental health without judgment
🔍 Approach athlete behaviours with curiosity rather than assumptions
🩺 Address signs of low energy availability with supportive, solution-focused strategies
🤝 Reinforce that athletes will be supported through both short- and long-term challenges
Strengthen media literacy 📱
🎭 Reduce internalisation of unrealistic body and performance ideals
📲 Increase awareness of algorithms and encourage critical evaluation of social media content
Follow best-practice body composition standards 📏
🚫 Avoid body composition testing in athletes <18 years unless medically necessary or sport-mandated
🎯 Prioritise optimising behaviours and performance rather than altering body composition
Reference
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42086216/
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