Elite athletes know how to deliver elite performances. And they know that the best way to fuel elite performances is to make great nutrition choices. But fueling elite performances shouldn’t be limited to our elite athletes. 

Nutrition is a key contributor to performance. And it’s one that is often overlooked for athletes of all ages. The building blocks of good nutrition start with just good instincts. Starting from a young age, you probably knew not to eat certain things before a game, or to not eat too much because it’s hard to digest before the game starts. What youth athletes might not know is that certain foods can make you feel more energetic, think more clearly, and benefit performance in training and competition.

Here at Liberty Mutual Insurance Play Positive™ we believe that parents and coaches can help youth athletes incorporate sports nutrition into their pre-game plans to bring out their best performance. Think of food as fuel for everything your youth athletes do.

We sat down with Mike Clayton, Manager of Coaches’ Education for USA Wrestling, to get his thoughts on how youth athletes, coaches and Positive Sport Parents can help fuel elite performances.

In our exclusive TAKE 5 interview, Mike told us that USA Wrestling utilizes a particular “key concept” to fuel performance – The One-Hour Rule.

“Athletes need to take calories in within an hour before and an hour after practice,” said Mike. “Ensuring timely calorie intake will help athletes maximize the benefit of those calories to promote top performances.”

Mike said that another top priority for youth athletes should be to always make sure to consume lots of water,

“So many of our athletes, at all ages, tend to train and compete in a dehydrated state,” said Mike. “This leads to a sense of moving at a fast speed, when in reality the performance speed is slow and lethargic. The only way for athletes to maximize the benefits of their hard work is to ensure they are properly hydrated.”

As much as water intake should be maximized, Mike believes that “junk food” consumption should be minimized – or better yet, eliminated.

“Fast food or processed food is a must to remove from any athlete’s diet,” said Mike. “To perform at our peak, we need to fuel our body with healthy foods that are free of chemicals and additives. If it seems impossible to completely cut out fast food or restaurant food from an athlete’s diet, try to limit the intake to just one time per week.”

Mike added that he believes coaches and parents can both play a vital role in ensuring youth athletes properly fuel their performances.

“Coaches play a huge role in encouraging athletes to learn and use good habits,” said Mike. “Habits form in our brain and become a natural part of our everyday life. If coaches can education and influence athletes to make positive changes in their eating habits, these changes can help lead athletes and their families to happier and healthier lives.”

Positive Sport Parents, meanwhile, can help out by making sure elite performances are also being fueled in the home.

“Learn as much as you can and be open to new ideas,” said Mike. “The key to making life better for all of us is to learn ways to improve our daily processes.”

To read the full TAKE 5 interview with Mike, visit PlayPositive.com. And come back next month for another exclusive TAKE 5 interview!

At Liberty Mutual Insurance, we constantly look for ways to celebrate the countless acts of positivity shown by people every day. We created Play Positive, powered by Positive Coaching Alliance, as part of this belief to help ensure that our kids experience the best that sports have to offer in environments that promote and display positivity. We believe kids can learn valuable life lessons when coaches and parents come together to support winning on and off the mat.