Have you noticed how many injuries kids are getting? Maybe I am hearing primarily about active children, participating in sports, dance, and other activities. They just seem to get a lot of injuries.
Kids are certainly very active today. Well at least some are. I know there is also the concern that kids are not active enough and that is contributing to alarming increases of children who are overweight or obese.
Today we will focus on the active kids. Why are they getting injured?
Does lack of quality nutrition have anything to do with it?
I am asking because if you think about the diet of many kids, along with their busy lifestyles where they eat on the run and often that is fast food or processed food, you have to wonder what exactly is fueling their bodies and making their muscles and bones strong enough to stay healthy.
In doing a little research I found the following:
Dr. Shala E. Davis, professor of exercise science at East Stroudsburg University. “Kids who grow quickly and don’t match that growth with good nutrition are at a greater risk for stress fractures and other injuries.”
Source: Pocono Record
Nutrition for athletes is often overlooked and a critical piece of an athlete’s success. Proper nutrition not only improves performance, but also reduces the risk of injury.
Source: The Post-Journal
Children who have poor diets — whether because of a lack of food or because of patterns of eating that lead to inadequate intake of nutrients — are prone to significant short-term and long-term health impacts and diseases.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Clinical nutrition consultants are very much in demand to provide nutrition services to these ordinary athletes, evaluating their unique nutrition and metabolic status to see if they are receiving the optimal diet, booster foods, beverages, and supplemental nutrients that will help them perform at their best and prevent minor or major injuries and endocrine exhaustion due to inadequate or excessive calories and nutrients.
Source: Bauman College
We know that a healthy diet helps children grow and learn. It can be tough to get our kids to eat healthy. They may eat more for taste than nutrition, and so their daily diets may not contain all the nutrients needed for both energy and growth.
HealthyChildren.org states that children, “need carbs (sugars), fats, and sodium, but should be eaten in moderation, as too much can lead to unneeded weight gain and other health problems.” This means that, as parents, we need to be very involved in what our kids are eating every day.
It’s tough on kids when they get injured. It’s not fun to sit on the sidelines and miss their sport or activity. The team is affected as well if it is a team activity. And of course it is hard for the parent on all accounts, including home where care-giving escalates.
How can supplements help children build strong, healthy bones, muscles and bodies?
If there is a definite lack of important nutrients in your child’s every day diet, multi-vitamin supplements can be the most comprehensive and easiest way to insure they get what they need each day. Children grow rapidly, and what they put into their bodies is going to determine the results they get in terms of both present health and long term health.
There are other all-natural food supplements for kids: omega-3 fatty acids are usually lacking in children and they provide so many health benefits including joints, memory and focus. Lean protein supplements such as smoothees or protein bars provide energy and fuel as well as strength building for muscles and bones.
There are gluten free options as well and they are a nice alternative to high fat or high sugar snacks and processed or fast foods.
