On nutrition: Young athletes practice nutrition

Before he headed off to school, Ben stared into his lunch bag and asked, "Why did Mom pack all this food?"

"She's Italian," his dad replied.

I'd say she's a smart Italian. Ben's sport schedule is grueling: An hour of weight training 4 days a week; two-hour work-outs with his water polo team 5 or 6 days each week; plus games and tournaments. Oh...and he also carries a full load of high school studies.

What keeps a young athlete growing and going at peak performance? I asked registered dietitian and sports nutritionist Stephanie Bouquet (she's Italian, too). Bouquet provides personalized nutrition consultations and group programs for athletes of all ages. Her basic formula: Provide key nutrients. Timing is everything.

Carbohydrates: "Young athletes need a carbohydrate-rich diet every day to fuel muscles and feed the brain...not just the day before or the day of a game," Bouquet stresses. She explains that carbohydrates (sugars and starches in food) are stored in the body as glycogen — the readily available energy source for the muscles. If this energy depot is empty or is not replenished after a workout, the muscles become "chronically glycogen depleted" which leads to fatigue and inability to perform. Consume carbohydrates every 3 to 4 hours throughout the day to keep the "carbohydrate tank" refilled, she advises.

Protein: It not only builds muscle mass; protein repairs muscles after exercise, says Bouquet. "Some athletes are led to believe that eating extra protein builds more or bigger muscles," says Bouquet. "In reality, protein consumed over and above what the body needs for muscle growth or repair is either burned as a 'less efficient' fuel or stored as extra fat. And too much protein can get in the way of consuming enough carbohydrates (the primary energy fuel for the body)."

Fluid: Fluid regulates body temperature and helps cool the body when muscles heat up during exercise, Bouquet explains. "When athletes don't drink enough before, during, and after exercise to compensate for the body's hard work, dehydration occurs and the athlete feels tired and sluggish."

Every "body" is different in how it handles foods or fluids, Bouquet stresses. That's why it is so important to "practice" nutrition along with training. Here are her suggestions:

Pre-Practice: Two hours before practice starts, eat a high carb snack with a moderate amount of protein and fat, Bouquet recommends. Examples: nuts and dried fruit with low fat milk; peanut butter or lunch meat sandwich; grapes or banana with a sports drink such as Gatorade or PowerAde; yogurt and dry cereal; pretzels with hummus.