How to Coach Sports Nutrition to Teen Athletes

Teenage athletes have unique nutrient needs. Shawn Pitcher, sports dietitian, joins this Performance Edition of the podcast to talk about how to coach healthy eating habits to today’s teens.

Editor’s note: At the time of this episode’s recording, Shawn Pitcher was a Sports Dietitian at Overtime Elite. He has since changed companies and is now the Director of Professional Development at SHPN: Sports and Human Performance Nutrition.

During this episode you’ll learn about:

1. Shawn Pitcher, sports dietitian for youth athletes [0:34]
2. High-performance nutrition for high-school athletes: What do coaches and dietitians overlook? [2:05]
3. How data and testing can help determine what an athlete needs [5:25]
4. Advice for coaches on how to communicate health topics to youth athletes [8:33]
5. What a foundation in nutrition means for an athlete’s longevity [12:34]
6. Assessing an athlete’s nutritional supplement needs [17:35]
7. Questions from the community
   • At what age is it OK to start weightlifting? [20:28]
   • Should teen athletes be bulking up? How does a growing athlete bulk up? [22:23]
   • What are some dietary and training red flags for youth athletes? [25:47]
   • Are selective diets like veganism and vegetarianism right for youth athletes? [28:50]

Resources to topics mentioned in this episode:

• Find all the links to Shawn Pitcher’s projects here, including his Roots podcast, YouTube channel, Instagram, and TikTok
• com and SHPN: Sports and Human Performance Nutrition
• Tips to Help Kids Make Healthy Food Choices
• Nutrition 101: Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition
• The Dangerous Effects of Under-Fueling: Energy Deficiency in Sport
• Importance of Good Nutrition for Young Female Athletes

Products mentioned in this episode: Pre-Workout Elite; Creatine; Vitamin D Test; Collagen; Training Bundle – Creatine, Amino Complex, Beta Alanine-SR; Youth Bundle – Catalyte, FloraSport 20B®, Basic Nutrients 2/Day, Super EPA

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