SPECIFIC NUTRITIONAL NEEDS FOR FEMALE ATHLETES By Dawn Weatherax, R.D. As a Dietitian who specializes in sports nutrition, it is evident that females have specific needs. To begin, the majority of female athletes eat too little or too much of the wrong kinds of food. Eating too little could be stemmed from the coach putting emphasis on weight and performance, other female athletes trying to “lose weight” because of poor body image, family dynamics at home or advertising efforts to be thin. If the athlete loves to eat, but the foods are high in saturated fat (fat that is solid at room temperature—butter or margarine) and/or high in simple sugar, they will be missing important nutrients as well.

The average American consumes one whole fruit or vegetable a day and the average athlete that comes into our office consumes at least three to five freebies a day (chips, donuts, sugary cereals, pop tarts, candy, fried foods, soda and fast food etc). When you don’t get enough nutrients the body will have trouble recovering, healing, preventing fatigue, and fighting off illnesses. Up to a 15% decrease in performance can be contributed to poor eating habits. As far as nutrients that are important to the female athlete, calcium comes to the top of the list. A research study was done that showed if preadolescent girls (age 12 years, Tanner Stage 2) took a daily calcium supplement for 12 months, the percent gains in trabecular (one of the two types of bone) bone mineral content increased by 5.83% versus the placebo group (0.69% respectively). This means a 40% decrease in osteoporosis as an adult. The average female between ages 9-18 is only getting in 60% of the RDA. This may also be the reason why stress fractures are increasing among female athletes. The one nutrient that many put too much emphasis on is iron. If the female athlete is consuming enough high quality protein a day, extra iron in not needed. In fact, extra iron is only needed if a medical reason suggests extra supplementation. Protein is very important to maintain, repair and grow tissue. The goal is to get 7-20g of protein every three to four hours to optimize its function. If an athlete is a vegetarian, it is very important they know how to get enough protein from meatless sources. (Please see a Dietitian for specific needs). Other factors to consider are calorie needs, macronutrient breakdown (fat, carbohydrate, protein) and body composition. Calorie and macronutrient needs vary between females. Again, I personally suggest seeing a Dietitian who specializes in sports nutrition to figure these specific needs. Many female athletes go by magazines, TV, radio, parents and coaches for their nutritional needs; however, I have found that some of the information they receive is incorrect and not specific to their requirements. Keeping track of body fat to lean weight can help monitor growth, training, and nutrition outcomes in a more positive manner. For the serious athlete, I recommend measuring body composition every three to four months. This will help monitor if the athlete is overtraining, gaining or dropping body fat too quickly and puts a positive spin on performance not weight. Overall, the specific nutritional needs of a female athlete start with the basics. A female athlete needs plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats (or vegetarian options), healthy fats (examples: nuts, seeds, natural peanut butter, avocado, olives, fish and flax) low fat dairy options and five to seven freebies a week. Eating enough calories, in the right mix, at the right time to meet the demands of competing at elite levels is a close second. Follow this with proper hydration, a high quality multivitamin, and possible calcium supplementation and the athlete is on their way to optimizing performance up to 15% with sports nutrition. Lastly monitoring body composition can help the coach monitor training and how the athlete’s body is responding to the demands. You can train, train and train but if the nutritional needs are sub-optimal, performance outcomes will suffer eventually. Coaches Tips: Team up with a Dietitian that specializes in sports nutrition to promote healthy eating for performance. Have monthly presentations on nutrition related topics. Promote a healthy environment and avoid continuously putting emphasis on weight and performance, especially if you coach a sport that appearance is half the score. This could backfire and escalate disordered eating issues and increase injury rates. Any athletes with special nutritional needs must see the Sports Nutritionist. This allows the Coach to be a Coach. Have biweekly or monthly meetings on athletes’ progress and how to address new nutritional issues as they arise. Must work as a team and have the same philosophy. Promote five to nine servings of fruit and vegetable servings a day (At least three to five servings of vegetables). Limit the freebies to one a day. Take a pharmaceutical grade calcium supplement starting around age 12 (Consult Dietitian for earlier ages). Recommend four tablets per day that provides 800 mg/d elemental calcium (as calcium citrate and carbonate), 400mg/d elemental magnesium (as magnesium citrate and oxide), 400 IU/d vitamin D3, boron and silicon, (two additional minerals thought to be essential for bone health, in trace amounts) 1.33 mg/d and 9 mg/d respectively. Take a pharmaceutical grade multivitamin/mineral supplement specific to age Measure body composition using a Bod Pod, DEXA scanning or hydrostatic weighing method at least twice a year. (Three to four times a year if elite athlete) Dawn Weatherwax is a Registered/Licensed Dietitian with a specialty in Sports Nutrition and Founder of Sports Nutrition 2Go. (www.SN2G.com) She is also an Athletic Trainer with a Certification in Strength and Conditioning from The National Strength and Conditioning Association. Weatherwax is also the author of The Official Snack Guide for Beleaguered Sports Parents and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Sports Nutrition. She is an Official Speaker for the Gatorade Sports Science Institute and on the approval speaker list for the NCAA.