The Sport Wales Institute is working with national governing bodies (NGBs) to build good nutrition habits in young athletes. This helps them to avoid injury, recover well and enjoy their sport for longer.
They say good habits start young—and that’s why Performance Nutritionist Nancy Lunnon teams up with NGBs to help teach and support young athletes.
Recently, she has been involved in Swim Wales’ Skills Academy and has hosted online cookalongs for Cricket Wales’ junior squads.
The importance of nutrition for developing athletes
Young athletes need to eat plenty. Especially because they are growing and training at the same time.
Good nutrition helps them to:
- stay healthy and reduce injury
- grow and develop
- Improve performance and recover well
- focus, learn new skills and make decisions
- enjoy sport, feel better and avoid fatigue.
Developing athletes are at a critical age for good nutrition habits. Educating them and their parents about nutrition sets them up well for the future - if they decide to continue as a senior athlete, or to live healthy, active lives.
Nancy explains: “The big message is that young athletes need to eat plenty to support their growth and development.
“These athletes might compare themselves to friends in school who don’t need to eat as much. This is a common barrier we find in adolescents. But young athletes need more food because they have much higher energy requirements due to the training they’re doing on top of energy for growth.”
Swim Wales Skills Academy supports swimmers in and out of the pool
Swim Wales’ Skills Academy, which is in its second year has reached 230 young swimmers, across six locations. This includes parents and coaches from local clubs.
The Skills Academy helps educate swimmers aged 11+ with the foundations they need to develop as athletes. Nutrition is a key part of that learning.
The sessions were delivered to young swimmers from the age of 11 so it was important to keep things interactive and fun.
To keep things interactive and fun for a young audience, Nancy:
- made sure practical tips were clear
- used a quiz to get everyone talking
- involved athletes in activities about different food groups
- shared simple ideas about what to eat before and after training
Swimming role models, including Harriet Jones and Dan Jones, also shared their experiences and advice about good nutrition. The Skills Academy is also led by Commonwealth Games gold medallist Alys Thomas, who is Performance Development Coach & Pathway Manager at Swim Wales.
Bringing expert knowledge straight into clubs, to young swimmers and their parents, means that we can shape the next generation of Welsh athletes
Cricket Wales’ online cookalongs
Move over Jamie Oliver. More than 400 young cricketers (and their parents) have recently been taking part in online cookalong sessions with Nancy.
The sessions help young players build confidence preparing their own meals — an important life skill as well as a performance advantage.
Taking her advice and tips into kitchens across Wales, the focus was on:
- match-day fuelling and hydration.
- supporting performance, growth and development as a busy athlete.
- quick and easy recipes that 10-year-olds could make, with parental supervision.
Cricketers made:
- a Weetabix cheesecake and mango and orange smoothie for pre-competition fuelling
- energy balls and Rice Krispie squares for in-competition and post-competition nutrition
- a homemade sports drink and pitta pizzas for energy, growth and maturation and hydration.
A big part of our pathway is helping young people build good habits that support them in sport and in everyday life. The cookalongs have helped our players, even those as young as ten, learn simple nutrition skills so they can make good choices and look after themselves – and it will help their cricket too.
Next season, Cricket Wales wants to continue to support junior squads with nutrition. Plans include nutrition support for athletes observing Ramadan.
Feedback on the collaboration
“The support from the Sport Wales Institute helps us give young swimmers the tools they need to train well, recover well and enjoy their sport. It’s a partnership that makes a real difference and helps athletes to stay happy and healthy,” said Alys Thomas, Performance Development Coach & Pathway Manager at Swim Wales.
“We’d like to say a big thanks to the Sport Wales Institute for their support and expertise across the series,” said Matt Thompson, Head of Talent Pathway at Cricket Wales.
Get involved
Anyone who works with young athletes, including coaches, can help with young athletes nutrition by:
- encouraging drinks and snack breaks
- reminding athletes about the importance of nutrition
- being role models
Are you part of your NGB’s Pathway or Performance teams? If you would like to work with the Institute, please get in touch with your Sport Wales contact.
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