We have another episode for you where I’m joined by Anna Mackay, an original co-host of the podcast with Anna Lutz and me. Anna lives on the other side of the world these days, but she and I were able to catch up and record a few episodes this summer while she was visiting the US. I’m sure you’ll enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed talking with Anna Mackay!

Podcast Episode 108: Nourishing Teen Athletes with Anna Mackay

In this conversation, Elizabeth and Anna Mackay discuss the unique nutritional needs of teen athletes, emphasizing the importance of fueling for growth and performance. They explore tips for building healthy relationships with food, the role of parents in supporting their teens, and practical strategies for fueling teen athletes in a number of different scenarios. The discussion also highlights the signs of under-fueling and provides resources for parents and teens to navigate nutrition effectively.

Key takeaways

* The unique nutritional needs of teen athletes.

* The importance of food for growth and performance.

* The roles parents play in fueling their teen athlete.

* The importance of meal planning and preparation.

* Suggestions for navigating teen athletes who don’t want to eat breakfast and those who are picky eaters.

Links to resources

* Podcast Ep. 69: Getting Diet Culture Out of Sports Culture with Rachel Manor

* Podcast Ep. 25: Sports Nutrition for Kids and Teens with Leslie Schilling

* Leslie Schilling’s Dietitian Development Hub

* Podcast Ep. 28: Nourishing a Dancers Mind & Body with Monika Saigal

* Podcast Ep. 59: Eating Disorders and Athletes with Shane Jeffery

* Hydration Essentials: All Fluids Fit

* Opal Podcast: The Appetite

* Pinney Davenport Nutrition, PLLC

* Lutz, Alexander & Associates Nutrition Therapy

Did you miss my previous conversation with Anna Mackay?

We chatted about meal planning for college and boarding students.

* Episode 104: MealPlanning for College Students

Transcript

I am so excited to say to our listeners that I am here with Anna Mackay, who, as those of you who’ve been with us for a long time know, Anna is really the impetus for starting the podcast during COVID. So Anna, I’m so excited you’re here. Welcome, welcome.

Anna Mackay (00:20)

I am equally excited to be here and in the same time zone.

Elizabeth (00:26)

Yes, yeah.

That’s why we haven’t been recording with Anna, because Anna’s been in a very different time zone and busy ⁓ becoming a registered dietitian, which she is now officially a registered dietitian. yes, yay. And Anna is also a certified personal trainer. And so we thought she would be a great person to chat with.

Elizabeth (00:51)

Fueling teen athletes. So we’ll jump in and let’s just talk for a minute to let our listeners know kind of what you would say are the nutritional, you know, what makes the nutritional needs of teens, ⁓ teen athletes rather unique.

Anna Mackay (01:06)

Thanks.

So I really like this question because I don’t think it’s something we think about. You sort of just, think often it’s approached as like a one size fits all. But the main reason that teen nutritional needs are unique is because teens are still growing and developing, right? Their bones, muscles, their brains, their hormones are still maturing. And then you add training into the mix.

And it doesn’t matter what type of training, we could be talking about football, dancing, gymnastics, any type of training that is physically taxing to the body. And their nutritional needs are going to go way up. Food isn’t just fuel for sport either. It’s the raw material needed for building a strong, healthy body for life. And so that is what I think makes the nutritional needs for teens specifically unique.

I’ll also add that where adult athletes would be primarily focused on performance maintenance, teens are still in a phase of physical development and need food to support both their growth and performance. So they are going to need more energy in the form of calories, more protein, potentially more fluids, and more micronutrients like calcium and iron, for example, because of that growth and training.

Elizabeth (02:31)

So they have to pay, they and their parents really have to pay closer attention to their needs without creating an issue, right? Without it becoming a struggle. Well, so how can parents support teen athletes in building flexible, trusting relationships with food and really support them in.

Also, this is really more than one question, support them in meeting their needs.

Anna Mackay (02:59)

So to answer, think the building of flexible and trusting relationship with food first. I would be interested actually Elizabeth in hearing what you think about this. For me, the first thing that comes to mind is never ever ever tying food to appearance.

And for teen athletes, this is going to be very particularly important for the athletes who are in your very, what I would call body conscious sports, gymnastics, swimming, diving, also the sports where they are still, I think, at the elite level, weights are still being taken, wrestling and rowing, it is still happening. Maybe forgetting a sport where that happens, maybe boxing.

Because as soon as a kid starts tying their food to how they look, it’s impossible to have a flexible relationship with food because they’re going to always have that little voice in their head saying, are you sure you want to eat that? It’ll make them second guess their intuition. And so instead we can focus on how food helps them to perform by saying things like, this is going to help you recover faster, or this will give you more energy at practice.

Keep conversations about weight or size out of it. And I’ll just add to that, that it’s really important for parents to also model this – modeling body respect yourself.

Elizabeth (04:21)

Yes, that’s a huge one. I’m sitting here nodding and our listeners can’t see me nodding. But yes, that’s such a valuable point. Even if parents aren’t saying anything, just watching, just the teens seeing how the parents are eating and seeing their relationship with food and physical activity. And the earlier that starts, the more solid a foundation the teens will have.

Anna Mackay (04:45)

Yeah, and one more thing I would add to that is we really, really need to get away from this idea that carbs are bad – absolutely essential. They are an essential component of good nutrition, both generally for every day for all of us, but particularly for athletic performance.

Elizabeth (04:53)

I’m so Yea

Anna Mackay (05:07)

You know, and I live on the other side of the world now, and I hear this all the time, and I’m sure in the States this is still a big thing where everyone’s kind of… carbs are bad, reduce your carbs and protein’s king. We need both. We do. So, and you know, this belief that sort of looking a certain way is a part of athletic success is also incredibly harmful. I think the bottom line is that under fueling hurts performance, it slows recovery and it increases the risk of injury and burnout. And carbs are a really important part of that fueling.

Elizabeth (05:39)

Do you want to talk kind of high level on why carbs are so important?

Anna Mackay (05:44)

Well, it might be over-complicating things to go into the sort of biochemistry of it, but I think we can explain that, or it might be helpful to explain that carbs, when we ingest them, are converted into glucose. And glucose is how our bodies get energy. It is our brain’s preferred source of energy. It is also your muscles’ preferred source of energy. So that’s where all your energy comes from. And the protein is the building block that helps provide the muscles with it’s muscle building block, I think. Is that how you would explain it?

Elizabeth (06:19)

Yeah, 100%, 100%. And I think one thing that just popped into my mind when you were talking about this is, you know, parents are, you know, even if parents are modeling at home and really have laid a foundation for a positive relationship with food, it can still be so difficult because the parents are up against, and the teens, and the coaches are up against all the messaging that’s out there in the media. And so that adds another layer to really making sure that teen athletes are fueled adequately.

How can parents support teens to fuel eating for performance and recovery after practices and games? You really, do you feel like you said that?

Anna Mackay (07:08)

I mean, we could talk about packing snacks and sort of planning, being prepared. I think where people can get caught out in the planning for, or not planning, being able to support themselves adequately for performance and recovery when it comes to their practice schedules is in being under prepared or not being prepared at all. So if parents can help out with planning ahead so that your busy team, because these team athletes are so busy, they are, you know, you’ve got rowers getting up at 4:00 in the morning to hit the river at whatever time.

If they already have packed in their sports bag, you know, their water, their whatever snack bars they like, or maybe it’s a Tupperware with apples with another Tupperware that’s got their peanut butter in it, whatever it is, if it’s already in the bag, then it’s going to go to practice with them. And the same way, you know, whether that’s morning or afternoon, right? So you don’t get caught with nothing to eat.

And then making sure that you’ve got things available like the jar of peanut butter, the oats, the hard boiled eggs, the bars, whatever it is. And you’re not going for perfection, right? You’re going for consistency, variety, and just making sure that you’re not skipping snacks or meals.

Elizabeth (08:38)

And the part about not going for perfection is so important. So let’s just talk for a few minutes about how parents can help their teens recognize that there isn’t a perfect way to eat for additional performance.

How can parents ensure that eating remains a positive experience rather than this anxiety ridden exercise.

Anna Mackay (09:03)

Yes, there is no such thing as eating perfectly. It literally, it just doesn’t exist. And most kinds of tracking and counting can quickly become obsessive, especially during the teenage years, which are, they’re hard enough without angst over eating and how many steps and how many calories are in. So instead, we want to encourage listening to hunger cues, eating regularly.

And including a variety of food. So consistency, adequacy, and listening to hunger cues. So, yeah, no, I was just gonna say, and unless prescribed by a dietitian for medical reasons, tracking isn’t necessary.

Elizabeth (09:45)

100%.

Anna Mackay (09:46)

I don’t care how elite the athlete is, really I don’t. You know, and look, I will say here, I do know some dietitians who are on the team at, I’m talking really elite levels, where they may be working with an athlete on some sort of something that could be considered tracking, but the good dietitians will not be having the athlete do it alone. It will be medically supervised. And that’s a really important thing to know because that’s a very distinct thing from, you know, a high school basketballer doing it all by themselves and getting, you know, potentially falling down that rabbit hole of obsessive tracking.

Elizabeth (10:25)

Right. It’s very easy to get bogged down in that and use that external cue as a way to eat as opposed to paying attention to their hunger and fullness and energy levels. So I have a couple kind of follow-up questions. What if someone really doesn’t notice their hunger and fullness cues?

Or especially their hunger cues. What about the kid who just really doesn’t notice them or experiences them in some way that they aren’t able to identify? What would you recommend for them?

Anna Mackay (10:59)

That’s a great question. again, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. My thoughts on that, that is going to be a child and a teenager who is going to need a little bit more structure. I think they just will need a bit more filling in the gaps by whether it’s a parent or their dietitian. So a few more reminders, bit of encouragement. You’re going off to practice. I know you’re not very hungry.

We talked about having these things that we know that sit well in your stomach. Can you make sure you’ve had one? Mm-hmm. know, and…

It can be, you know, and also I think these don’t have to be huge snacks. can be a relatively small smoothie, a piece of fruit, gentle reminders without pressure on how proper nutrition can enhance their performance, boost their energy levels, framing it as a way to help them succeed. So you’re not sort of coming down on them.

Saying, you you need this, this and this, or it’s going to be a disaster. It’s more just framing it as a way. This will help you succeed. And then for really selective eaters,

Maybe you can answer that Elizabeth. I find that really, really tricky. My only piece of advice would be, think you have to keep pressure out of it, What would you say for people who…

Elizabeth (12:21)

So are we talking extremely picky eating or sort of your typical picky eater who’s a teenager who’s always been kind of picky?

Anna Mackay (12:27)

I would say the latter.

Elizabeth (12:34)

Okay, so in those situations, I would stick with what they’re willing to eat and just really focus on that and not pressure them to eat. As you said, keep the pressure out of it. And you know, if the team’s interested in increasing what they’re eating, great. If they’re not, I would let them be the driver on that. Because as teenagers get older, part of what they do is experiment, right? As part of their growth and development, and they’re over time going to start to add in some new foods just on their own, right? They’re going to see what their friends have and say, ⁓ maybe I’ll try that. Right? And so that’s how I think of it.

There are going to be some kids who need a little bit more structure. But I think less is more. Less is more as long as they’re meeting their nutritional needs. And if you’re worried if they really don’t eat many fruits and vegetables, you can always give them a a multivitamin. And I don’t that’s not always the answer. It’s always you know, we always want kids to and adults to get what they need from the foods that they eat. But if you’re worried they’re not, it’s not going to harm them to take a multivitamin, which can ease your mind, right? And ensure that they’re— it’s a little safety net.

Anna Mackay (13:57)

What if fruits and vegetables aren’t the problem? If their selectiveness is more around protein? I think it’s tricky for plant-based diets, for vegetarians.

Elizabeth (14:15)

Yes, that’s really tough. That’s really tough. I think if the kid is really picky and let’s say they’re vegetarian and they don’t eat beans, right? Or let’s say they’re vegetarian and they don’t eat nuts, right? those, or eggs, yes, yeah. Those are some major sources of protein. Yes, you can.

Anna Mackay (14:30)

Eggs.

Elizabeth (14:37)

Look to tofu to get some of those, some of that protein. And I think for teen athletes using protein powder can, I mean, it can really upset their stomachs. I say if a teen is really picky and they’re plant-based, I would encourage them to think of themselves as a flexitarian and think about some non-plant-based, some animal products that they’ve eaten in the past that they might be willing to reintroduce so that they can get what they need. That is a tricky one.

Taking your child to a dietitian can help because you can have someone outside of the family help with that. And I always encourage a dietitian with experience in eating disorder prevention, really well versed in it and a weight inclusive non-diet dietitian for that, which I know you would say the same thing. I that.

Anna Mackay (15:36)

I wholeheartedly agree. And I think that’s where parents I’ve spoken to often say, well, how do you know when it’s time to call a professional? And I think that is a juncture right there. You outlined it where if you find yourself as a parent trying to convince your child and you’re getting a bit exasperated, you’re feeling you’re at a dead end.

That’s a great time to call a dietitian because they will, if it’s a good fit particularly, and your kid may resist the idea, but be lighthearted about it. See, you know, just pitch it as, let’s see how it goes. We’re going to, this is all a part of supporting your, your wellbeing as an athlete. The dietitian should be able to make some inroads.

And it might take a little bit of time, but it’s better than you as the parent having to switch to pressuring.

Elizabeth (16:31)

Right. And then the teen who’s working on becoming independent is very likely to push back. And so, yes, it may be hard to make any, to make any progress there. Yeah, that was a really good, that was a really good question, Anna. A good point to bring up. I’m curious also, and you kind of, we kind of touched on this with when I asked about kids who aren’t entirely sure of their hunger cues, what about say a teen runner, well, it can be any athlete, but a teen athlete who wakes up in the morning and says, yeah, I don’t want breakfast. I’m not hungry for, I don’t want to eat breakfast. Or a teen athlete whose schedule is really packed and they’re going right from class immediately to their practice, which we see so often because their schedules are so packed. Those are two questions again. I love to ask more than one question at once.

Anna Mackay (17:26)

So think the dietitian’s answer is, and again, you chime in here if you’ve got something to add. Is that we want these kids having breakfast, lunch and dinner and some snacks. That is the way that we are going to ensure without a doubt that they’re having an adequate amount of food.

And that they’re consistently getting it. Because as soon as you skip a meal, you then are going to have to make up for all the nutrients and calories in the next meal. And that is going to be for most teenagers, that’s gonna be really hard. It’s just gonna be hard. It’s near impossible. Their tummies are still, you know, they’re just not gonna be able to accommodate that amount, that volume.

And if it becomes a habit, it can easily snowball into where then the tummy starts shrinking and then they really can’t manage that amount of food. And then you’re in the cycle of not being able to fuel adequately. So again, this may be where chatting with a dietitian for a few sessions, if they’re really resisting breakfast could be helpful.

Maybe sussing out why are they, it purely because they are so overwhelmed with their schedule and they’re just a bit disorganized or whatever and it’s just really hard in that way. In that scenario, I think you as the parent need to step in. And as they’re running out the door, I’ve thrown, there’s a protein bar, a banana and an overnight oats. You’ll find it in your bag. And that’s, that’s completely fine.

And a lot of teens will respond well to that and they’ll have it and that’s great. But if you feel like your teen is skipping it for another reason, then again, that’s where I think the dietitian needs to come in.

Elizabeth (19:14)

One thing I was gonna say about breakfast, if a team athlete doesn’t wanna eat breakfast, one thing you could do is, sit down, well, you don’t have to sit down with them, but just kind of casually. Right? It’s always better. It’s a little more casual. What are some things that would work well for you for just an out the door breakfast? Right? Is it if I make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? We eat that on the way to the bus or in the car on the way to school. And like you said, just grab and go foods, put them in their backpack.

I think the more you can get the teens buy in and get their suggestions, the more likely they may be to eat those foods. It’s tough. It’s tough. And the other thing parents can do is if you notice your teens not having breakfast or they’re just not, you know, they’re saying, I’m not hungry, I’m not eating it.

You might ask them how their practice is going, how they’re feeling. Just say, how are you feeling throughout the day? I know you don’t feel like eating breakfast. Let’s work towards that. In the meantime, if you can pay attention just to how you feel, whether or not you’re able to focus in class, what’s your energy level like? So a parent could ask those questions if they feel like their teen would be receptive to it. Then onto my second question.

My second part two of that two part question. What about a kid who doesn’t have time in between class, the end of class and changing into their practice clothes and getting to practice?

Anna Mackay (20:51)

So being short on time just means you have to be prepared, right? There has to be, we are lucky that there are about eight zillion different bars on the market. Most of them are fine. wouldn’t even, as a dietitian, I wouldn’t even be like, well, this one’s better than that one. I think you just need to find one you like.

Elizabeth (21:02)

Yes. And it has enough carbs in it.

Anna Mackay (21:14)

Fair point. So some of them are a little silly and they’ve, you know, they’re very diety, maybe stay away from those ones, but find one you like, find one that your stomach agrees with, that’s easy for you to digest and chuck that down. Right. You know, it’s, it’s easy to buy them in cases too. And they’re, they are, they really do serve a purpose.

Anna Mackay (21:41)

Don’t let anyone try and tell you that they’re rubbish or it’s junk food, because it’s not. really serve a practical purpose, I think.

Elizabeth (21:49)

Agree. I agree. think they, like many foods, get a bad rap and diet culture or wellness culture kind of told us all that we shouldn’t be having those bars. Yes, if someone’s eating it instead of having a candy bar when they’re really hungry for a candy bar, that’s a whole different podcast episode.

Anna Mackay (22:08)

Yeah, and it’s not dinner.

Elizabeth (22:09)

Right, exactly. It’s a snack to get them through. So now my next question is when practice is over, you know, let’s say they’ve got, I don’t know, two hours before they are home and have dinner.

Anna Mackay (22:22)

I think my answer’s the same. And what they might find is that the pre-practice, a bar is what feels best on the stomach and gives them enough to get through the practice and then after practice, maybe it’s an electrolyte drink and half a peanut butter sandwich. So it would just be a little trial and error.

Elizabeth (22:43)

Yeah, yeah, I was just going to ask about the sports drinks because they also get, you know, there’s a lot of, are they okay for kids to have? Should teens be having, teen athletes be having them? And I think they do, they serve a purpose, right? They can be so helpful in these situations.

Anna Mackay (23:00)

Water is the priority, but sports drinks with electrolytes are helpful. They just are, especially if you have long practices, 45 minutes or longer, and if you’re a heavy sweater or you’re working out, and know, it’s quite hot here on the East Coast of the US at the moment. yes, it is. Even if you went out running for 35 minutes.

You would probably be sweating profusely. A little bit of electrolytes and a drink could be really helpful in that scenario.

Elizabeth (23:31)

Yeah, yeah, for sure. So.

Anna Mackay (23:34)

Also, I think those electrolyte drinks, again, there’s a zillion on the market now. Don’t feel like you have to buy the ones with zero sugar in them. We just from a pure science point of view, and the sugar will be converted immediately to glucose, which will give you energy. We don’t need to be scared of that. It’ll assist in performance and it’ll help you recover.

Elizabeth (23:55)

Yeah, such a good point. Such an important point. I want to ask one question that I thought of while we were talking. What about sweets and chips and foods like that? Foods like those that often, you know, we hear messages all the time that we want to be avoiding foods like that.

Anna Mackay (24:14)

They have a place, ice cream, chips, all the things. And look, if you are sprinting out the door and all of a sudden, I mean, we’ve all been here, my gosh, I forgot to grab the X, Y, O, Z that I was gonna grab, but it’s all the way back in that part of the kitchen and I’m really in a rush and the jar of gummy bears is by the door. That is better than nothing, honestly. All these foods have a place.

I would probably not recommend if a kid wants ice cream and chocolate covered pretzels for dinner and that’s what they’re having every night. I mean, that’s a bit of a silly example, but you know, those foods definitely have a place and should not be demonized because demonizing them will always make them the forbidden fruit.

And then they want them more. it also is just, creates, that goes back to when we were talking right at the beginning about having a flexible, healthy relationship with food. We want that to be with all foods, not just the foods that we think are the most nutritious foods.

Elizabeth (25:14)

Exactly. Exactly. And as I always say, all those foods like ice cream, for example, it’s got fat, carbohydrate, protein, vitamin D, calcium, right? Has nutrients that our bodies need. Yeah. And nutrients that a teen athlete will need.

Anna Mackay (25:32)

Totally. think about a 16 year old girl or boy who are on the cross country team and they are running miles and miles and miles. Let’s say they’re already, those sports tend to attract quite lean builds. Two scoops of ice cream for a kid like that is fantastic. That’s a great addition to their day in addition to their other meals.

Mm-hmm not ever in place of in addition to

Elizabeth (26:01)

Right. Well, I’m glad we touched on that.

What about, I mean, I know what, I think I know what you’re gonna, well, of course I know what you’re gonna say. What advice do you have for parents to support teen athletes in getting enough on travel days and tournament days, right? I think of volleyball players, one of my younger, my older daughter played travel volleyball for a little, a short time. And wow, those tournament days. mean, yes, yeah.

Anna Mackay (26:27)

Hours and hours.

Yeah, I mean, this is the packing, the planning and packing, right? And so I’ll keep this answer short. Two pieces of advice. One is bring more than you think you’ll need. And two is stick with those familiar, easily digestible foods. Don’t go and try something brand new on a tournament day. I would say, yeah, stick with what you know.

Elizabeth (26:40)

Yes, great. And I would add that I want to add sometimes on social media, you’ll see posts of the bento style lunch boxes, and people packing those that’s not going to hold enough food for a teen athlete. It’s not doesn’t they don’t hold enough for a teen. And they’re definitely not going to hold enough for a teen athlete. And so you may need to pack two bento boxes or lunchbox with quite a few sides. So I think, yeah, that that to me is a very important piece of information because people do use those a lot, it seems, which is fine. There just has to be something added to them. Added to what’s in the Bento style lunchbox. So again, it sounds like so much of this is planning and preparation. modeling by the parents.

Anna Mackay (27:48)

Yeah.

Elizabeth (27:51)

Encouraging the kids to really tune in to what they need, what their bodies, the signals that their bodies are telling them, as opposed to using external cues like watches and other kind of tracking devices.

Anna Mackay (28:04)

and TikTok.

Elizabeth (28:05)

Right, and TikTok, yes. my gosh, did I say that already? Yes, I did. The influence of the social media messages that these kids see. And YouTube, too, is a place that teens get a lot, teen athletes and teens get a lot of information that’s harmful. Yeah. And so the parents, the teens, and the coaches are all up against that, for sure.

So speaking of negative or harmful messages that kids, that teen athletes are seeing, what are some red flags that a teen may not be getting enough to eat to support their growth and activity levels? And even if it’s framed as they’re doing something, even if it’s framed as healthy or performance-based.

Anna Mackay (28:47)

Well, so there’s going to be some sort of symptoms. And then I’ll also mention that someone can be under fueled and still gain weight or look sort of quote unquote normal. So I’ll mention sort of some symptoms. So it’d be fatigue, physical weakness, decreased performance in their sport.

Being moody, irritable, for girls would be a delayed or absent menstrual cycle, brittle nails, hair loss, poor concentration, slipping in school or academic slipping, socially withdrawing or showing a lack of interest in activities, being more susceptible to injury or illness, and

Yeah, okay, so sure, noticeable weight loss, certainly, but that’s not always going to be a sign, it just can be. So I think that’s a really important point to be aware that if all some of those other symptoms are present, but you’re kind of going, but you know, they’re not, they don’t look different. I would still be alarmed.

Elizabeth (29:53)

Right, right. What’s one thing that you wish every teen athlete and their parents and coaches understood about fueling teen athletes?

Anna Mackay (30:03)

When it comes to food, something is always, always better than nothing. Skipping out on a snack or worse, skipping an entire meal, it’s going to sabotage your performance every single time. then, yeah, so food should come first.

So, and also I’ll just add that supplements, I think they take up like an entire supermarket aisle now.

It is wild to me how much is on those shelves and much of it, if not all of it, the FDA doesn’t regulate most of it. So it can be, there can literally be anything in these containers from ingredients that are listed, but they’re not actually those ingredients. So I think be really, really, really wary of supplements, know, the creatines and the muscle builders and all that kind of stuff. It could be harmful ingredients in there.

Elizabeth (30:59)

Definitely. And kids, again, this stuff, they see it all over social media. All over.

Anna Mackay (31:05)

They do. another sign to be, think, to be aware of should be a red flag would be unusual stomach upset, cramping, you know, out of the ordinary diarrhea, know, gastro stuff that’s kind of come out of out of the blue.

Elizabeth (31:22)

So last question as we wrap up here. And this kind of is an add-on to what we were talking about just a few minutes ago, where can parents and teens find supportive non-diet information on fueling teen athletes?

Anna Mackay (31:40)

So I will you can I would love to hear what you would recommend. I have to bashing social media. I have to say there are some very good social media accounts. There are. So there is a woman who is the assistant director for athletics at Purdue.

And she, so she’s a dietitian and she’s been there for a long time and her social media account is really good, but it’s very directed towards quite elite athletes. So just, I’ll just put that out there, but her account’s great. It’s very, it’s not diety and it’s very, I think it’s, it’s bang on. This podcast?

Elizabeth (32:22)

They can listen to that.

Anna Mackay (32:23)

Side Up Nutrition, yeah. And you can look in in the Sunny Side Up library. There’s all sorts of stuff in there at the website. And then I would say if you’re the parent of a teen athlete and you’ve got lots of questions and you’re finding social media, not really answering the questions.

Elizabeth (32:41)

Mm-hmm.

Anna Mackay (32:42)

Make an appointment with a dietitian. You’ve literally got nothing to lose and you might find that it a few sessions or just getting some more information is really helpful.

Elizabeth (32:52)

Yes, yes. And I think it’s important to, for parents to, to remember to work with a non-diet weight inclusive registered dietitian. and if you’re listening to this and you would like names of, of dietitians who could see your teen athlete, feel free to send us an email at [email protected]. And we can give you the names of some people. I know Anna has someone on her in her practice, actually, who worked for UNC University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, athletic department for many years. And so she’s very, very, yeah, she’s very knowledgeable. And I don’t have a specific recommendation. There used to be a really wonderful, well you could still look at her social, look through her social media, the soccer nutritionist I think she was called.

Anna Mackay (33:51)

I know who you’re talking about. can’t think of the name off the top of my head, but I know who you’re referring to.

Elizabeth (33:56)

Yes, I really liked her advice. I think also if a parent is or if a teen or a parent’s looking for information, I do think any non-diet social media, most of it can be helpful, right? Because teens need to be, teen athletes need to be eating enough.

Anything else? Any others that you can think of that you would recommend? Any books? Opal? Was it Opal podcast? I’ll have to look that one up.

Anna Mackay (34:27)

So that treatment center out on the West Coast, they, don’t know if they’re still doing the podcast, but that’s an excellent.

Elizabeth (34:35)

They have some great episodes.

Anna Mackay (34:37)

Yeah, in Australia, Shane Jeffries up in Brisbane, does performance nutrition. He’s a great dietitian, runs a practice in Brisbane. And then there is also a great, and I’m sure the US has this too, but I’m trying to think of, it’s called Oz Dances. It’s AUS Dances. And this is a woman who, she is not a dietitian, but she, has worked with ballerinas for a really long time. And she does social, she has a social media site that talks a lot about warning signs for ballerinas, specifically for dancers. And her site has information for, that can then direct people, you know, they need a dietitian or another person in the dance world in Australia.

Elizabeth (35:20)

And we interviewed somebody who is a ballerina and dietitian. And all of a sudden, I’m embarrassed to say I cannot remember her name, but we will link.

Anna Mackay (35:32)

Is she in New York?

Elizabeth (35:33)

Yes. Yes. So we’ll link to her podcast episode. And then there’s Leslie Schilling, who’s a dietitian who does a lot of sports nutrition and does sports nutrition training for dietitians. And she’s wonderful. So we’ll link to all these, all these resources in the show notes. All right, Anna, this has been awesome.

Anna Mackay (35:51)

This has been so fun.

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