To supplement or not to supplement?

[mimi]

My daughter is tiny (47 inches, 45 lbs., age 9). She has had all of the growth testing done at the request of the pediatrician and they told me that she is normal, just small. I know that she eats enough for an average child, but I am growing concerned about the amount she eats based on all of the physical exercise that she is getting (trains 5 days a week, 3 hrs.). Does anyone out there use protein supplements for their child? I have heard that it can sometimes be damaging to the kidneys/liver to get too much protein. What does everyone think?

 

[fliptwisttwirl]

My coaches always tell the parents in our gym that natural is always the best..as long as she has a good healthy appetite she should be fine!

 

[cbone]

I have been told by my doctor that most kids get all of the protein they need from their normal diet until they turn 16 or so. Obviously, your daughter is on the extreme end of the size spectrum, but if she's eating normally, she's probably fine. That said, you may want to consult with a nutritionist and/or your pediatrician to be sure.

 

[wallinbl]

Contact a sports nutritionist. They will be better prepared to answer this kind of question than a general practice doctor will be.

General rule of thumb is that you should get 0.5g of protein per day per pound of bodyweight, but if you're an athlete, it should be closer to 1g per pound. The labels on your food should be sufficient for getting a good idea of this.

 

[bogwoppit]

I would avoid commercial protein supplements. If your dd has a an appetite, is active and sleeping well I wouldn't be too concerned. She is small for sure, but many kids are.

If you are concerned about her protein it is very easy to supplement it naturally. Homemade smoothies made from low fat greek yogourt, milk and frozen fruit, greek yogourt is very high in protein. Hummus and veggies, cheese strings, a home made trail mix with unsalted nuts and cheerios. Eggs are easy and full of protein. Nut butters are a great choice too.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

supplements= expensive pee

 

[ARKGYMMOM]

What Dunno said.....

If the Dr. seems to think that she is healthy just make sure that she is eating and everything should balance out.

 

[GymBee97]

Listen to your DR. If he/she isn't concerned then don't worry about it. You know sometimes the genes have it programmed that we will be small, short, tall skinny, athletic build etc.

If all the tests are normal and DR then go with that. I know my Gymnast eats like a bird and tends to get anemic (sp?) at this time of the year (like she is now). Her Dr makes sure she get a blood test done at this time of the year to check on that. Now she is taking 2 iron pills a day to bring her iron levels up.

The only thing we take extra and Dr said it was a good idea is the One-A-Day for Teen girls. She said then you know she has all of the required minerals etc. that is the only type of "suppliment" she takes.

 

[Where's the beach?]

I'll preface this with, I have no medical training .

My DD was diagnosed with hypoglycemia and I was concerned about her having enough food and energy to make it through a 4 hour practice. Her pediatrician reccomended Carnation Breakfast Essentials (used to be Carnation instant breakfast).

It has a good ratio of carbs to protein, and keeps her feeling good for hours.
We do not use it as a meal replacement, but as a snack or a drink with breakfast.

It has 5g of protein as the powder and depending on the type of milk you buy, as much as 15g mixed. Lots of vitamins and minerals too. It also comes in lots of flavors and a sugar-free version.

Since she is so tiny, I would suggest starting with half a glass and seeing how that goes before having her drink the whole thing. My 6 & 7 year old share one and I use soy milk for them.

Adult protein shakes and bars are made for people 3 times her size, so I would advise against those.
Cliff kids bars are good as a snack too, less protein and organic.

Since she has no medical problems, adding a glass of milk each day, a couple of extra eggs a week or some nuts as asnack are good ways to boost her natural protein consumption.

Good luck!

ETA... Just read Bog's post, sorry to repeat what she said

 

[BlairBob]

hmm, one of the most difficult issues with supplementation for youths is getting it down. especially taste. this is hidden mostly with sugar or sweeteners.

whey is the standard of the best protein out there. egg used to be but whey is superior as it digests and is absorbed far more rapidly. whey concentrate wont work for lactose intolerant types but whey isolate will

a well known powerlifter and supplement company told me no ergogenics till 17. no creatine or protein. it might have been 15 but kany kids in football programs will start thei frosh year.

looking at the chinese and russian programs, they do not supplement. supplements generally are way more expensive in other countries.

 

[BlairBob]

man, i really hate typing on this tablet sometimes.

however soy is an inferior protein to whey or egg or meat proteins. brown rice beats it out but is generally better than hemp, pea, spirulina, etc. while some of the research shows it doesnt have any effects on altering hormonal levels, other research does. perhaps its just the individuals that are particular to it, but it keeps me suspect about it period.

however, once girls start going through puberty, you need to watch iron levels especially if they are picky eaters or get that high school girl gonna be a vegetarian/vegan urge.

with the little ones, just feed them more or let them eat, snacking. kids with gerd do bring their own issues though to the table.

boiled eggs are easy to eat but it seems many kids dont like the dryness of the yolk. any kind of animal mlik is an easy source of calories and protein and carbs besidee minerals. chocolate milk has sort have become the rage for post workout supplementation instead of protein powders and shakes because of taste and price. many nut milks are just sweetened witj poor nutrient profiles to animal milk.

 

[Empowered]

I have a severly underweight child (not my gymnast). He has a disparity of almost 70 percentiles height to weight (86th percentile height - 20th weight)... His BMI isn't measurable and he stays this thin doing no physical activity, it's just how he is.

We have asked his pediatrician multiple times if we should do supplements, pediasure, weight gain products and the answer is always a resounding NO! As he says, provided his being underweight isn't affecting him physically (he never gets sick, he's never too tired), there is no reason to disrupt what is his normal metabolism.

So even if they are freakishly thin, so long as they are healthy... let them be!

 

[wallinbl]

So even if they are freakishly thin, so long as they are healthy... let them be!

Healthy can be tricky to determine. I had a lot of joint injuries playing soccer. I appeared thin but healthy (the doctors all thought I was quite healthy by any measure). I was always encouraged by coaches to gain weight (it was pretty easy to muscle me off the ball because I was considerably lighter than everyone else), but I never could no matter how much I ate. Doctors would just say I had a high metabolism and a lot of exercise on top of it.

Looking back, I ate like crap. There was no balance to my diet and there wasn't nearly enough protein. I took multivitamins, but they're nowhere near as effective as getting those things from actual food. I'm fairly convinced, and have found some academic literature to support this, that many of my injuries were related to eating poorly enough that my muscles couldn't appropriately develop and support my skeleton in the activities I was putting my body through.

I was strong, I was fast, I had endurance, I looked healthy and passed all the blood tests, etc. You'd have thought I was healthy (and doctors did think so). My body was doing the best it could to make up for what I was giving it.

Pay attention to your child's diet and make sure it covers the various areas and that there's enough of the various components going in. Your child may be completely healthy, but in the limited time your doctor gets with you and your child, they really don't have much information to go on. They're probably relying on your answer to a simple question like "does she eat well?", which you may be answering casually.

Sorry for being so long winded here, but I always thought I lost the skeletal lottery due to all the injuries until I started eating better and found that I was doing it to myself all along.

 

[coachmolly]

I agree with Dunno's sentiments. I don't think any kind of protein supplementation is necessary for most children, unless specifically directed by a doctor. There are plenty of vitamins available in a balanced diet, foods which the body readily absorbs and are usually not too much of a problem to get kids to eat (unless they are incredibly picky or allergies are present). Dairy products (milk, cheese, Greek yogurt- not sugar-full/overly processed and preservative full stuff), beans, eggs, almonds/almond butter are all good sources of protein. Additionally, supplements are not strictly regulated (not regulated at all in many cases) and typically not formulated specifically for children. I was watching a YouTube video from a nutritionist from a very prominent gym club in the US who recommended protein powders and the like for young athletes, I adamantly disagree, but I suppose it's a matter of personal preference. I don't touch the stuff myself and wouldn't think about giving it to a child. I honestly haven't done too much research into supplementation as I have pretty strong beliefs that you can get everything you need through a real food diet.
You can make whey at home somewhat easily from straight, natural milk and add to smoothies.
If the doctors say she is fine, and you are aware that she is eating a variety of foods and getting what she needs, I wouldn't worry too much unless she suddenly becomes tired, weak, etc. A trip to a nutritionist well-versed in athletes and children would certainly not hurt either, though I would recommend doing some research so you are sure you found a good one.

 

[mimi]

Thanks so much for all of the suggestions. She does eat a lot of nuts, loves Greek yogurt (thank goodness), and eats a good variety of foods. I was concerned that she eats kind of small portions of these foods, but it sounds like the general consensus is that adding natural protein to her diet is the way to go. That is pretty much what I have been doing all along...every time I picked up a protein bar/shake and looked at the label, the ingredient list seemed way too long and unpronounceable!

Wallinbl, I had the same issue as a college soccer player, and never made the food connection. I bet you are correct about that. Once I went to college I was plagued with muscle pulls, ligament tears, and ankle problems, the likes of which I am now paying for as an adult.

Sounds like, as always, natural is better.

 

[shelovestoflip]

hmm, one of the most difficult issues with supplementation for youths is getting it down. especially taste. this is hidden mostly with sugar or sweeteners.

whey is the standard of the best protein out there. egg used to be but whey is superior as it digests and is absorbed far more rapidly. whey concentrate wont work for lactose intolerant types but whey isolate will

a well known powerlifter and supplement company told me no ergogenics till 17. no creatine or protein. it might have been 15 but kany kids in football programs will start thei frosh year.

looking at the chinese and russian programs, they do not supplement. supplements generally are way more expensive in other countries.

Blair Bob (or anyone else who knows), I have a stupid question...what are ergogenics?

My daughter is generally a healthy eater (yeah, she loves her gummy candy and carbs!) but she generally craves fruits and salads. She's a fine size....at 12 1/2 is on the 10% for height and weight which is essentially where she has been since she was little.

I do worry she doesn't get enough protein and particularly, calcium as she hates milk! She eats yogurt on occasion but not regularly enough for me to think it's helping with her calcium intake. She supplements (Adora chocolates...crazy expensive from Whole Foods) and will eat cheese.

She loves Luna protein Bars and usually has one before practice. They are gluten free (not that this matters) and are labeled as a low glycemic food. At almost 13, do you think this is something she shouldn't be eating?

When I pick her up from practice, I bring dinner which is typically something like a chicken wrap, burrito, grilled cheese with turkey etc....with a fruit on the side.

Just curious!

 

[BlairBob]

not a fan of luna bars as they use soy protein but girls love them. so does a lot of the clif bars.

ergogenics refers to external aids to enhance performance. this is what chris mason@AtLarge nutrition referred to them as.

personally, if someone told me as a kid that sometin would help me with no side effects, game on. spinach and popeye the sailor. i drank plenty of milk and cleaned my plate.

i have thought of implementing it for my gymnasts if i can figure out the logistic issues and get parents onboard. this is essentially what is called a " training table" in football. since i generally keep food at the gym for the kids in case they miss a snack or are hungry pre practice, its not much of a hurdle. just gotta watch out for allergies.

one of my gymnast's dad was mr california and so he did it somewhat for his kids, 2 being gymnasts. not opposed but wary.

how serious are ya about being athlete or a human being?

 

[mimi]

For the last 3 days, I have been making dd a "protein shake" after practice. It consists of whole milk, 2% greek yogurt, a little bit of vanilla ice cream, and either some nut butter or fruit blended in. It is amazing how much protein/fat you can pack into a little smoothie if you choose the ingredients carefully! Of course, skim milk can always be used and ice cream omitted if you want to avoid the fat and still have the protein, but my dd is so small and skinny, I figure she can use the fat.

Speaking strictly from my point of view as a parent, I would think that parents would jump on board with something like this if a coach suggested it. I would LOVE to have our coaches suggest something by way of nutrition for our girls, just as a guide.

 

[shelovestoflip]

not a fan of luna bars as they use soy protein but girls love them. so does a lot of the clif bars.

ergogenics refers to external aids to enhance performance. this is what chris mason@AtLarge nutrition referred to them as.

personally, if someone told me as a kid that sometin would help me with no side effects, game on. spinach and popeye the sailor. i drank plenty of milk and cleaned my plate.

i have thought of implementing it for my gymnasts if i can figure out the logistic issues and get parents onboard. this is essentially what is called a " training table" in football. since i generally keep food at the gym for the kids in case they miss a snack or are hungry pre practice, its not much of a hurdle. just gotta watch out for allergies.

one of my gymnast's dad was mr california and so he did it somewhat for his kids, 2 being gymnasts. not opposed but wary.

how serious are ya about being athlete or a human being?

This does cause me stress as I know the 'soy factor' isn't necessarily a good one....My daughter is a healthy eater overall and this is the first bar she actually likes! So I've tried to let it go because it's good to have something small and portable...

Geez, never easy!

As for working with kids at the gym, I'd be thrilled if the coaches pointed out 'healthy foods' to the gymnasts! Always good to hear it from someone other than mom! I know they talk a little about it in passing as girls will have snack before practice and sometimes the coaches will be in the room. Also on Saturday mornings.....Any advice is always good!

 

[mimi]

This does cause me stress as I know the 'soy factor' isn't necessarily a good one....My daughter is a healthy eater overall and this is the first bar she actually likes! So I've tried to let it go because it's good to have something small and portable...

Geez, never easy!

As for working with kids at the gym, I'd be thrilled if the coaches pointed out 'healthy foods' to the gymnasts! Always good to hear it from someone other than mom! I know they talk a little about it in passing as girls will have snack before practice and sometimes the coaches will be in the room. Also on Saturday mornings.....Any advice is always good!

Have you tried Larabars? They are made up of basically fruits, nuts, choc. chips, (depending on the variety you buy), and are gluten-free. They are very natural!