If your kids are looking thinner and missing meals at home, pay careful attention to how much they eat. Increase calories by providing healthy snacks, energy bars, high-calorie nutrition drinks, and evening snacks. The best-fueled athlete is the better athlete. Athletes who strive to be too thin lack energy, strength and stamina. Too-thin athletes may be losing muscle as part of their weight loss.
Carbohydrates are the body's preferred source of energy, but the body stores only limited amounts.
Muscles need available carbohydrates in order to function. About 60 percent of an athlete's diet should come from foods such as breads, cereals, pasta, rice, fruits and vegetables, and then some sweets to add additional calories. After a hard practice or game, the athlete should replenish carbohydrates within two hours for the most efficient storage. We all need protein, but athletes need a little more than non-athletes to build and maintain muscles that are being trained for competition. However, this does not mean a large slab of steak every night.