Have you ever wondered how supplements could be influencing the fitness of you and your children? It turns out that there is a lot of information that can inform your decision about whether or not to take supplements or give them to your kids, and we’ve compiled some of the most useful facts here!
On this week’s Train Station Fitness Show, George DiGianni spoke with Jill Lane, a fitness and nutrition coach with years of experience in the industry, about the impact of supplements on kids and on adults. Check out recordings of the show here, and then read on to learn more:
Jill and George first discussed at which age is it ok to allow a child to use supplements, an issue that is extremely important in keeping your kids healthy and performing at their best. Jill mentioned that there are a few factors to take into account. The first is- how many hours a week do they train? If your kid is doing intense activity for more than an hour a day, their nutritional needs go up and they’ll need to replenish their macronutrients (protein, fats, carbohydrates) and vitamins either through supplements or an increase in certain healthy foods. If they are not not meeting their required levels, they will face emotional and physical repercussions to their health. Children who don’t do this type of regular, intense activity can mostly replenish their needs with healthy foods without having to resort to supplements. But keep in mind that children generally need about 60 minutes of activity a day!
It’s also important to ask what is the variety of foods your child eats. If you’ve got a picky eater on your hands, you may need to expand their pool of vitamins and minerals by trying to get them to eat more diverse foods or by resorting to supplements. However, when picking a child supplement, make sure that you are choosing a healthy option! A lot of childrens’ vitamins include many sugars and other additives to make them taste better, and these added ingredients can actually be really unhealthy! Jill recommends instead buying a powdered form of many supplements that contain no fluff and only nutrients. She specifically recommends a multivitamin, a probiotic supplement, and fish oil for most children!
This leads to our next important point, which applies to adults as well as to children. Remember that supplements work, but you have to be conscious of quality and quantity in order to reap the full benefits. Make sure that you’re taking quality supplements at the required dose! You can get results from something that is actually really bad for you, so keep this in mind. In general, make sure that your body is getting back what you expend and that you are doing all you can to prevent injury. Certain medications can deplete nutrients, so make sure to research your medications online to see if you need to start taking a supplement. It’s also important to mix up types of activity to prevent injury and overuse. Support children in their activities of choice, but encourage them to try other things. The same goes for you!
Finally, remember that your genes can influence the supplements that you need and the types of activity to which your body responds best. A good rule to remember is:
Genetics + Training = Excellence
We now have the ability to identify genes that predispose you to be good at sports, indicate your ability to recover from certain strains, and influence your fitness in other ways. Companies like Genetic Direction allow you to see how your genes influence your fitness and diet, and provide prescriptions about exercises, foods, and supplements that will keep you at the top of your game! Learn more here: www.geneticdirection.com.
