One of the most popular questions I receive from parents is “should my young athlete take supplements?”

Well, maybe.

You see, there are a few things that must be discussed first before the topic of supplements comes up. These are 1) foundation nutrition, and 2) nutrient timing. Both of these, along with supplements/biomarker testing, are part of my Optimal Nutrition System, which I use on all of my athletes. Foundation nutrition focuses on using food (carbohydrates, protein and fat) to support blood sugar and optimize energy levels while nutrient timing focuses on the types and amounts of foods and fluids young athletes should consume before, during and after practices and competitions.

But, let’s get back to supplements. In my teachings, there are three categories of supplements:

1. Micronutrient/health: multivitamins, single micronutrients such as vitamin D, vitamin C, calcium, iron and zinc, fish oil (omega-3s) and probiotics.

The reasons athletes take supplements in this category are usually for “insurance” or to identify a known deficiency.

2. Sport: any sport drink, BCAA, protein powder, electrolyte, energy gel, energy bar or protein bar

Most athletes use these during their pre-season and in-season competition training cycles to help with energy, hydration and recovery.

3. Ergogenic: supplements like creatine, beta alanine, nitrates, sodium bicarbonate and caffeine

This category is not as common among young athletes because not many parents understand these types of supplements and without proper guidance and supervision, well, these could pose a safety risk. 

While it is impossible to make any general recommendations in this article, I will say that the second category is the most popular among young athletes, followed closely by the first category. The third category is rarely used unless there is a nutrition professional providing guidance to the young athlete and their family.

So, back to the original question, “should my young athlete take supplements?” 

Now that you understand the categories, the answer may become more clear. 

Each young athlete has different needs but I would encourage you to first emphasize their foundation/daily nutrition first then create a custom nutrient timing system that will meet your young athletes needs. Then, and only then, do I think it is fair to introduce the topic of supplements.

I’m sure this may leave you with questions so I encourage you to submit your question to “Ask eNRG” HERE. One of the awesome Sport Dietitians at eNRG Performance will answer your question on our YouTube channel (these are posted every Monday).