Creating a “gaining” environment
No CommentToday’s post is in response to an email I received about a young athlete interested in specific preparation for putting on weight. I recently really enjoyed an email from a friend and reader that I wanted to share with you as I’ll talk about my thoughts on the matter in today’s post:
QUESTION: “My son is going to be in 8th grade next year and is a football and lacrosse player. He is concerned with his size as he is a twin and kind of skinny. He wanted me to find out if you could suggest a HEALTHY way for him to put on muscle/weight. I have always told players the peanut butter sandwich diet, but wanted you’re advice. I have never used protein or anything like that and am not sure what to even suggest for him.
Could you give me some suggestions on what he could be doing now so he is a little more prepared, size wise, for football this fall?”
ANSWER(S):
This is a common question for many kids, regardless of age. First I’d like to say that I think it’s special that a young man can ask his Dad for healthy advice on improving his strength, size and overall image!
Considering the son is probably 13/14 years old, there are physiological as well as chronological considerations that will impact the fruits of labor here in one’s attempt to gain size. Puberty is a great time to harness valuable hormones, specifically testosterone, and take advantage of the potential gains to be made from nature’s gift. In retrospect, it’s difficult to make gains (in terms of mass) prior to puberty, even if you’re eating right.
The peanut butter sandwich idea does warrant some thought as it is a way to increase quality calories. And let’s be honest here, who doesn’t like peanut butter? In considering the PB Sandwich and including eating it within your regular diet, in this situation we are concerned with nutrition and satisfying caloric needs in attempt of gaining weight. Gaining weight almost certainly requires increasing caloric intake. And, in order to be sure we gain, the caloric intake has to be equal to more than what the caloric expenditure is.
The stars need to align for optimal efficiency. Age, genetics, body type (look into endomorph, ectomorph, mesomorph and hybrid), nutrition, consistency, exercise, strength training, sleep, stress, etc. Of these, we have to think about the ones we can control. We can control what we eat/drink. We can mostly control our sleep and how much or little we get. We can control our exercise–but this may not mean we completely control our individual energy consumption as everyone uses food/fuel differently and at different rates for the same activities. We can control strength training and to some degree, we can control stress either directly or indirectly through the various methods of the above mentioned–each of the those factors affect one’s stress level and how we deal with stress. How we deal with stress individually is another matter.
1) Caloric Intake: All calories are not created equal. There’s a great deal of calories in most fast food and restaurants. Most of these are not great. The best calories are selected from the grocery store, grown in your garden or from a local farmer. Quality foods at home help build endless meal and snack options–including peanut butter sandwiches.
2) Nutrient timing: This could be very complex for simplicity, we need to seek balance. Creating a caloric surplus typically requires eating more and eating frequently. Eating a generous breakfast must be the start as it sets up how your body will use the fuel you provide it throughout the day. Packing lunch and 2 snacks for school is wise as school lunch can’t compete with what you, Mom or Dad can make at home. Eating a balanced dinner is another great time to fuel up. Someone might select different meal sizes throughout the day based on their intended goals. In this case of weight gain interest, we’d look for dinner to be balanced with meats, plenty of vegetables, quality dairy and carbohydrates. A before bed snack consisting of natural or supplemented protein are a consideration. Consider casein proteins which take longer to digest, for late night snacks like the ones found in milk, cheese, yogurt. A glass of milk is a good start. Milk consists of about 20% whey–the faster absorbed protein, and 80% casein. Making milk a good choice since your body will take to digest this while you sleep, and even help you sleep. Consider protein powder supplements if lactose allergies are of concern.
3) Strength Training: Notice I didn’t title this as exercise as strength training can differ from exercise. With our goal of strength training we’re interested in grooving quality movement patterns using a variety of resistance–be creative but keep it safe. Plan a program that works with your schedule. If you’re not in a sport, 3-4 days a week would be good. 2 might be a little on the light side, and more than 4 might be on the excessive side.
For a great guideline on teen nutrition, I recommend checking out Teen Nutrition Blueprint. It’s an easy read and makes sense for young athletes and adults alike.
Please let me know what you think by leaving a comment.
-Hollister
Posted by Hollister Struck | in Athletic Development | No Comments
