The goal of sports nutrition is to help an athlete optimize performance potential and overall health. For adolescent athletes, the top priority is healthy growth, development, and maturation. In practice, this means assessing nutrition to ensure growth and development is not negatively affected when intense training is combined with poor nutrition. The sports physician can assess food habits, timing, and amounts of foods and fluids to give helpful tips during the visit. Physicians can also be the first line of defense for dispelling myths about fad diets. Referral to a registered dietitian can be made for a more comprehensive nutrition assessment.
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