Nutrition and the Teen Athlete

Teen athletes today face more challenges then ever before. They are being asked to compete at levels previously only seen in college or professional sports while balancing academic demands and social stresses. All of this, combined with the conflicting information presented in our media about nutrition and health of teen athletes, leads to a lot of confusion. How can parents sort through all of the information out there and best support their child athlete?

This presentation will provide an overview of proper nutrition for teen athletes including healthy snacks, hydration and macro and micronutrients. It will also focus maximizing performance while avoiding the medical dangers caused by over-exercise and under-nutrition. The risks and benefits of over the counter nutritional supplements will also be discussed.

Presenter Bio

Helen Pak MA, RD is currently the Clinical Dietitian at UC Berkeley’s Student Health Services and is also a nutrition consultant with Bay Area Nutrition in Campbell, CA. After playing for Guam’s National Volleyball team, Helen received an athletic scholarship to Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, where she received her Bachelor's of Science in nutrition and dietetics. She went on to get her Master’s of Arts in Education at University of Alabama, Birmingham. Helen's area of expertise includes working with all types of eating disorders and sports nutrition. She was the sports nutritionist for Cal Athletics from 2004-2007, as well as an instructor at various Bay Area colleges. She particularly enjoys working with teens, college students and people struggling with emotional eating. Helen practices a “Health at Every Size” philosophy and teaches workshops on intuitive style eating and building self-esteem. She resides in Hayward, CA with her fiancé, Bill. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, volleyball, gardening, camping with her step-girls and playing with her dog and cat, Lady and the Tramp!