quote:Originally posted by Doughnutman:
Bum,
Do you eat the same as you did as a growing, competitve athlete? Are you burning as many calories as when you were going through growth spurts while exercising every day? You need to fuel the fire. Just ask Michael Phelps. Most professional athletes eat 3-4 times what a normal adult eats and they still lose weight during the season. People kill me when they talk about diets for young athletes. Just eat a well rounded diet. Ice cream is a great food for athletes that burn a ton of calories. Calcium, protein and yes, fat. All things a growing body needs. If you want to put on muscle and size and keep it on during the season you need to eat. A lot.
Excessive sugar intake negatively impacts sports performance, leading to nausea, dehydration, loss of strength and tiredness. It's called "sugar crash". I have no problem with extra calories in a balanced diet. Even fat-rich diets are okay, but to advocate 1/4 gallon of ice cream is sheer lunacy. Your body will not properly metabolize the necessary proteins, fat and carbohydrates needed for weight gain. You'll pee it out and most likely need surgery for kidney stones from the excess calcium. You should rather derive sustained energy from protein-rich meat, measured carbohydrates, and fiber-rich foods. Excess carbohydrates convert to sugars as well. Add in four or five pops a day that you drink, and your next appointment with the doctor will be for diabetic screening.
1/2 cup of ice cream/day is great. 1/4 gallon of ice cream/day is a death sentence.