Sports Mums and Gatorade

This is a sponsored post from BlogHer and GATORADE.

If you are a sports mum, have you ever wondered if you are providing your young athletes with the proper nutrition they need to perform their best in practices and games? I thought I had it all figured out. That is, until I was given some key information that all sports mums should know.

When my eldest son first started playing organized sports at age four, it was all about participation and fun. If he happened to learn a few skills along the way, then we felt as though we received more than our money's worth. For many kids, the highlight of the practices and games was the snacks, which typically comprised of some type of packaged sweet treat and a juice box.

Times have changed. Soccer practices are no longer just about dribbling and kicking as hard as you can. Rather, practices are a straight hour and a half of technical ball-handling, conditioning, strategy and play-your-heart-out scrimmages. After 90 minutes of intense exercise, my son's face is bright red (an exercise side-effect the poor kid inherited from me) and he is positively famished.



As a sports mum, my role has moved from cheerleader (though I still relish that part) to food and beverage supplier. Considering that 70 percent of mothers have teens and tweens in competitive sports (that's 13 million of us in the United States), I am certainly not alone in wondering what types of fuel I should be providing to my young athletes. Gatorade, the leading sports drink maker, surveyed 900 mums to come up with some areas where we need guidance when it comes to our kids' nutrition.

For example, did you know:

• athletes should re-fuel with protein in 30 to 60 minutes following exercise to promote muscle recovery,
• seventy percent of teen athletes arrive at sporting events dehydrated, and
• more than half of sports mums say that their kids are not properly fueled pre-practice or game.

As a result of this survey, Gatorade has set up a special site devoted to sports mums. In conjunction with the scientist at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI), the people at Gatorade are offering sports nutrition information and training tips to assist sports mums with the daily challenge of properly fueling their young athletes.

In addition, take the time to watch some Gatorade Videos, which include stories of mums who made sacrifices to help their children (some now professional athletes) perform to their full potential in the sporting arena.

To stay updated on further research and helpful tips from Gatorade, be sure to Visit the Official site .

For a chance to win a $100 gift to Dick's Sporting Goods, please answer the following questions in the comment section:

"As a sports mum (or dad), what information would you find most helpful to aid you in properly fueling your kids before and after sporting events?"

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This giveaway runs from 3/31-4/30/2010.