Fueling keiki athletes: a parent’s guide to food and drinks for youth sports

Published 2026-10-20

What the research says about everyday meals, game-day food, water versus sports and energy drinks, supplements, and why eating enough matters for young athletes on Maui.

General information, not medical advice. Every keiki is different. Talk with your child’s doctor, athletic trainer or a registered dietitian before making changes, especially if your child has a health condition, food allergy or special diet.

No games to report today, so we’re looking at something that matters every day of the season: what our keiki eat and drink. Between after-school practice, weekend tournaments and Maui’s heat, young athletes need steady fuel. Here’s what the major medical and sports-health groups say.

Start with everyday meals

Good sports nutrition isn’t really about one special pregame meal. A joint position paper from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada and the American College of Sports Medicine says performance and recovery both improve with well-chosen nutrition, meaning the right type, amount and timing of food and fluids. In practice that means regular meals and snacks with a mix of carbohydrates, protein, fruits and vegetables, built around the family’s normal food. Rice, poi, ʻulu, sweet potato, fish, chicken, eggs, tofu and local fruit all fit.

The same paper recommends that athletes who want a personal plan see a registered dietitian. That’s a good option for teens in heavy training or anyone with specific concerns.

Eating enough is a safety issue

The most common problem in youth sports isn’t eating the “wrong” food. It’s not eating enough for how much a child trains. The International Olympic Committee’s 2023 consensus statement describes Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs): health and performance problems that happen in both girls and boys when food intake doesn’t keep up with exercise. The statement also points to links between REDs and mental health.

For parents and coaches, that means avoiding pressure about weight or body size, and paying attention if a young athlete is skipping meals, constantly tired, getting hurt often or losing interest in a sport they love. Those are reasons to check in with a doctor.

Water first

For most practices and games, water is the go-to drink. The American Academy of Pediatrics warns that sports drinks and energy drinks are often marketed to kids for the wrong reasons. It says the caffeine and other stimulants in energy drinks have no place in the diet of children and teens, and that drinking sugary sports drinks often or in large amounts can raise the risk of overweight and obesity.

The AAP report treats sports drinks and energy drinks as very different products. Sports drinks may have a role for athletes in long or high-intensity activity, but that’s a question for your child’s doctor or athletic trainer. Energy drinks don’t belong in the cooler.

Hydration in Maui heat

The National Athletic Trainers’ Association says athletes need easy access to water to avoid becoming dehydrated, but it also warns that drinking far too much can be harmful. Its advice is to plan fluids before, during and after activity that are enough but not excessive, and it notes that habits improve when water is easy to get and kids know why it matters.

Heat is a separate risk. NATA’s position statement on exertional heat illnesses calls exertional heat stroke one of the leading causes of sudden death in sport and urges teams to have an emergency plan at every venue. Practical steps for families: send a full, labeled water bottle to every practice, ask coaches about water breaks and shade, and know that hydration is only one part of staying safe in the heat.

Supplements: usually not needed

Protein powders, pre-workout mixes and other products are easy to find online. The AAP reviewed performance-enhancing substances in young athletes and raised concerns about high rates of product contamination and a link with later steroid use. It also found that for most young athletes, these products don’t add meaningful gains beyond the natural growth of puberty plus good food and training.

A simple checklist for families

• Three meals a day plus snacks on training days. Don’t skip breakfast before school and afternoon practice.
• Pack a snack for the drive home after practice. Long days on Maui roads add up.
• Water bottle every day. Skip energy drinks entirely.
• Check with a doctor or registered dietitian before buying supplements.
• Watch for tiredness, frequent injuries or worry about weight, and speak up early.

Coaches, athletic trainers or dietitians on Maui with tips for keiki athletes? Send them to us and we may feature them in a future story.

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