Last fall, my son played soccer. Week after week I was disappointed in the snacks that parents brought for the kids. Now it's baseball season and I'm seeing the same trend. My son has been given sugary juices, "sports" drinks that are loaded with sugar, cookies, chips, and snack cakes. I'm not completely opposed to kids having treats from time to time. But I think that, after being active, kids need some decent nutrition.

While adult and competitive athletes may need nutritional programs designed specifically to boost performance, kids don't need anything that rigid. All kids need is good nutrition to get the most out of their activities. Here are a few tips:

• Eating a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beneficial fats, and lean protein will give your young athletes all the fuel they need. A daily multi-vitamin is also a good idea. Sports bars, protein gels, and other specialized foods aren't necessary.
• It's important to keep your young athlete hydrated. Young children, in particular, are prone to dehydration because their bodies produce more heat yet sweat less. But water is sufficient for youth sports. Unless the activity is constant and extends beyond one hour, drinks with added electrolytes just aren't necessary. Besides, many sports drinks offer nothing more than artificial coloring, artificial flavors, sodium, and high fructose corn syrup.
• While it's not an issue with boys my son's age, I know high-school and college-age athletes may be tempted by the powders and drinks guaranteed to pump them up. The problem is that dietary supplements (which is what those sports aids are considered) aren't screened by the FDA so their efficacy and safety aren't monitored. While many may be harmless and some might even be effective, there's risk involved.
  

Good nutrition and consistent exercise are all any young athlete needs to stay at the top of their game.

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One concern about taking vitamins, herbal remedies, or dietary supplements has been the fact that there is no real regulation of the industry. According to Steve Mister, president and CEO for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, most companies are responsible about testing their products to ensure that they contain the raw ingredients they claim to include, but there have been reported instances where labels don't match the products, as well as complaints of contamination.

In response to those issues, the FDA has issued a new rule that companies who produce these types of products must test the strength and purity of the ingredients in their products, and must also make sure they identify all of the ingredients on the label. If they fail inspection, they'll need to revise their labels or may even face litigation. Manufacturers have three years to comply to the new rules.

Critics say that, while this addresses the labeling issue, there's still no way for consumers to know if the supplement they're taking is safe for them or if it even works. So while the new rule will ensure the ingredients in supplements are consistent, it's still up to the consumer to do the research and find out if a product is right for them.

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