Do professional sports players refuel with candy after a game?

Healthy habits are best learnt from a young age. I wish I had the knowledge I have now back then, I could have prevented decades of chronic illness! Every little bit we do in the younger years makes a difference.

As a mum in community sports and qualified health coach, giving kids chocolates and lollies routinely in a sport environment baffled me. Do professional sports players eat candy after a game? How do we role model good sports nutrition for kids if we give them candy at 9am on a Sunday. Where did this idea come from? Who initially marketed this to kids? Will I be handing out candy for more than half a year every Sunday? Let’s explore some of the research.

Kids and parents alike invest around 5-10+ hours a week into their community sports like soccer, basketball, netball, football etc across the country entering their community sports week. The hustle is real, between training, games and club events then comes the washing and making sure our kids health is in top shape. On top of that mending injuries or other life events. 

A look at the ingredients of the most popular choice.

Snakes by Allens lollies as advertised: Glucose Syrup, Cane Sugar, Thickener (Dextrin Roasted Starch, Acid treated Starch or Starch acetate)(Wheat), Gelatine, Food Acid (Citric), Humectant (Glycerine), Flavours, Colours (Carminic Acid, Paprika Oleoresin, Copper Chlorophyllin, Turmeric, Vegetable Carbon). Contains Wheat and Gluten. May contain Milk. At least 15% of ingredients don’t need to be disclosed.

While the list may look harmless to some those who understand food labels will see that these are full of GMO, DNA altering, MSG toxicity & chemical nuisances feeding and altering pathogens, creating potential cytokine storms down the track and accumulating to increase in chronic illness.

Other popular treats include chocolates, promoting an addictive caffeine affect, decreasing kids potential for good health.

As the team manager of my girls soccer team; of course I banned candy after games. We had copious amounts of left over fruit from half time so I would put that out for kids. Most kids enjoyed fruit over lollies, getting a hit of glucose their cells need. It also replenished their neurotransmitters and adrenals which is priority after competitive games. Unfortunately, the change was much harder than anticipated for parents. A rebel parent bought two packets of candy onto the ground after a match for everyone to share as she protested in the known candy ban. In addition to refusing candy because of the adverse health affects – I truly wanted us to role model what sports nutrition is to take them into their adulthood with all the tools they need to thrive with a strong mind, body and soul! Most of these lollies are full of carcinogenic artificial substances creating havoc for future years. I can’t help but picture their livers having to kick in and remove toxic substance from that piece of candy, teeth & bones becoming acidic, their brains firing hot, and adrenals burning out, the list goes on…

Emotional eating habits.

In addition to the physical affects, providing any specific routine of food for performance creates dangerous emotional eating habits and addictions. Research has shown that children are more likely to eat diets that are high in fat and carbohydrates when food is used as a reward for good behaviour because these foods become associated with positive feeling and experiences. Research also shows that eating patterns and food preferences children develop in their early years remain long into their teen and adult years. What you teach them about food and healthy eating right now will stick with them for life.

How and where did these unhealthy habits become the fabric of community sports in Australia? Eat them if you wish, I personally will not promote them but they should definitely be ‘sometimes food’ not linked to reward or performance.

Are professional athletes using candy as recovery food? In Europe where soccer is currently played by millions of kids they only get choice of water during the game, maybe fruit and an energy bar during or after.

My child would get home after the game, get out of the dirty clothes and enjoy a nice home Sunday “break-fast” refuelling vital glucose levels after physical activity. Somehow there seems to have been a misunderstanding as to what kind of glucose can be restored. I’ve tested the theory by giving her a small vegan chocolate snack after a game and it not only ruined her appetite, the addictive caffeine made her tired within an hour, unsatisfied and not hungry.

My goal is to give the best fuel for our kids to grow, develop and thrive and smash their potential. 

Role modelling is there if we look for it.

Professional sports players like Ronaldo recently pushed aside a bottle of Coca-Cola in a press conference protesting against it’s advertisement in soccer. If Ronaldo was drinking soft drinks or eating lollies after games he wouldn’t be as healthy and successful as he is. 

In addition the greatest tennis player of all time Novak Djokovic has talked about the importance of nutrition, with his routine consisting of morning lemon water, celery juice, information from Anthony William the Medical Medium and a green smoothie with different algae and superfoods. All containing vital minerals and glucose to prepare and restore his vessel.  This is why Novak Djokovic is so healthy and successful. 

Are we equipping our kids with the knowledge or following traditions of lollies used after games? How will they learn how to look after themselves if they don’t have strong role models? 

There is a lot of misinformation when it comes to an athelete’s nutrition.

A huge piece to the puzzle is how the liver detoxifies generational and new industrial chemicals and maintains good health. Good health is the single most powerful element to becoming successful in anything we do, so how do we teach kids health lifestyle habits? I believe role modelling it is the most effective method! We remove the candy roster and replace it with extra fruit that most likely gets thrown out after games! We show kids that their participation  in community sports is a reward in it’s self, it is not further rewarded with unhealthy, highly addictive patterns creating future trauma. Every little bit we do will help our kids survive the super bugs around town. 

So many kids are chronically dehydrated, it’s not acceptable to use chemical laden drinks and candy when we know better. Somewhere along the lines candy has been engrained and accepted as an important social food. It’s ok if they want water and listen to their body but dead water won’t hydrate you. Putting lemon or lime in their water will make a huge difference. Some may even need some raw organic honey for additional glucose, repairing their adrenals and brain throughout the game.

Using food as reward.

When you offer an unhealthy treat after a match it’s promoting a ‘reward’ whereas a food like fruit is refuel. An article written by the Michigan State University found rewarding children with sweets is a plausible contributing factor to obesity. Food rewards can also teach children to ignore their natural hunger and fullness cues encouraging them to eat when they are not hungry. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics “when children are rewarded with “special treats” they may decide that these foods are better or more valuable than healthier foods.” 

Eating patterns and food preferences children develop in their early years remain long into their teen and adult years.

It’s fun for you to include sweets and candy in their sometimes food without reward. Alternative rewards may include positive words of encouragement and praise. I always like to check in with my daughter – ask her how she is feeling and use phrases I’ve learnt from Janet Lansbury like “You must be really proud of yourself” they really foster an inner direction; and this is precious, this innate knowing is an intuitive ability that can guide them through life.  Teaching them to preserver through frustration and struggle and then be acknowledged for their effort is the real route to happiness and self-confidence. 

Interfere with intrinsic motivation.

The widely known educator Alfie Kohn had a book he wrote several years ago called Punished by Rewards. It talked about the issue of using rewards to control behavior and how it not only doesn’t work, but it interferes with our children’s intrinsic motivation. I think a lot us can relate to this; if we have to do something it is different to when you only like doing something. So really we want to preserve what they are born with; intrinsic motivation. 

Australia’s lack of regulation of unhealthy food marketing to children is always going to be there, the real issue is how we as parents support it with our money.

Evidence Hub states that there is no Australian Government regulation to specifically protect children from unhealthy food marketing. 

Follow the money.

However as marketing was my bachelor’s subject, the deeply embedded culture to even have lolly rosters in clubs by the adults for childrens is the best marketing these international firms can ever have. Owners of Nestle are also the largest shareholders in pharmaceutical companies. 

Alternative solutions.

Instead of viewing sports snacks as a reward at the end of the game I encourage you to consider items below that provide energy, hydration, and key nutrients for active kids. These become even more important when kids are picky eaters or play in difficult conditions. Wholefood options: 

Oranges quartered up these nostalgic half time snack provide… easy to eat being careful not to cross germs. 

Bananas easy to peel without washing hands, 76% water, packed with vitamins. Bananas are an excellent food for athletes as they can help replenish energy and revitalize the body instantly.

Watermelon or other melons; attractive to most kids, its an excellent fruit that hydrates, and cleanses the entire body quickly.

Clean health bars or date balls made with raw fruits and dried fruits like dates. Check out the Raspberry Crumble Bars recipe. You can find clean medjool date and coconut rolls at supermarkets.

Honey sticks raw honey provides a quick source of critical clean glucose to our cells and brain, repairs and rejuvenates with more than 200,000 undiscovered phytochemical compounds and agents. Plus, raw honey helps repairs DNA and is extremely high in minerals such as calcium, potassium, zinc, selenium, phosphorus, chromium, molybdenum, and manganese and kids love it.

Pure Maple syrup candy or products often make a healthy and fun choice too!

Coconut water is incredible after sports quickly replacing hydration. It is one of the highest sources of electrolytes known. It’s a natural isotonic beverage with the same level of electrolytic balance that we have in our blood.

Apples are a satisfying crunchy and sweet snack, go further and pair it with dates and celery sticks to give a nice adrenal healing snack! Adrenal glands take a beating in competitive sports this is just one way to restore and heal them! Taking specific herbs can also be beneficial. Apples have the ability to quench both an immediate and cellular-level thirst. Apples are also an amazing detoxifier and contain both malic and tartaric acids that help remove impurities from the liver and gallbladder.

Mangoes are an amazing exercise food because it provides your muscles with traces of sodium, much needed glucose and magnesium, feeling less of the burn.

Smoothies – specifically one full of vitamins minerals designed to detox environmental toxins like heavy metals, plastics, petroleum and much more. Nourishing kids adrenals after a game and building their neurotransmitters! Check out the heavy metal detox smoothie here which can also be made into popsicles.

Adrenal snacks – grazing and nourishing your adrenals is one of the most important keys to understanding health, no one wants a hangry child! Adrenal burnout can result in fatigue, weight fluctuations, loss of hair, low blood pressure, inability to handle any stress, body aches etc. See the list here. Glucose saturation, like grazing, is a key piece of adrenal recovery..If we wait more than one and a half to two hours to eat, and we don’t have. enough glucose reserves in our liver we set ourselves up for blood glucose crashes plus corrosive adrenal blends runnings through your body. Flooding the system with adrenaline, that’s supposed to be for survival not. everyday. This can quickly become damaging to your brain, pancreas, liver and other organs and tissues. Further it can be fuel to pathogens looking to take hold and proliferate causing neurological damage.

Alternatives to gatorade.

Fresh young Thai coconut water, lemon honey water (ginger optional), cold-pressed watermelon juice with a queeze of lime, orange juice, eat a banana with your water, cranberry honey water. All of these alternatives offer real electrolytes, glucose and hydration.

Gatorade should come with a health risk warning, as it’s full of poisonous carcinogenic, substances of which some are banned in some countries. Gatorade’s ingredients: Water, Sugar, Dextrose, Citric Acid, Salt, Sodium Citrate, Monopotassium Phosphate, Gum Arabic, Natural Flavor, Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate, Glycerol Ester of Rosin, Yellow 6.

I hope we reach a new level of health in community sports culture within my time.

Candy has been used to lure kids for generations and I believe it’s time to raise our standards. Let’s stop using food as trophies in sports; and learn team sports nutrition early. For those that wish to see a change in their clubs please share this article with your club managers, committees, parents and coaches. If you know of other good role models please list them below!

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