As young athletes push their limits on the field, many find themselves searching for answers beyond their sports playbooks; they wonder what type of fuel will power their peak performance.
At St. Joseph’s Academy, seniors Kate Hulsen and Caroline Chier are piecing together nutrition knowledge on their own, often without formal guidance. Joined by insights from nutrition professionals, they are calling for a stronger emphasis on nutrition in schools.
Hulsen plays field hockey in the fall and lacrosse in the spring. In the offseason, she loves working out every day, either by running or lifting weights.
“I’m educated about my diet through my own education, yes,” Hulsen said. “But not because of anything I’m learning in school, necessarily, or any different programs. I research it on my own because I’m interested.”
Chier participates in competitive soccer year-round and plays for the St. Joe soccer team in the spring. Chier said she recognizes this need for more education among her peers.
“We have a class at school, Health and Wellness, but not everyone takes it,” Chier said. “I think it would be beneficial to incorporate [nutrition] into Freshman Experience because it’s important for everyone to learn about it. It would be beneficial in all schools, but at St. Joe, I think it would be a good start.”
Suzanne Klaus, a registered dietitian located in the St. Louis area, shares a similar perspective. Klaus, who received her bachelor’s degree in medical dietetics from the University of Missouri-Columbia, now owns a gym in Maplewood with her husband.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of specific education going to student-athletes about how nutrition is going to help them perform their best,” Klaus said. “At least when I was in high school, there wasn’t a lot of education around nutrition. There was a culture of, ‘It’s good to be thin,’ so eating less was better.”
Through her experience at St. Joe, an all-girls high school, Hulsen has noticed a similar trend.
“Everyone’s body is built a little differently, but everyone thinks they should all look the same,” Hulsen said. “Even if you eat the same diet every day as someone, you’re still not gonna look the same as them. I don’t think it’s talked about enough. ‘If you’re skinny, you’re healthy’—that’s the mindset, but that’s just not necessarily true.”
This mindset often leads to a syndrome commonly seen in teenage girls.
“There’s something called RED-S, which stands for Relative Energy Deficit in Sport, and that’s if you’re not eating enough over a prolonged time,” Klaus said. “It impacts your hormones, your menstrual cycle, your immune system, and can give you more long-term issues.”
Klaus said she knows how easy it is to fall into the trap of undereating.
“I know when I was in high school, you just had cereal for breakfast because it was quick and easy, but that’s really not enough to help support the nutritional needs of an athlete,” Klaus said.
Students like Hulsen and Chier, who recognize the need for this education among their peers, also wish they were more knowledgeable about nutrition themselves.
“I know you’re supposed to eat protein within an hour after you exercise, but why?” Chier said. “I know the rules, but I don’t know the explanation behind them. So I feel like learning more about each rule when it comes to food and athletes would be beneficial.”
Incorporating more dietary education for students at St. Joseph’s Academy could have long-lasting benefits for students like Chier and Hulsen. Not only might they become equipped with the tools they need to fuel their bodies more effectively as athletes, but greater education could also lead to a shift in how nutrition is viewed by all students, breaking down misconceptions about body image and promoting an overall more positive relationship with food.
