A healthy diet can help the young sports stars of tomorrow fulfil their potential.

Around 85% of children regularly take part in sports activities outside lessons. Swimming is the most common activity for girls, with football for boys. 43% of children spend between 1-5 hours per week doing sport outside lessons (Sport England).

But as any parent or coach knows, it’s hard to get the right balance, especially if you’re running between school and training sessions. Children don’t always eat, or want to eat, the very foods that will help them compete at the highest level – the snacks and meals that will give them energy, help them keep going through a long training session, or recover afterwards. Throw into the mix the need to keep hydrated and lots of children are training and competing below par.

Carefully researched and satisfying the real need for a nutrition book specifically for young athletes, Sports Nutrition for Young Athletes offers clear advice to sports coaches, teachers and parents of young people wanting to maximise their sports performance through eating healthily and sensibly.

Find out about specific nutritional requirements for different sports – from running to swimming, gym to dance, racquet sports to football and rugby. Learn more about tricky weight issues, myths about body composition and the warning signs for eating disorders.

This is a above all a practical book – written and road tested by bestselling nutrition author Anita Bean, and packed with nutritional tips, eating plans for training and competition, and easy, delicious and nutritious recipes and snacks to give your young sportsperson the competitive edge.