suppliments for teens

Question
Hi, I am 13 years old and I've been trying to put some more mass on me for football. I've heard how whey protein is something that athletes use to help with training, but is it good for teens? And if there are any, what are some supplements that are good for teens and help with what I'm looking for?  

Answer
Justin,

I understand the desire for increased mass but you need to be careful at your age. You should get a good balance between proteins, fats and carbs so don't overdo it on the protein shakes.

Whey and Creatine protein are both good for muscle mass but I would encourage you to stick to food for now. Just make sure that you get some protein at each meal, especially breakfast. Good sources are low or non-fat dairy, nuts, fish, chicken, soy. If you eat red meat try and eat very lean meat to avoid saturated fats.

You also need to get enough micronutrients from fruits and veggies and enough fiber from whole grain breads and cereals and also from veggies.

To tell you the truth their have been very few safety studies done with teen supplementation so everyone is guessing.

But if you stick to good foods you will be fine. Just eat when you are hungry and snack on nuts, fruits or nutrition bars between meals. If you eat the foods I recommend and keep working out on the field you will gain muscle and not fat.

Hope this helps.

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