Q&A: How to Help Your Player Get Bigger and Stronger

Becky asks: “My son is 15 years old and is playing hockey (midgets).  He is 5’7 weighs 145 and is trying to figure out how to make himself stronger.  I would like to know what he can eat, pick up weights or what, so that when he gets hit he won’t get hurt.  He is tall but slender.”

Answer: Great questions!  First, he needs to take in more calories.  Gaining muscle requires a combination of taking in more calories than your body burns off and weight lifting.  Remember too, that at 15 years old, if he hasn’t yet gone through puberty, when he does he’ll likely bulk up with the increase in hormones.  Think about calorie and nutrient dense foods to up his intake – nuts, dried fruit, yogurt, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, extra milk with each meal, and so on.  It only takes a few hundred extra calories each day to make big changes over time.  He won’t turn into the Hulk overnight, but baby steps will take him a long way.

Editor’s Note: Special thanks to Chris Mohr for answering this question. Dr. Christopher Mohr, PhD RD is a nutrition spokesperson and consultant to a number of media outlets and corporations including Discovery Health Channel, The Dairy Council, Clif Bar, and Nordic Naturals. He is also the Sports Nutritionist for Under Armour’s TNP Training Council. For more information about Chris, please click here.

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