She is a caps veteran. Tatiana Pinto has over 100 appearances for Portugal under her belt. She’s become a vocal proponent of nutrition education and advocacy for young female athletes. During the Gatorade Moment of Sweat event in Lisbon, she expressed her commitment to raising awareness about the importance of personalized nutrition. Pinto’s statement underscored what so many athletes, including herself, have been pushing for. Each of them rarely grasp their dietary requirements, especially in the formative years of their respective professions.
Pinto’s enthusiasm for nutrition is undeniable. Though such data exists and could guide the industry towards its peak performance, she argues, it’s often left untapped. “I did not eat properly. I did not hydrate properly. I was drinking some drinks that do not really matter for us in terms of energy levels. I was doing all the wrong things,” Pinto said. Where the lack of guidance really hit home, she noted, was in what extended beyond her personal experience. Her family and the doctors treating her didn’t know anything about proper nutrition.
The experienced player turns teacher, as he stresses proper nutrition for young athletes. His opinion is that kids should begin studying it by age 10 or 11 at the earliest. “The point is that players should not have to get to the highest level to access this information,” she stated. Pinto feels strongly that it’s important to establish these healthy habits from the start. Only when players develop these habits early in their careers will they become second nature.
Pinto’s perspective reflects a broader concern within women’s sports regarding nutrition. She highlighted the ineffectiveness of raising dietary guidelines for women in a “one size fits all” manner. Women have distinct physiological needs and deserving solutions tailored to them. “We are women. We are different bodies,” she said, emphasizing the value of tailoring treatments to each person’s needs.
At the Gatorade celebration, stars such as Anita Asante and Tamires offered encouragement and advice to young girls. Their historic contributions facilitated an understanding of the overwhelming need for effective nutritional advice. Asante recalled the challenges of past generations, saying, “When I started playing, we did not have nutritionists, we did not have anything. We did not have even food in the clubs. We only had water, that was it.”
National Champion, Becki Pinto underscored the tremendous obstacles most women athletes struggle with to get their carbohydrates in every day. Research has shown that the majority of female athletes struggle to meet the carbohydrate recommendations. Proper fueling with carbohydrates helps ensure their performance output as well as their recovery. Pinto made it clear that carbohydrates and hydration are key to keeping energy high while competing.
Electrolytes and carbohydrates found in sports drinks like Gatorade help athletes maintain fluid balance and delay fatigue, significantly reducing the risk of conditions such as hyponatremia. Pinto explained that these factors make the difference between athletes who truly want to push their body and reach peak performance.
Tamires contributed to the dialogue by explaining how food trauma affects adolescent girls who want to participate in sports. “It is so important to speak about food trauma among young girls,” she stated, highlighting the emotional and psychological factors intertwined with nutrition in sports.
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