The importance of carbohydrates to performance is well known, since carbohydrates are the number one fuel during high-intensity exercise and strength and power competitions. But a child is not an adult. You cannot automatically take sports nutrition or training advice geared towards adults and apply it to kids.

When adults are involved in high-intensity exercise, they burn carbohydrates, the main one being glycogen, for fuel. Glycogen, which is stored in the muscle, can fuel intense exercise for about an hour. You must get enough carbohydrates in your diet in order to perform.

There is not a lot of data on the carbohydrate intake of young athletes. Some studies show between 2.7 and 4 grams of carbohydrate needed per pound in boys, and 1.4 - 2.5 grams per pound in girls. So how do kids burn carbohydrates for energy if they should get relatively the same amount of carbohydrate as adults?

First, kids before puberty, produce less lactate during exercise than adults even at the same relative intensity. Lactate is a byproduct of the body burning carbohydrates for fuel. Kids also have a lower concentration of glycogen stored in muscle. What does this mean? It means that children use less carbohydrate and burn more fat for fuel when compared to adults. But training seems to change things. Regular training increases the amount of carbohydrates that kids (and adults) burn for fuel.

Not only do children burn less carbohydrate, but evidence suggests that they do not handle carbohydrate as well as adults. When kids reach adolescence, they become more insensitive (insulin-resistant).

Insulin is a hormone that the body uses to process and store carbohydrate in the blood. If the body is insulin-resistant, it does not process carbohydrate as well. In adolescents, insulin resistance increases by about 30%.

Basically, if you give kids carbohydrates during exercise it will help spare the glycogen stored in the body. If you spare glycogen, you have more fuel for a longer period of time, simply meaning more fuel in the tank as you drive.

But in kids, during exercise lasting less than two hours, there is virtually no difference whether kids consume carbohydrate or water during exercise. This doesn't mean a carbohydrate drink is not beneficial; if the drink tastes good a child is more likely to drink it and will stay hydrated, which is critically important to prevent heat illness and cramping. But water is just as good. An exception would be in hot, humid weather where a good-tasting sports drink (high in Nutripoints) will encourage consumption. This is entirely a different reason than drinking for the sake of "performance enhancement." There is no good reason to supplement children with carbohydrate.

Of course more research is needed but the carbohydrate craze is slightly more justified for adult athletes, but not for kids.

To help kids learn to make better food choices Dr. Roy Vartabedian has developed the NEW Nutripoints Placemat/Wallchart for Kids which features NutriHeroes--the top 15 Nutripoint-rated foods in each food group--and NutriZeroes--the bottom-rated foods in each food group. Food characters of some of the "Heroes" and "Zeroes" are illustrated on each side, along with colorful listings of the foods and their Nutripoint scores. The chart measures 12" x 18", is laminated, and in full-color on both sides.

A new feature--NutriGrades(TM) for Kids--for each food are also listed next to the Nutripoint score. The NutriGrade is a letter grade--like a grade for a test or a class--for each food. So most of the foods on the NutriHeroes side receive an A or A+, while those on the back NutriZeroes side receive a C, D, or F. It's a great way to educate and motivate kids to see the relative nutritional value of foods and make better choices to get more Nutripoints and a higher NutriGrade for their diet!

We recommend using the Nutripoints Chart for Kids along with your Nutripoints book, so the children understand the relative values of the Nutripoint scores and the number of points they need each day (we recommend at least 100 total, and meeting the minimum goals for each group).

The charts are great for use in your family with kids and grandkids, in schools, medical practices, health and wellness programs, and fitness programs.