LAUSR

Introduction. Proper nutrition is crucial for child and adolescent athletes to maintain growth and development and to achieveoptimal results in sports. It is very important to balance the energy expenditure with the energy intake in order to prevent the energy deficit or excess.Materials and methods. Subjects involved in two different sports participated in the study: 13 gymnasts (age 13.8 ± 4.1 years, height 153.4 ± 11.3 cm, weight 47.1 ± 10.5 kg) and 15 basketball players (age 15.5 ± 1.1 years, height 176.7 ± 7.9 cm, weight 65.2 ± 10.7 kg). Determination of total energy expenditure was made by prediction equations. The subjects maintained a food records for 5 consecutive days, which were processed in the ASA24 system of the NCI. Results and discussion. Energy intake in both groups is sufficient to meet the daily needs, development of young athletes andprovide the energy needed in training. The intake of three minerals (calcium, magnesium and potassium) and three vitamins (D, E and A) was lower than recommended values in both groups.Conclusion. As a result of the busy schedule of adolescent athletes, their main meals are out of home, and the proportion of highly processed foods containing small amounts of important vitamins and minerals is high. The main recommendations include dairy products, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The idea behind the changes is to give young athletes the right diet and the right eating habits.