CASE STUDY 3 Young athlete. Melinda M. Manore

   Athlete

   Jackie was a 12-year-old gymnast, training at an elite gymnastics program away lrom her home.
   She lived in a boarding home and attended the local high school. She was happy with her
   current weight (40 kg), but did not want to get any heavier. She trained

   4 h each day during the week, and twice on Saturday. She had recently added weight training
   (1.5-2 h a week) to her program. Jackie had not received much nutrilion education bul was
   concerned about what she ate. She suspected that her eating patterns were not ideal since she
   often got very hungry and shaky during her afternoon practice. She was Irustrated about her
   recent lack 01 improvement during practice or competition. Jackie had

   not grown in the past year and had not started menstruating.

   Reason for consultancy

   Jackie's mother was concerned about her lack 01 growth, and her restriclive ealing patterns.
   She also considered that Jackie was too young lor weight training.

   Current dietary and activity patterns

   ln order to prevent weight gain, Jackie had decided to limit lat intake. She kept on ly
   lat-Iree snacks in her room and ate low-Iat loods at meals. Her daily schedule was as lollows:
   7.30 AM school starts, 11.00 AM lunch, 1.30 PM school ends, 2.00 PM practice starts, 7.00 PM
   dinner. She studied and watched TV after dinner, usually going to bed around midnight.
   Jackie's typical diet is outlined below.

   Professional assessment

   Mean daily intake lrom this sell-reported eating plan was assessed to be about 5900 kJ (1400
   kcal), low in lat (- 1 5% 01 energy), and adequate in protein (1.3 g˙kg-^1). Jackie's intake

   01 Iruits and vegetables and dairy products was less than recommended daily intakes, and her
   cereal choices were highly processed (white bread, rice or pasta, sugar-rich breaklast
   cereals). Overall, her energy and lat intake was assessed to

   be too restrictive, and her intakes 01 many micronutrients and liber were inadequate. The
   acute ellect 01 inadequate intake 01 energy was the hunger and latigue experienced during
   training, interlering with optimal perlormance. However, it was likely that chronic energy
   restriction lailed to provide sufficient fuel lor growth and the development 01 puberty