Special needs of youth, women, and the elderly

Abstract

In the past several years, the number of children, women, and elderly participating in sports has increased because of increased availability of competitive leagues and events, the advent of Title 9, and research exposing the benefits of exercise for the elderly. Sport is beneficial for myriad reasons and participants take up athletic endeavors for a variety of these reasons, some being very competitive, others just enjoying being able to play. To help the pursuit of exercise and sport to be enjoyable, it is important to keep the athlete healthy, well nourished, and hydrated. Sports nutrition as a field has come a long way although research is still limited on children and the elderly, especially for those who are maintaining very strenuous training schedules. This chapter presents several nutritional needs of youth, women, and the elderly that may provide some of the missing links to better athletic performance and, more importantly, better overall health. © 2008 Humana Press.