If there's one area of sports nutrition that can leave parents completely confused, it's carbohydrates.
Should your young athlete eat pasta the night before a game?
Should they have rice three hours before kick-off?
Do they need carbohydrates at half-time?
Should they avoid carbohydrates before sport because they'll feel heavy?
And what matters more for a young athlete: protein or carbohydrates?
Scroll through social media and you'll find completely contradictory advice.
One sports nutrition post will tell you to load up on pasta before a game. Another will tell you pasta takes too long to digest. Someone else recommends lollies at half-time, while another says young athletes should get their carbohydrates entirely from whole foods.
So let's simplify it.
Carbohydrates are one of the most important fuels for young athletes, particularly in sports involving running, sprinting and repeated high-intensity efforts.
But that doesn't mean every young athlete needs an enormous bowl of pasta before they step onto the pitch.
The type of carbohydrate, how much they eat, when they eat it and, importantly, how their individual body responds can make a huge difference.
Here's what parents need to know.
Why are carbohydrates so important for young athletes?
Think of carbohydrates as one of the body's primary sources of readily available sporting fuel.
When we eat carbohydrate-containing foods, much of that carbohydrate is broken down into glucose.
The body can use glucose immediately for energy or store it as glycogen, predominantly in the muscles and liver.
During exercise, those carbohydrate stores can then be used to help fuel working muscles.
This becomes particularly important during sports involving repeated bursts of high-intensity activity.
Think:
- Football
- AFL
- Rugby
- Hockey
- Basketball
- Netball
- Tennis
- Athletics
- Swimming
- Cycling
A footballer, for example, isn't simply jogging continuously for 90 minutes.
They're walking, running, sprinting, stopping, accelerating, decelerating, tackling, jumping and changing direction repeatedly.
Those high-intensity efforts require energy.
Carbohydrate availability can therefore have a significant impact on an athlete's ability to train and compete effectively.
Are carbohydrates more important than protein for young athletes?
This is the wrong question because carbohydrates and protein have different jobs.
Carbohydrates primarily help fuel performance.
Protein helps support muscle growth, repair and recovery.
Young athletes need both.
Protein is incredibly important, particularly because young athletes aren't simply recovering from exercise. Their bodies are also growing and developing.
But consuming huge amounts of protein while under-eating carbohydrates isn't necessarily going to help an athlete perform better.
Imagine putting enormous effort into rebuilding and maintaining a racing car but forgetting to put enough fuel in the tank.
That's essentially what can happen when athletes focus heavily on protein while neglecting carbohydrate.
For sports involving significant running or repeated high-intensity activity, adequate carbohydrate availability becomes particularly important.
So rather than asking:
"Should my child have protein or carbohydrates?"
Think:
Carbohydrates for fuel. Protein for growth, repair and recovery.
And build a diet containing enough of both.
How much carbohydrate does a young athlete need?
This is where things become more individual.
There isn't one carbohydrate number that's appropriate for every young athlete.
Carbohydrate requirements vary according to factors including:
- Age
- Body size
- Growth
- Sex
- Training volume
- Training intensity
- Type of sport
- Duration of exercise
- Competition schedule
- Total energy requirements
A 13-year-old footballer training several times a week has very different requirements from a child doing one 60-minute training session.
Likewise, a young athlete playing three matches during a tournament may need considerably more carbohydrate than they would on a rest day.
Rather than forcing children to hit adult-style carbohydrate targets, parents should focus on matching carbohydrate intake to activity.
Hard training day? More fuel is required.
Tournament day? More fuel.
Rest day? Energy requirements will generally be lower.
The goal isn't "carb loading" every day.
It's fuel matching.
Should young athletes carb load the night before a game?
Probably one of the biggest myths in junior sport is that every athlete needs an enormous bowl of pasta the night before competition.
For most young athletes playing a normal weekend game, extreme carbohydrate loading isn't necessary.
But including a good source of carbohydrate with the evening meal can help ensure muscle glycogen stores are well supplied.
A balanced pre-game dinner might contain:
Carbohydrate + protein + vegetables + fluids.
For example:
- Rice + chicken + vegetables
- Potatoes + fish + vegetables
- Pasta + lean meat sauce + vegetables
- Rice noodles + chicken or tofu + vegetables
- Couscous + chicken + salad
- Burrito bowl with rice, chicken and vegetables
The portion required will depend on the athlete and their activity level.
The aim isn't to stuff them with carbohydrates.
It's to ensure they go into the following day well fuelled rather than trying to catch up at breakfast.
Is pasta actually good before sport?
This deserves its own section because pasta has almost become synonymous with sports nutrition.
For decades we've heard about athletes eating enormous pasta meals before competition.
But does your young athlete actually need pasta?
No.
Pasta is simply one source of carbohydrate.
There's nothing magical about it.
And there's also nothing inherently wrong with it.
Some young athletes tolerate pasta beautifully before sport.
Others report feeling:
- Heavy
- Bloated
- Sluggish
- Uncomfortable
- Too full
Some may also be more susceptible to gastrointestinal discomfort or stitches when they eat a large meal too close to exercise.
The important lesson is:
Sports nutrition has to work for the individual athlete.
If your child consistently performs well after eating rice but feels sluggish after pasta, don't force pasta simply because you've read that athletes "should" eat it.
Choose the carbohydrate they tolerate better.
Equally, another young athlete may eat pasta three hours before a match and feel fantastic.
Neither athlete is necessarily doing it wrong.
Does pasta take longer to digest than rice?
This isn't quite as straightforward as saying "rice is fast and pasta is slow."
Digestion depends on much more than the carbohydrate itself.
It can be influenced by:
- Portion size
- Fibre
- Fat
- Protein
- Sauces
- How the food was prepared
- What else was eaten
- Timing before exercise
- The athlete's individual digestive system
A giant bowl of pasta covered in cheese and a rich creamy sauce shortly before football is very different from a moderate portion of plain pasta with a light tomato-based sauce several hours beforehand.
Likewise, rice served with fried food and a heavy sauce isn't necessarily a light pre-game meal.
This is why looking at the whole meal matters.
What carbohydrates are easiest to digest before sport?
As competition gets closer, you generally want food to become simpler and easier to digest.
Foods high in fat and very high in fibre can take longer to leave the stomach and may increase gastrointestinal discomfort for some athletes.
Good pre-sport carbohydrate options can include:
- White rice
- Banana
- Toast
- Crumpets
- Rice cakes
- Low-fibre cereal
- Oats, if well tolerated
- Simple sandwiches
- Wraps
- Potatoes
- Pasta, if well tolerated
- Fruit
- Smoothies
There is no single "best carbohydrate."
The best option is one that provides appropriate fuel and sits comfortably in that athlete's stomach.
What should young athletes eat 3–4 hours before a game?
This is the window where a proper meal can generally be eaten.
The meal should be carbohydrate-focused while also containing some protein.
Keep excessive fat and very heavy foods relatively low, particularly for athletes prone to stomach problems.
Examples include:
Rice bowl
White rice + grilled chicken + vegetables + a light sauce.
Chicken wrap
Wrap + chicken + salad + fruit.
Pasta
A moderate serving of pasta + lean protein + a relatively light sauce.
Potato meal
Potato + chicken or fish + vegetables.
Breakfast option
Toast + eggs + banana + yoghurt.
The objective is to leave the athlete feeling:
Fuelled, but not stuffed.
What should they eat 1–2 hours before sport?
Now the strategy changes.
As exercise gets closer, you generally want food that is smaller, carbohydrate-rich and easy to digest.
Options might include:
- Banana
- Toast with honey
- Crumpet with honey
- Small bowl of cereal
- Rice cakes
- Small smoothie
- Fruit
- Yoghurt with fruit, if dairy is well tolerated
- Small simple sandwich
This isn't the ideal time for an enormous meal.
You're topping up energy rather than filling the stomach.
What about 30–60 minutes before sport?
If an athlete needs something shortly before competition, keep it light.
This might include:
- Banana
- Grapes
- Watermelon
- Small amount of dried fruit
- A little toast
- Small amount of an easily digested carbohydrate food
Not every young athlete will need to eat again at this point.
If they've eaten appropriately earlier, they may be perfectly well fuelled.
Again:
More food doesn't automatically mean more energy.
Eating too much too close to exercise can actually leave some athletes feeling worse.
Can eating before sport cause a stitch?
Potentially.
Exercise-related abdominal pain, commonly called a stitch, can have several contributing factors and isn't simply caused by eating pasta.
But consuming a large amount of food or fluid too close to intense exercise may increase the likelihood of discomfort in susceptible athletes.
This is particularly important for sports involving lots of running.
If your child repeatedly develops stitches, keep a simple food diary.
Write down:
What they ate → how much → what time → when they played → how they felt.
You may quickly start noticing patterns.
This is one of the most valuable things parents can do.
Don't just follow someone else's pre-game meal plan.
Learn your own athlete.
Should young athletes eat carbohydrates during a game?
It depends on how long and how intensely they're exercising.
For many shorter junior sporting events, an athlete who has eaten appropriately beforehand may not need significant additional carbohydrate during the game.
Water may be sufficient for hydration depending on conditions and duration.
But carbohydrate becomes increasingly important during prolonged, high-intensity exercise and during tournaments involving multiple games.
This is where strategic fuelling becomes useful.
And it doesn't automatically have to mean lollies.
Half-time carbohydrate options could include:
- Orange wedges
- Grapes
- Banana
- Watermelon
- Other easy-to-digest fruit
- Small amounts of dried fruit when appropriate
The objective isn't to fill the athlete's stomach.
It's to provide easily available fuel while minimising digestive discomfort.
What should young athletes eat after sport?
Now we're talking recovery.
After demanding exercise, the body needs to:
- Replace carbohydrate stores.
- Repair muscle.
- Replace fluids and electrolytes.
This is where carbohydrate AND protein become important.
A good recovery meal or snack combines both.
For example:
- Chicken + rice
- Pasta + lean meat sauce
- Eggs + toast
- Yoghurt + fruit + oats
- Smoothie containing fruit and protein
- Chicken wrap
- Tuna + rice
- Potato + chicken
- Cereal + milk + fruit
And this is where foods that might feel too heavy before sport can work brilliantly.
If pasta makes your athlete feel sluggish before football but they love it, there's absolutely nothing wrong with making pasta their post-game recovery meal instead.
You're replenishing carbohydrate stores at a time when they don't need to immediately sprint around a pitch.
What if they have another game tomorrow?
Recovery becomes even more important.
If your young athlete finishes one game Saturday afternoon and has another match Sunday morning, they have a relatively short recovery window.
Don't wait until Sunday morning to start thinking about fuel.
Recovery starts after Saturday's game.
They'll need:
Carbohydrate + protein + fluid + electrolytes when appropriate + sleep.
Their evening meal should contain a good carbohydrate source, and breakfast the following morning should again provide carbohydrate.
This is particularly important during tournaments where athletes may compete several times within 24–48 hours.
What if they don't have sport the following day?
They still need to recover.
But there is less urgency around rapidly replenishing glycogen stores than there would be if another game were happening shortly.
A normal balanced recovery meal containing carbohydrate, protein and vegetables is generally appropriate.
This is another reason sports nutrition shouldn't become:
MORE CARBS! MORE PROTEIN! MORE FOOD!
all the time.
Nutrition should reflect what the athlete has actually done and what they're doing next.
What about hydration and electrolytes?
Carbohydrate is only one part of performance.
Young athletes also need to arrive at training and competition properly hydrated.
During exercise they lose fluid through sweat, along with electrolytes including sodium.
How much they lose varies enormously according to:
- Temperature
- Humidity
- Exercise intensity
- Exercise duration
- Individual sweat rate
For many shorter sessions, water may be sufficient.
During longer, harder or hotter sessions, additional electrolyte support may be appropriate.
This is why we developed DYVAL Perform, a clean hydration and electrolyte drink created specifically with young athletes in mind, with no added sugar, no artificial colours, no artificial flavours and no artificial sweeteners.
It also allows parents to think about fuel and hydration separately.
Your young athlete can get carbohydrate from the foods that work best for their body while using an electrolyte drink to support hydration when appropriate.
You can see it in our shop here
Should young athletes have carbohydrates at every meal?
Young athletes generally need carbohydrate-containing foods regularly throughout the day, particularly when training frequently.
But carbohydrate intake doesn't have to look identical every day.
Think about the athlete's schedule.
Heavy training day
Higher carbohydrate requirements.
Match day
Prioritise carbohydrate before competition and recovery nutrition afterwards.
Tournament
Carbohydrate becomes especially important between events and during recovery.
Light training day
Normal balanced meals with carbohydrate.
Rest day
Still include nutritious carbohydrate foods, but there's usually no need to eat as though they're about to play a tournament.
This is called fuelling for the work required.
A simple game-day carbohydrate timeline
Parents don't need to turn their kitchen into a sports science laboratory.
Here's a simple way to think about it.
Night before
Eat a normal balanced meal containing a good source of carbohydrate.
Example: rice + chicken + vegetables.
3–4 hours before
Have a carbohydrate-focused meal with some protein.
Example: rice + chicken, a simple pasta meal, wrap + fruit or toast + eggs + banana.
1–2 hours before
If needed, have a smaller, easy-to-digest carbohydrate snack.
Example: banana, toast, crumpet, cereal or fruit.
30–60 minutes before
Only top up if needed.
Keep it small and easily digested.
During
For shorter sessions, additional carbohydrate may not be necessary.
For longer or particularly demanding exercise, easily digested carbohydrate may help maintain performance.
Immediately after
Start recovery with carbohydrate + protein + fluids.
Evening
Eat a balanced meal containing carbohydrate, protein and vegetables, particularly if training or competition is happening again the following day.
The biggest mistake? Copying someone else's athlete
This might be the most important part of this entire article.
Sports nutrition guidelines give us a framework.
Your child's body gives you the final answer.
One young athlete might eat pasta three hours before football and feel fantastic.
Another might feel sluggish.
One athlete might tolerate yoghurt before a game.
Another might feel sick.
One might need a substantial breakfast.
Another performs better with something lighter followed by a carbohydrate snack closer to competition.
This doesn't mean nutrition science is wrong.
It means human beings are different.
Use training sessions to experiment.
Don't trial a completely new pre-game meal before an important final.
Work out:
What gives them energy?
What keeps them satisfied?
What digests comfortably?
What makes them feel heavy?
What causes bloating or stitches?
What actually helps them perform?
Over time, you can create your child's own pre-game nutrition routine.
Carbohydrates aren't the enemy
With so much discussion around low-carb diets, sugar and protein, carbohydrates can sometimes get unfairly demonised.
For young athletes, that's potentially problematic.
A growing child who is also training and competing has substantial energy requirements.
And for young athletes participating in high-intensity sports involving running, sprinting and repeated explosive movements, carbohydrate is an extremely important fuel source.
The answer isn't to eliminate carbohydrates.
It's to choose them intelligently and time them appropriately.
Rice.
Potatoes.
Fruit.
Oats.
Bread.
Wraps.
Pasta.
Cereal.
Whole grains.
There are plenty of options.
And as competition gets closer, choosing carbohydrates that are easy for that individual athlete to digest becomes increasingly important.
The DYVAL approach
At DYVAL, we don't believe young athletes need complicated nutrition.
They need good nutrition.
Enough energy.
Enough carbohydrates.
Enough protein.
Proper hydration.
Appropriate electrolytes.
Plenty of whole foods.
And an understanding of what their individual body needs.
Carbohydrates fuel the work.
Protein supports growth and recovery.
Hydration helps the body perform.
Sleep allows it to recover.
And consistency brings all of those things together.
Because helping young athletes understand how to fuel their bodies isn't only about helping them play better this weekend.
It's teaching them how to look after their body for life.
Frequently asked questions about carbohydrates for young athletes
Are carbohydrates important for young athletes?
Yes. Carbohydrates are an important energy source during exercise and are particularly valuable for sports involving prolonged activity or repeated high-intensity efforts such as football, AFL, rugby, hockey and basketball.
Should young athletes eat pasta before a game?
They can. Pasta is a useful carbohydrate source, but it isn't essential. Some athletes tolerate pasta very well while others prefer rice, potatoes, bread or other carbohydrate foods. Timing, portion size and what accompanies the pasta also matter.
Is rice better than pasta before sport?
Not universally. Some athletes find rice particularly easy to digest and prefer it before competition, while others perform perfectly well after pasta. Individual tolerance matters more than declaring one universally superior.
How long before sport should a young athlete eat?
A larger meal is generally better several hours before exercise. As competition gets closer, snacks should usually become smaller, simpler and easier to digest.
Do young athletes need carbohydrates during sport?
Not necessarily during every session. The need increases with the duration and intensity of exercise and can become particularly important during prolonged events and tournaments.
What should young athletes eat after a game?
A recovery meal or snack should ideally provide both carbohydrate and protein alongside fluids. Examples include chicken and rice, yoghurt with fruit and oats, eggs on toast, a smoothie containing fruit and protein, or pasta with a lean protein source.
What's more important for athletes, carbohydrates or protein?
Both are important but perform different roles. Carbohydrates are a major fuel for exercise, particularly higher-intensity activity, while protein supports muscle growth, repair and recovery.
If you're a parent trying to work out exactly what carbohydrates your young athlete should eat, don't become overwhelmed by contradictory advice online.
Start with the fundamentals.
Fuel before. Top up when necessary. Recover afterwards. Hydrate throughout.
Choose mostly nutritious carbohydrate foods.
As exercise gets closer, favour foods your athlete finds easy to digest.
And above all, pay attention to the individual child.
Because the perfect pre-game meal isn't the one a professional athlete eats on Instagram.
It's the one that provides your young athlete with the fuel they need while allowing them to step onto the pitch feeling energised, comfortable and ready to perform.
And you can see the Dyval shop here