In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Wendi Irlbeck’s background and journey into sports nutrition
(03:10) Growing up as a multi-sport athlete and early nutrition habits
(06:30) Nutrition mistakes young athletes make and why carbs matter
(10:15) Playing college softball and lessons from competitive athletics
(14:20) Youth sports pressure and the importance of fundamentals
(18:45) Meal timing and fueling before and after training
(23:30) Supplements vs. real food
(28:10) Hydration, game-day fuel, and bench snacks
(33:40) Budget-friendly nutrition tips for parents
(38:50) Final advice for parents and young athletes for long-term success
Wendi Irlbeck, MS, RD, CISSN: Sports Nutritionist Helping Young Athletes Fuel Performance
In this conversation with Athletes Untapped, registered dietitian and certified sports nutritionist Wendi Irlbeck from Texas joins us for a conversation about what actually matters for performance long-term development. Her message is simple: nutrition is the secret weapon. Youth sports are more competitive than ever. Between travel teams and long training hours, many parents are asking the same question: What should my kid eat? The consistent basics, like balanced meals, smart fueling, hydration, and recovery, are vital for athletic performance. She shares her biggest tips for parents and young athletes, plus practical strategies you can start using today. Wendi Irlbeck is a registered dietitian and certified sports nutritionist from Dallas, with a master’s in food and human nutritional sciences. Growing up as a multi-sport athlete excelling in cross country and softball, Wendi fell in love with nutrition, seeing firsthand how it directly impacts energy and performance. Her mission today is clear: help young athletes and parents stop guessing. They should be using simple, evidence-based fueling habits that really work.
The Biggest Youth Sports Nutrition Mistake: Under-Fueling
One of Wendi’s core messages is that many young athletes are not eating enough. More specifically, they are lacking in carbohydrates. If a young athlete is skipping breakfast, not eating enough before practice, or relying on random snacks throughout the day, it will affect their performance. The most common outcomes are low energy and fatigue, slow recovery and soreness, increased injury risk, lower confidence, and inconsistent performance. Her reminder is important: Carbohydrates are not the enemy. They are the fuel.
What to Eat Before and After Practice: Athlete Meal Timing
Wendi’s approach to a pre-workout snack is practical in lieu of parents asking for the “perfect” snack. She recommends eating roughly 25g of protein and 50g of carbs about 2 hours before practice or a game. Her best options to reach this goal are simple and realistic: Greek yogurt and fruit, turkey sandwich and grapes, eggs, toast, and berries, or chicken and rice. After practice, she shares that post-workout nutrition should include carbs and protein to support recovery and refill energy stores. The goal for fueling is not perfection. It is a repeatable habit that kids can do all season.
What Parents Should Know About Hydration in Youth Sports
Most families view hydration as an aspect that happens “during the game.” Wendi says that’s backwards, and hydration is a 48-hour lead-up problem. Her strategy includes, in the 48 hours before competition, increasing fluids consistently. Weigh before/after training to better understand sweat loss. For every pound lost, replace with 16-24 ounces of fluid. On top of this, she emphasizes that hydration isn’t just water; athletes need minerals too. Sodium, potassium, and magnesium are vital for success. Fruit for carbs and minerals is a simple, parent-friendly method to make sure your kids get what they need.
What to Eat During Games: Bench Snacks
A big rule Wendi repeats is don’t try new foods on game days. She says it’s best for athletes to test snacks during practice, so your athlete knows what sits well. When the fourth quarter hits and legs feel heavy, athletes need fuel that’s easy on the stomach. Her game-day approach includes carbs and minerals, with her best options being grapes, oranges, watermelon, applesauce, honey sticks, fruit bars, and half a bagel. These options can set your athlete up for success without an upset stomach.
Supplements for Teen Athletes: What’s Safe and What Actually Matters
As one of the most searched topics for youth athletes, Wendi is clear that supplements are meant to supplement gaps, not replace meals. It is ineffective and backwards for a teen athlete to skip meals and make up for it with protein powder. Protein powder can help when a kid is training heavily (multiple sports, long weeks), they’re unable to hit protein goals with food alone, or it’s used in addition to balanced meals, not instead of them. She strongly recommends choosing third-party tested products (ex. NSF-type standards). Some supplements can constrain misleading blends, so it’s important to make sure they’re safe for kids. The most common nutrient gaps Wendi sees are protein, magnesium, zinc, and calcium. She always has the same first question: What are you eating for breakfast? Because food can fix this problem.
How Young Athletes Can Gain or Lose Weight Safely
Many teen athletes worry about the need to gain or lose weight to optimize performance, durability, and strength. Her simple strategy for weight gain is to consistently add about 500 calories per day. Some options Wendi shares are adding peanut butter, extra rice and chicken, smoothies with milk/Greek yogurt and fruit, and extra servings at meals. Slow and steady work. Gaining weight too fast can backfire and lead to sickness and inconsistency. When it comes to weight loss, a common pattern amongst athletes is skipping meals. She warns that cutting calories too aggressively reduces energy, affects recovery, and limits lean mass. A healthier approach to this would be individualized, but a good foundation is a modest deficit (300-500 calories, depending on the athlete), higher protein intake, less processed food, and carbs timed around training. Disordered eating in athletes is extremely harmful, with long-term risks such as a toll on bone health, hormones, and mental health. Your athlete is a human first. Athlete second.
A Parent’s Guide to Budget-Friendly Youth Sports Nutrition
Wendi shares her best budget strategies for fuel without breaking the bank. Buy in bulk (Costco, Sam’s, etc.), use frozen fruits and vegetables (cheaper and nutrient-dense), keep pantry staples (beans, chickpeas, canned foods), and meal prep in two steps (shop one day, prep the next). She encourages families to meal prep together because it teaches athletes how to feed themselves when they’re on their own.
The Big Message for Parents of Athletes: Consistency Over Intensity
If Wendi could give parents one piece of advice, it’s this: Consistency beats intensity. Parents don’t need a perfect plan. Athletes don’t need a bunch of supplements; they need repeatable habits. 3-4 balanced meals, carbs and protein, hydration, sleep and recovery, and a disciplined routine to match their goals. Nutrition is your secret weapon. It can make a good athlete great, or a great athlete good.
About Athletes Untapped
Want to crush it like Wendi? Start training with a private coach and untap your potential.
We connect families & athletes with private sports coaches. Hosting over 3,000 coaches nationwide, head to our website and find a local/vetted coach near you!
