My wake up call from the doctor

[SevenGoals]

Hello,

I am 15 years old and i've been training karate since about 8 years.

I've been experiencing pain in my legs since years and i never knew why, so today i have decided to go to the doctor to end this, and i got one hell of a wake up call, he told me that with the ammount of exercise i get each week, i am supposed to be eating a million times more, he told me i have low Hemoglobin and i need to eat alot of eggs to get more proteins, he told me i was not heavy enough, i then decided to end my suffering and get right on that.

All of my life i've been practising Karate inspite of my legs pain, i never let it prevent me from going to tournaments and get trophies and medals, but i know i must change the way i eat, now here's what i need to know, what does the body need proteins for? since that's what the doctor told me i should be getting each day, and is it possible to get it in multi vitamins? if not then what am i supposed to be eating each day?

Thank you.

[Fish]

The body needs protein to repair damaged muscle and build muscle in response to training. Also, protein provides some energy, but the majority of your energy needs should come from complex carbohydrate (potatoes, rice, pasta, bread). What you should eat might depend on whether you are vegetarian. If not, lean meat (chicken), fish, dairy products and pulses are good sources of protein.

[bushido_man96]

Most of your questions could probably be answered by your doctor. He is the one I would talk to, first and foremost. Next, I would talk to a nutritionist or dietician.

Welcome to the Forums!

[Toby]

I'm sort of in the same boat SevenGoals - I'm 5'7 and only weigh 100lbs. No matter what I eat/how much I exercise I don't put on weight.

I would do as Bushido said though, talk to your doctor and nutritionist - I'm sure they'll be of more help.

Come to think of it, I should do that myself.

[baronbvp]

You should be specific about the kind of pain you feel. If it is joint pain, there may be inflammation in there or wear damage to the ligaments or cartilage. You are too young to have continuous pain in your legs. Protein will help you build muscle and repair tissue, but it doesn't sound to me that your pain is just from under eating and insufficient protein. You may need to take a month off to heal or your risk even longer term consequences.