The Missing Piece in Youth Sports: Building Healthy, High-Performing Teen Athletes

What does it take to help young athletes perform at their best—not just today, but for decades to come?In this episode of Root Cause Medicine, Dr. Kate Kresge sits down with emergency medicine physician and functional medicine practitioner Dr. Erik Peterson to discuss a whole-person approach to adolescent athletic performance. Drawing from more than 20 years in emergency medicine, his background as a collegiate athlete, and his work caring for young competitors, Dr. Peterson explains why optimizing performance starts with supporting the developing body rather than simply pushing it harder.The conversation explores how nutrition, sleep, recovery, body composition, metabolic health, and resilience influence athletic success during adolescence. Dr. Peterson also shares why he believes healthcare providers, coaches, and parents have an opportunity to improve long-term health by focusing on foundational physiology during these critical developmental years. Beyond sports performance, this episode is also a conversation about the evolution of medicine—from treating illness in the emergency department to helping people stay healthy through proactive, root-cause care.Listen If You...Treat adolescent athletes in your practiceCoach youth sportsParent a competitive athleteWork in sports medicine, functional medicine, pediatrics, or primary careWant to better understand the foundations of long-term athletic performanceWhat You'll LearnHow Dr. Peterson gets his athletes results using only food, supplements and lifestyleCommon mistakes young athletes make when trying to optimize performanceWhy body composition and metabolic health matter more than weight aloneThe important role parents and coaches play in creating healthy performance habitsDr. Peterson's journey from emergency medicine physician to functional medicine practitionerWho Is Dr. Erik Peterson?Dr. Erik Peterson is a board-certified emergency medicine physician who has practiced emergency medicine for more than two decades while also leading a precision medicine practice focused on performance optimization, men's health, women's health, and preventive care. A former collegiate athlete, he combines his experience in acute care with evidence-informed lifestyle medicine to help athletes and active individuals optimize health, resilience, and long-term performance. Learn more about his program at https://firstcallperformance.com/ Key TakeawaysPerformance is Built Outside the Gym: Training is only one part of athletic success. Nutrition, sleep, recovery, stress management, and overall metabolic health create the foundation that allows athletes to adapt and perform. (Mountjoy 2023) (Cunha 2023)Adolescence Is a Critical Opportunity: The teenage years represent an important period for developing healthy habits that influence performance, injury risk, and long-term health. (Blyth 2025) Parents and Coaches Matter: The adults surrounding young athle