Category: Diet

Gymnastics diet essentials

Gymnastics diet essentials

And Gymjastics you Gymnastics diet essentials help with their training, we Gymastics you to Immune support blend a look at our programs. Dan Marshall Reception Staff. As the amount and intensity of training increases, so do the daily carbohydrate needs of the athlete. It can all feel so conflicting. Gymnastics diet essentials

Gymnastics diet essentials -

At the pre-workout snack, it is much more important to prioritize energy and performance, meaning grains, starches, fruit or even something with sugar. Some of my favorite high-carb pre-practice snacks for gymnasts to eat with less than 1 hour before a workout include:.

Yogurt covered fruit. Fruit cup or piece of fruit. Granola bar. Pretzels or Crackers. Applesauce or GoGo Squeeze. Cereal dry or with milk. Fruit Leathers or Dried Fruit. Fruit smoothie made with yogurt, fruit, and oats or cereal. Bear Bites or Belvita Bites.

Fruit juice. Oatmeal a hot bowl, overnight oats, or baked oatmeal. Athletes are often told about the benefits of eating protein. For gymnasts, protein is an important component of your fueling routine and should be included in most meals and snacks to ensure adequate intake.

HOWEVER see 3 , protein is also one of those nutrients that takes time and energy to digest, meaning if your pre-workout meal or snack is mostly or exclusively protein, it wont be readily available for a workout and can leave you feeling less than great on the floor.

Instead, save the protein for your meals and snacks more than 1 hour before your workout and after! Hydration means providing the body with enough fluid, as water is necessary for every system in the body.

If you are dehydrated this means that the body does not have enough fluid to do all of these functions. Hydration status can have a major impact on energy and performance in the gym. Being dehydrated can lead to:. Fatigue and drop in energy. Muscle cramps and muscle fatigue.

Decreased endurance. Trouble focusing. Slowed reaction time. Additionally, factors like heat, physical activity, and excessive sweating, you may be more likely to become dehydrated. Most gymnasts need to be drinking a minimum of. To be adequately hydrated for gymnastics, most will need to drink an additional:.

Hydration also requires more than just water. Staying hydrated requires the right amount of fluid balanced with electrolytes and carbohydrates. Electrolytes are minerals that help maintain fluid balance in your body.

Those that play a role in hydration are mainly:. These can easily be eaten through food like salty pretzel sticks or drank in a sports drink like Gatorade, Propel, Nuun, Liquid IV, Scratch, UCan, etc.

As a gymnast, being your best and having enough energy means staying hydrated. A few of my favorite tips to help you stay hydrated include:.

Drink with each meal and snack. Carry and sip from a water bottle all day long at school and at home. Drink in the car before and after gymnastics.

Bring a large enough bottle to drink at practice or multiple bottles or drinks, or have a plan to refill when empty. There is so much nutrition information out there: between Instagram and TikTok influencers, Netflix documentaries, your parents and coaches, even your teammates, everyone is always looking for that perfect answer that solves all their problems.

Diet talk can feel NON-STOP! Smaller carbohydrate-rich snacks can be consumed minutes before exercise to provide gymnasts with a quick source of energy for the upcoming activity. Snacks gymnasts can enjoy prior to activity include:.

For gymnasts, hydration and electrolytes play a vital role in performance, health, and well-being. Hydration and electrolyte consumption is not only important for performance, but also for temperature regulation, muscle function and recovery, as well as cognitive function.

Tips for Hydration and electrolyte balance:. If a gymnast does not consume enough fluid to replace the amount lost in sweat, dehydration may occur. Symptoms of dehydration include: dizziness, weakness, fatigue, headaches, and decreased performance 4.

It is important to note that as dehydration becomes more severe, the stress on the body increases. This results in an increased risk of individuals developing heat illnesses requiring medical attention. The same carbohydrate-rich snacks enjoyed leading up to the workout are great options to enjoy during the activity as well.

In addition, sports drinks can help gymnasts replace the fluid and electrolytes lost in sweat 5. Ensuring proper nutrition after the workout is just as essential as what the gymnast consumes before and during the activity. Well-planned post workout meals are essential to support proper recovery from exercise , to replenish energy stores, and to promote muscle repair.

The key concepts that athletes should keep in mind when planning a post-workout meal include:. If it will be several hours following the workout until the next meal, gymnasts should consider eating a post-workout snack containing carbohydrates and protein. A post-workout fruit smoothie can be a convenient option following a gymnastics practice.

Individual nutrition needs may vary based on factors such as training intensity, body weight, and performance goals. Gymnasts should keep in mind that recovery nutrition is of particular when the amount of time between workouts or competitions is limited.

Gymnastics is a weight-sensitive sport, as it requires athletes to lift and flip their own body weight. As weight pressures increase among young gymnasts, so does the concern for disordered eating behaviors.

Research has found a higher prevalence of eating disorders in athletes participating in aesthetic related sports, such as gymnastics 6. In this article we give you the basics of proper nutrition so that you can have a baseline of what foods your gymnast should be eating.

When in doubt, consult a certified nutritionist for individual guidance. If you have a gymnast who eats very little, try breaking down her meals into smaller mini-meals throughout the day. Another way to tell if your gymnast is eating enough is to check her energy level. Is she often lethargic?

Overall, the USDA and Harvard School of Public Health recommend eating a variety of vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy, along with a variety of different protein sources and healthy oils.

The USDA is more heavy on the amount of milk but still recommends water as the best option to stay hydrated. Again, this guideline was created for children without regard to sports yet offers a starting point for gymnasts.

As they train more or go through periods of growth, gymnasts may need to tweak this guideline to fit their changing needs. Again, gymnasts exercise for much longer than an average non-gymnast child so their nutritional needs are slightly different. More specifically, because gymnastics is primarily an anaerobic sport, gymnasts need the majority of their calories to come from carbohydrates to help fuel their body.

Think of carbohydrates as fuel for your gymnast. Nutrient dense sources of carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Gymnasts should eat a wide variety of different colors in their diet including various fruits and vegetables to ensure they are getting the nutrients they need.

Examples of nutritious carbohydrates include whole grain pastas and breads, brown rice, oatmeal, various forms of beans such as black and kidney beans, lentils, corn, carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, apples, bananas, blueberries, strawberries, oranges, grapes, peaches, and plums.

Not all carbohydrates are created equal, however. Gymnasts need protein to help their muscles recover and repair. The exact amount of protein a gymnast requires, however, has yet to be scientifically determined.

Researchers agree youth athletes, in general, need anywhere between 1. This equates to about 34 grams of protein per day for athletes between the ages of and 46 grams of protein for girls ages Protein can come from animal or plant sources.

Examples of animal sources would be lean meat such as lamb, pork, or beef, along with chicken, fish, and eggs. Examples of plant sources of protein include peanuts and other tree nuts , chickpeas, quinoa, lentils, chia seeds, tofu, and edamame opt for organic tofu and edamame to avoid modified soy.

Young athletes rely more on fat sources than adults do so healthy fat sources should be included in their diet, especially for gymnasts! Fat surrounds nerve cells and insulates organs and is vital for proper functioning.

Sources of healthy fats include nuts and nut butters, avocados, walnuts, almonds, tuna, salmon, and food cooked in olive oil. Fats such as fried foods, donuts, packaged and processed foods, fatty meats such as bacon, sausage, pepperoni, salami, and bologna should all be avoided.

The average person needs to drink about half their body weight to stay hydrated. For example, if you weigh pounds you would need 50 ounces of water.

Children, who are of all different weights and sizes, have varying hydration needs, however. Depending on how much they sweat and how hard they workout, their needs might be different from day to day.

A good rule of thumb is for smaller sized gymnasts to aim for 48 ounces per day and for bigger sized gymnasts to aim for 96 ounces per day. She should have a 24 ounce bottle that she can take with her and sip from when she feels she needs to drink. Remember, once your gymnast starts to feel thirsty she is already dehydrated.

Stay away from Gatorade and other electrolyte sports drinks as a regular hydration source. While these drinks might be needed from time to time, the sugars and dyes in them can cause more harm than good.

Avoid juice as well, which is primarily sugar, even percent fruit juice. Gymnasts need to eat frequently in order to maintain energy. Here is an example of how many times your gymnast might need to eat in one day:. Aim to include carbohydrates, proteins, and some fat in your snack.

Snacks should be around calories. Here is a list of 25 different healthy snacks for gymnasts:. According to the Hospital for Special Surgery , a lot of gymnasts reach their peak in gymnastics when their calorie needs are at their highest.

And yet many gymnasts are either not eating enough or are eating the wrong foods. Good nutrition can fend off overuse injuries, stress fractures, low energy, and hormone imbalances. In addition, your gymnast should aim to eat frequent meals throughout the day, making carbohydrates her main source of fuel.

Protein is also important to help her muscles recover and repair themselves. Gymnasts should also eat adequate amounts of healthy fat to help with proper functioning of her organs.

And most importantly, gymnasts need to stay hydrated throughout the day. Briley October 6, , am. Thank you for this! Do you have any more suggestions for healthy fats? gymnasticshq October 6, , pm. Hi Briley, Do you like avocado?

You can make it into guacamole or eat it in a turkey roll up or even just drizzle olive oil over it. Olives and ground flaxseed meal are also good sources of healthy fats as are Greek yogurt, cheese, coconut oil, and eggs!

Suhaila September 25, , pm. Briley October 6, , pm. Also, yes things like eggs, yogurt, olives, and cheese, are some healthy fats I will definitely eat!

Thank you so much!

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Diet \u0026 Nutrition Tips for Gymnastics Performance

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