Episode 103: Sports Drinks, Cavities, and Dental Health with Dr Clayton DMD

06/17/24 • 64 min

Why have a dentist on The Gymnast Nutritionist® Podcast? Often I get questions from gymnast parents about sports drinks, cavities, and dental health. So I brought in an expert for today's episode!
It’s common for dentists to warn parents not to let their children have sports drinks because of the risk of cavities and dental health. The big focus here tends to be the sugar. Which only fuels the “sports drinks are bad” camp which isn’t true. This episode isn’t just about sports drinks in and of themselves as there is certainly a time and place for those in sport to strategically refuel and improve performance.
But there’s a lot more to cavities than just sugar, and who knows what else is going on with their oral hygiene. Plus the logistical barriers to appropriate intraworkout fueling narrow down our choices of what we have in terms of fueling for optimal performance with high intensity, anerobic workouts that are 4-5+ hours at a time.
That's why I'm so happy to have Dr Craig Clayton DMD, one of the premier dentists in Meridian Idaho on the podcast today. He's worked in various dental settings and has experience working with a wide range of dental teams, patients, and practice cultures. Listen in today as he breaks down what's really going on with your gymnast's sport drinks consumption and dental health.
In this episode you'll hear about:

What are cavities and can things like sports drinks, quick carbs (sugars) contribute to them?
What’s the best way to prevent cavities?
How do we balance fueling intraworkout + cavity prevention?

Links & Resources

The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts
Episode 48: Do Gymnasts Need Snack Breaks?
Dr. Craig Clayton | Wellness & Biomimetic Dentistry
Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com

What are cavities and can things like sports drinks, quick carbs (sugars) contribute to them?
What’s the best way to prevent cavities?
How do we balance fueling intraworkout + cavity prevention?

Links & Resources

The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts
Episode 48: Do Gymnasts Need Snack Breaks?
Dr. Craig Clayton | Wellness & Biomimetic Dentistry
Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com

Previous Episode

Episode 102: Can gymnasts make up a deficit with a few "good days" of nutrition?

Most gymnasts are wildly inconsistent with their nutrition. They skip breakfast or lunch, or they get out of practice so late they skip dinner. But one question I get asked by parents a lot is will a few "good days" of nutrition and fueling help balance out the erratic days of fueling for their gymnasts?
There’s a new research study just published in the MEDICINE & SCIENCE IN SPORTS & EXERCISE that highlights a really important concept about fueling gymnasts. I won’t bore you with all the details of the study (linked in show notes), but I am discussing the big takeaway for our purposes.
When dealing with young athletes training 15-20, 30+ hours/week, we can’t just hope it all “averages out” in terms of energy availability or caloric intake. Most gymnasts aren’t “closing the recovery gap” each day. Meaning they're going to workouts underfueled, they’re not recovering well post-workout, and not refueling properly.
And even if they’re eating enough calories in a 24 hour period...the timing and distribution still matters Something we teach about called “within day energy balance”. So what are you supposed to do with all of this?
In this episode you'll hear about:

Why your gymnast needs a fueling plan
How a performance performance nutrition strategy in/around workouts will give your gymnast the edge in training
The importance of closing the "recovery gap"

Links & Resources

The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts
Episode 4: Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport and Gymnastics
MEDICINE & SCIENCE IN SPORTS & EXERCISE research study
Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com

Next Episode

Episode 104: Nutrient Density, Real Food and Gymnastics

Nutrient Density, Real Food and Gymnastics—"do you even care about healthy eating!?"
I had an IG post go viral last year where I compared intraworkout fueling options. And my comments BLEW UP with some really crazy comments about goldfish of all things.
I feel like I’m constantly have to say how of course we care about healthy eating and nutrient density in the context of gymnastics. But that there are certain priorities when it comes to fueling a gymnast.
I am NOT a fan of “clean eating” as we often see this create massive issues around fueling, restriction, then binging, etc and that defeats the whole purpose of trying to get a gymnast or athlete to eat healthier. But what most people don’t know is I’m actually trained in functional nutrition with a focus on GI health. So of all sports dietitians, I especially care about what your gymnast eats.
BUT, I also have to respect biology and science and know that the healthiest, cleanest, most nutrient dense diet that doesn’t provide sufficient nutrition won’t save your gymnast. Before I throw out anymore of these terms like “clean eating”, nutrient density, etc... Let’s define.
In this episode you'll hear about:

Defining nutrient density, clean eating, and healthy eating
What foundation needs to be in place before utilizing the advanced nutrition strategies
Best practices for fueling and supporting a healthy relationship with food

Links & Resources