The Gymnast Nutritionist® Podcast - Episode 139: Acute vs Chronic Underfueling in Gymnasts [Competition Season Edition]

Episode 139: Acute vs Chronic Underfueling in Gymnasts [Competition Season Edition]

02/17/25 • 16 min

The Gymnast Nutritionist® Podcast

This biggest mistake we’re seeing high level gymnasts make right now is...

Only eating WHEN and IF they “feel hungry enough”...

“my gymnast eats well” is 100% subjective

This can lead to "acute" underfueling.

And a lot of gymnasts are already chronically underfueled, so this is a double whammy to acutely underfuel on competition day as well.

Here's what we're seeing from gymnasts right now:

🤸‍♀️If the comp is early afternoon, they try to sleep in as late as possible and have 1 meal before getting dressed and out the door.

That ain’t gonna cut it.

I had this convo with one of my newest elite qualifiers this weekend.

👉🏻The comp was at 3PM. She had breakfast about 9:30/10 (a little later than I prefer, but I was a SUPER solid breakfast so I’ll take it).

👉🏻They were worried about trying to fit in lunch, getting dressed (didn’t want to eat a lot in a tight Leo), and also going to support her friends who were competing before her.

👉🏻We worked out a plan to fit in a solid pre-comp lunch and a little pre-comp snack as she was walking in.

And guess what!? She qualified!

Fueling = ✨Magic✨

Want to learn more?

We just published a brand-new FREE masterclass for parents of optional/elite competitive gymnasts! This is a must listen for all my gymnast parents (and coaches!) out there who are all wondering...Is my gymnast underfueled?

Click here to learn more in this new 45 min free training

Links & Resources

The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts
Episode 04: Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport and Gymnastics
Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com

This biggest mistake we’re seeing high level gymnasts make right now is...

Only eating WHEN and IF they “feel hungry enough”...

“my gymnast eats well” is 100% subjective

This can lead to "acute" underfueling.

And a lot of gymnasts are already chronically underfueled, so this is a double whammy to acutely underfuel on competition day as well.

Here's what we're seeing from gymnasts right now:

🤸‍♀️If the comp is early afternoon, they try to sleep in as late as possible and have 1 meal before getting dressed and out the door.

That ain’t gonna cut it.

I had this convo with one of my newest elite qualifiers this weekend.

👉🏻The comp was at 3PM. She had breakfast about 9:30/10 (a little later than I prefer, but I was a SUPER solid breakfast so I’ll take it).

👉🏻They were worried about trying to fit in lunch, getting dressed (didn’t want to eat a lot in a tight Leo), and also going to support her friends who were competing before her.

👉🏻We worked out a plan to fit in a solid pre-comp lunch and a little pre-comp snack as she was walking in.

And guess what!? She qualified!

Fueling = ✨Magic✨

Want to learn more?

Click here to learn more in this new 45 min free training

Links & Resources

The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts
Episode 04: Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport and Gymnastics
Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com

Previous Episode

Episode 138: Gymnast Labs, Endurance, and Iron Deficiency/Anemia

It's a significant topic in sports nutrition, particularly for endurance athletes, so today's podcast episode is all about understanding iron deficiency in gymnasts.

In the sports nutrition world we’re super keen on screening for iron deficiency and/or iron deficiency anemia, because we know this can have major detrimental impacts on performance in all athletes. Most coaches, parents and athletes have an understanding of why iron is important in regards to endurance, stamina, power etc. But.... what the majority are missing is that its not as simple as "is she anemic or not"

I've spent the last 5 years, working exclusively with gymnasts, and as a team we've learned just how complex the iron piece is. And what became increasing clear is that sometimes when supplementing iron isn't effective, those gymnast most likely had more of an iron recycling/mobilization problem. But what does that mean?

Listen in to hear more about:

Different types of iron issues; the spectrum of anemia
The two distinct types of gymnast "iron deficiency" we see and why it takes different approaches when it comes to "fixing" it
The top six things we've learned about iron, labs, endurance and what it means for your gymnast

Links & Resources

The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts
Instagram Post
Episode 8: Gymnast Nutrition + Endurance
Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com

Next Episode

Episode 140: What is the "best" type of school for fueling your gymnast?

When it comes to fueling your gymnast, is there an advantage based on what type of school they attend?

Here at The Gymnast Nutritionist®, we have clients from all walks of school life: private, public, hybrid, homeschool, you name it. And we have seen the advantages and disadvantages each situation can present.

In an ideal world, your gymnast would be waking up at the same time every morning (after 9 hours of sleep of course), eating breakfast, having a mid morning snack, lunch, preworkout snack, and ending with dinner at a decent hour. And nothing would interfere with that schedule (bathroom hall passes, peer influences, packing food etc).

Reality looks different. Late morning start times can affect getting enough fuel throughout the day, and late nights can mean consuming the majority of their calories at the end of the day. Not wanting to eat lunch because none of their peers do. Or just the sheer hectic schedule of trying to get it all done and pushing fueling to the back burner.

So is there an ideal school situation when it comes to fueling your gymnast?

Listen in to hear more about: