Episode 34: Ways to Improve Gymnast Body Composition without Dieting

02/27/23 • 33 min

We all know that gymnastics is an incredibly demanding sport that requires a lot of strength, agility, and precision...and it's no secret that these athletes are under constant and tremendous pressure to look a certain way while performing gravity-defying feats. With the ever-increasing rate of body image issues and eating disorders (for teen females in general, and gymnastics specifically), it's important for us to make sure that gymnasts have healthy relationships with both food and their bodies.
When parents or coaches become concerned about a gymnast's body or weight, we have to remember that it's simply nature at play. Their body is changing and evolving, as it should. So when a parent or coach tries to restrict or put an athlete on a diet, they're just setting the gymnast up for failure. Not only in terms of underfueling, injuries, and other performance-related issues, but also going to set them up for more than likely major disordered eating issues.
Weight changes are often a symptom of something else going on. Are they just going through puberty? Have then had a weight "overshoot" from years of underfueling? Are they over-compensating from being too-restricted with food? Are they super stressed out, not sleeping enough, and their body is NOT happy and holding onto weight?
Oftentimes, a gentle reminder to parents and coaches that weight is NOT the same as body composition can go a long way. When a gymnast is properly fueled, especially when they have "within-day energy balance" (I go more in-depth on this in the podcast), they can help their body composition improve. Listen to learn more.
In this episode you'll hear:

What happens when a gymnast is out due to injury or a major change in training hours and the body finally has a chance to "catch up" to years of underfueling
How blaming a gymnast's weight as the issue gets in the way of performance, along with the negative effects it has on mental and physical health
How diet cycling, restriction, or binge eating patterns lead to negative body composition in the long run.

Links & Resources

Check out these episodes for further learning: Episode #2, Episode #4, Episode #5, Episode #8, Episode #10, Episode #12
VIP Nutrition Coaching Program, for level 5-10 female gymnasts, waitlist now open
Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist
Private 1:1 Nutrition Coaching for High-Level Gymnasts

What happens when a gymnast is out due to injury or a major change in training hours and the body finally has a chance to "catch up" to years of underfueling
How blaming a gymnast's weight as the issue gets in the way of performance, along with the negative effects it has on mental and physical health
How diet cycling, restriction, or binge eating patterns lead to negative body composition in the long run.

Links & Resources

Check out these episodes for further learning: Episode #2, Episode #4, Episode #5, Episode #8, Episode #10, Episode #12
VIP Nutrition Coaching Program, for level 5-10 female gymnasts, waitlist now open
Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist
Private 1:1 Nutrition Coaching for High-Level Gymnasts

Previous Episode

Episode 33: How to "salvage" your gymnast's competition season

At this point in the season, a lot of gymnasts are injured and on the sidelines; some are just struggling to get through and some hoping to make a comeback before States, Regionals, and Nationals.
It's not too late to help your gymnast make a nutrition game plan so you can get them back to full health as safely and as quickly as possible. Parents and gymnasts are shocked at just how fast they see the results of a nutrition plan during the season.
Nutrition is a moving target. We constantly need to be assessing and reassessing the adequacy of gymnasts' fueling as their bodies are changing as well as their goals and training. Plus, figuring out your gymnast's best competition season nutrition can feel overwhelming with all the #dietcultre info permeating gymnastics culture. Wherever your gymnast is right now in their journey, just know that you can learn to leverage the power of nutrition to support their goals and dreams, even if they're currently on the sidelines right now.
In this episode you'll hear:

How to ensure your gymnast is optimizing their repair, recovery, and adaptation to training throughout the entire season.
The biggest mistake parents and gymnasts make when out due to injury and why it is killing their recovery.
The 3 things that must happen daily for your gymnast to stay healthy, progress, and reach their goals.

Links & Resources

Listen to episode #4 Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport and Gymnastics
VIP Nutrition Coaching Program, for level 5-10 female gymnasts, now enrolling
Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist
Private 1:1 Nutrition Coaching for High-Level Gymnasts

Next Episode

Episode 35: The Gymnast's Guide to Plant Based Diets

Plant-based diets have become quite popular in recent years. While they mainly used to only be followed for ethical or medical reasons, we find many gymnasts these days adhering to a plant-based diet because they think it's "healthier" or "cleaner".
I'll be the first one to say we can probably all use a little more fruits and veggies in our daily lives. But the bottom line is these plant-based diets don't necessarily guarantee health, particularly for gymnasts. You can be plant-based and under-fuel OR over-fuel. You can miss out on important macro-nutrients or it may be an unsustainable diet because of pickiness, preferences, or access to enough variety/nutrients.
And unfortunately, social media plays a huge part in convincing gymnasts that there is a "perfect" diet for them to follow. It's the "eat like me, look like me" culture that permeates their feed while scrolling. When realistically, we don't see anything going on when the camera is turned off and the perfect poses aren't posted.
In answer to the question, "what's the best diet for a high-level performance athlete", we take an "all foods fit" to nutrition approach. It is absolutely possible to be plant-based and a high-level gymnast and flourish. Because ultimately adequacy matters most.
In this episode you'll hear:

The main struggles and concerns for athletes that are following a plant-based diet; what issues to be aware of and on the lookout for with following very specific, elimination, or specialized diets
What are plant-based diets and when the motivation to follow one can be a red flag
How to best support your plant-based athlete to ensure adequate fueling.

Links & Resources