Nutrition is important for gymnasts of all ages.
Having a healthy eating pattern will help gymnasts with their performance in training and competitions. If gymnasts want to see improvement in their performance, nutrition will help them get on that path to success. Not only this, but adequate nutrition will help gymnasts have enough energy to get through training and allow their bodies to repair following training. As most gymnasts have busy schedules, for example, school, homework, other club trainings and so on, it may be more suitable to make sure there are quick and easy snacks available to have ready for before and after training.
The benefits of good nutrition for gymnasts:
1. Increased energy levels during training/competitions
2. Ability to focus better, which may reduce the risk of injuries
3. Growth and development in the sport
4. Body repair and recovery after training
5. Learning whilst still young about good eating habits can help with their nutrition habits for years to come!
When to eat? Eating small and frequent meals could help get the right amount of foods before and after training.
It is important that gymnasts try and eat a nutritious snack or even a small meal around 1-2 hours before training. Also gymnasts should be eating something immediately after training. For the snacks or meal to provide the correct nutrients that their body needs, it is important that these foods that are eaten before and after training meet the needs of the body to provide energy and replenish and allow the body to recover after training. That is, a good source of carbohydrate is good for a pre-training snack to provide fuel, and a high-protein snack which includes some carbohydrates is good for a post-training snack to aid muscle recovery and repair. For the best recovery results, it is important to aim to consume a snack or meal within 1 hour after the training session.
How much to eat? This depends mainly on the individual, the training load and other factors.
Another factor to consider is the amount of foods that need to be eaten before and after training. A gymnasts individual requirements will be determined by training load and goals, body composition goals, health status and adjustment for growth in younger athletes. For instance, if an individual is having an intense training session, then they are going to need a lot more food before hand and something during the session to keep them going and provide fuel for the body. The same goes with the post training nutrition, where there is going to be a need for more foods to help the body recover. The most important thing to remember for gymnasts is to eat a wide variety of nutritious foods. Therefore, it is important to include foods such as:
Plenty of vegetables, including different types and colours, and legumes/beans
Variety of fruits
Grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain, such as bread, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles and oats
Lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, legumes and beans
Milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or their alternatives
Limit intake of foods containing saturated fat, added salt and added sugars
Drinking plenty of water (1.5-2.5 litres per day depending on age), but include more fluids on training days
What's the best eating pattern?
One way to figure out the best eating patterns for a gymnast is to create a meal plan which incorporates all the gymnasts training sessions, and includes rough timings of meals.
For example, a meal guide for a squad gymnast could look something like this:
What to eat before training?
A snack or small meal before training should be high in carbohydrates, but should also include some protein and fats. Carbohydrate are in most of the food that we eat. When carbohydrates are eaten, they are broken down in the body to form simple sugars. These sugars, such as glucose, are used in the body for energy, and is the primary energy source during training sessions. This is why carbohydrate rich foods eaten 1-2 hours before training is important, as it will provide energy for the gymnast in their training session.
It is generally said that eating carbohydrate 2 hours before exercise will give the best result in terms of the amount of energy it will give during exercise. The less time given for the carbohydrate to digest and enter the body’s circulation, the less energy will be available during training sessions. What it does is it increases the amount of energy sources to muscles, so that muscles have higher amount of energy available during training. This will mean that because muscles contain higher energy source, it will take longer for muscles to get tired. So therefore, gymnasts will be able to exercise for longer without muscles giving up or feeling tired, and it might help them train for longer at their optimal performance.
Some high carbohydrate snacks that are quick and easy to have:
1-2 Soreen Lunchbox Loaves
Yoghurt & fruit, and granola
Toast (wholemeal) with jam
2-4 fig rolls
Small ham and cheese sandwich (preferably using wholemeal bread)
Pitta (preferably using wholemeal) or carrots and hummus
Fruit smoothie
Wholegrain crackers
These snacks should be 100-300kcal, and the amount of calories mainly depends on the duration and the intensity of what the training session will be.
What to eat during training?
A mid-training snack should be very light and easy to digest. Fruit is the best option! Fruit digests easily, so it shouldn't cause any stomach upset. And to make it quick and easy to eat, it is best to prepare them e.g. cut up apples into wedges. Some good examples of good food to eat during training:
Fruit: apples, bananas, blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, grapes, mango
Dried fruits
Yoghurt
Fruit smoothie
Crackers
Granola/flapjack bar
What should you eat after training?
The main reason for post-training nutrition is to refuel muscles, repair the muscles and rehydrate by replacing fluids that was lost through sweat. This snack should be a good carbohydrate source, as well as protein rich. For example:
Fruit and nut trail mix
Crackers with cheese or nut butter
Apple or banana with nut butter
Pitta (preferably using wholemeal) or carrots and hummus
Toast (wholegrain) with jam and a nut butter
Smoothie with yoghurt, fruit and milk
Chicken and avocado sandwich (preferably using wholemeal)
Again, these snacks should be 100-300kcal, and the amount of calories mainly depends on the duration and the intensity of what the training session will be.
Fluid Needs
Gymnasts need to maintain food hydration levels. Before arrival to a training session, gymnasts should be hydrated. So make sure they are drinking enough fluids, especially water, throughout the day and not just drinking a whole bottle of water within 10 minutes before training. Also drinking water during training is important, as for one it will help prevent dehydration, but also, it can negatively impact performance if the body isn't hydrated.
Sports drinks such as Lucozade sport is a good option for long, intense training sessions (2+ hour sessions), as not only will it provide fluids for hydration, but it will also provide some carbohydrates for extra energy source, as well as electrolytes to help stay hydrated.
A summary to end some key nutrition tips for gymnasts
Always make sure to eat breakfast. Even when training in the afternoon, breakfast helps start the day right and fuels your body from the start.
Focus on eating whole or 'real' foods rather than packaged and processed foods. Packaged or processed foods are less nutritious, usually has lower fibre content, and lower contents of key vitamins and minerals. As well, they are usually high in salt, sugar or saturated (unhealthy) fats.
If lack of time is a problem it is important to plan ahead, and have some snacks on hand. Smoothies are good for a quick on the go snack.
Make sure to drink fluids, especially water throughout the day as well as after training.
For any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact me through my email catrin@mabl.health.
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