The Gymnast Nutritionist® Podcast

“My gymnast just wants to feel light when competing.” If you’ve heard this phrase, or your gymnast has said it herself, this episode is for you. When a gymnast says she wants to feel light when competing , she might THINK she's talking about a number on the scale. But she’s really trying to describe something deeper. She wants to move faster. She wants to feel powerful and explosive. She want...

Is it “too late” to start working on your gymnast’s nutrition this competition season? Short answer: “NO” SO MUCH can happen in just a few weeks of proper, adequate fueling to support your gymnast’s health, recovery, and performance. Some things can improve really quickly ✅ Heavy legs/muscles (often from inadequate carb intake/poor recovery) ✅ Fatigue/lethargy ✅ Headaches/stomachaches ✅ Poor m...

Does your gymnast really need to eat less when she’s injured? This is one of the most common and most damaging assumptions parents make during time off from the gym. In this episode, we break down gymnast nutrition needs during injury and why cutting food, especially carbohydrates, often does the opposite of what parents intend. When a gymnast is injured, her body isn’t “doing less.” It’s working...

Gymnast parents have been joining me for a FREE weekly webinar each week of December:  the FUELED Comp Season Series. Each Tuesday this month at noon MT, I’m covering a key topic your gymnast needs to navigate competition season successfully.  So today let's talk about Competition Nutrition Strategies from Level 5-10 and Elite gymnasts  With the 2026 competition season upon us, we're goi...

Gymnast parents have been joining me for a FREE weekly webinar each week of December:  the FUELED Comp Season Series. Each Tuesday this month at noon MT, I’m covering a key topic your gymnast needs to navigate competition season successfully.  So let's talk about how every tenth matters...would your gymnast’s nutrition score an 8.0 or a 9.5+?  Your gymnast SAYS she wants to do well this compe...

ICYMI… this week we launched our new, FREE, 4-week Zoom webinar: the FUELED Comp Season Series. Each Tuesday this month at noon MT, I’m covering a key topic your gymnast needs to navigate competition season successfully. First up: injuries, immune health, endurance/performance issues, and REDs during comp season. In this episode, we’re diving into the overlooked connection between why so many gymn...

In this episode, we’re having an honest conversation about gymnast bodies, growth, and the persistent (and harmful) belief that adults can (or should) control how a gymnast develops. You cannot tell where a gymnast is in their growth trajectory just by looking at them or comparing them to their teammates. Growth is completely individual. It's shaped by genetics, prior growth patterns, and the...

Welcome back to Fueled Gymnast Fall, a podcast series on what you need to know about fueling your gymnast as we move into this next competitive season.  Today, we’re tackling a major issue I see EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR: the mid-season implosion .  A lot of gymnasts start the season in one of two places:  ✔️ Looking strong but already running on fumes , or ✔️ Already dealing with nagging injuries, chro...

Welcome back to Fueled Gymnast Fall, a podcast series on what you need to know about fueling your gymnast as we move into this next competitive season. Today I'm addressing a sensitive subject for those gymnasts who are injured and not quite sure what season will look like this year.  If your gymnast was injured last season or is struggling with an major injury this preseason, it can feel fru...

Welcome back to Fueled Gymnast Fall, a podcast series on what you need to know about fueling your gymnast as we move into this next competitive season. Today I'm answering a question constantly asked around this time of the year, "Should a gymnast “Clean Up” their diet before comp season starts?" As competition season approaches, many parents and gymnasts start thinking about “clean...

Welcome to Fueled Gymnast Fall, a podcast series on what you need to know about fueling your gymnast as we move into this next competitive season. And on today's episode, we're diving right in with the question, "Are so many gymnasts really underfueled?" Yes, yes they are…  Why do parents and coaches not believe us? Maybe it's because we are so conditioned to seeing “teeny...

What Is OCD (Osteochondritis Dissecans) and how does nutrition play a role for your gymnast?  In this episode, we’re diving into one of the most misunderstood overuse injuries in gymnastics. OCD, or Osteochondritis Dissecans , and how nutrition plays a powerful role in both prevention and recovery. Parents, if you’ve ever wondered whether your gymnast’s elbow or knee pain could be related to under...

When a gymnast is underfueled, deciding whether they should practice can feel like a tough call. But is keeping them out of practice a punishment...or protection? In this episode, we dive into why it's sometimes the safest and only option for a gymnast to miss practice because of underfueling and what it means for safety, progress, and long-term health. When your gymnast isn’t eating enough t...

Is your Level 9/10 gymnast disciplined enough with nutrition to perform, recover, and reach their biggest goals? Every high-level gymnast knows that discipline is part of the sport. From perfecting routines to managing school and training, your Level 9/10 gymnast already works incredibly hard. But when it comes to nutrition, discipline often takes on the wrong meaning. In this episode, we’re unpac...

s your gymnast talking about quitting? If so, you’re not alone. Many parents and coaches face this difficult situation of their gymnast saying she wants to quit. But whether it comes out of the blue or feels like the inevitable conclusion, I'd really challenge you to dig in and try and understand what could be making your gymnast feel this way.  In this episode of The Gymnast Nutritionist® Po...

When it comes to fueling high-level gymnasts, there’s no shortage of opinions and advice floating around online. But when it comes to your gymnast’s health and performance, “guessing” is not a strategy. In this episode, I’m breaking down our approach to labs, supplements, and mineral analysis for gymnasts . You’ll learn why blindly adding supplements can do more harm than good, when lab testing ma...

Thinking about gymnast nutrition coaching but feeling hesitant? You’re not alone. Many parents wrestle with the same fears before starting 1:1 coaching for their gymnast—and in this episode of The Gymnast Nutritionist Podcast , I’m unpacking the most common concerns and what you really need to know before making the investment.  We're in the thick of Preseason and I know gymnast nutrition coa...

There’s a lot in gymnastics that frustrates parents—but truthfully, much of it is out of your control. You can’t control the judging. Or the coaching. You can’t control every practice or every skill. So as a parent of a gymnast, what can you actually control?  Gymnastics is a roller coaster of a ride. There are so many factors outside a parent's control along the way. But one thing I’ve learn...

When it comes to gymnast nutrition, “healthy” and “adequate” are not the same thing. And confusing the two can keep your gymnast stuck in frustration, struggling with performance, and at higher risk of injury. So many parents tell me, “But Christina, my gymnast eats so healthy!” And while that’s absolutely important, the real question is— is she eating enough? Here’s the truth. A gymnast can eat t...

Why is our practice The Gymnast Nutritionist® even though we are all Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (specialized in pediatrics and sports nutrition).  Marketing. No one knows what a dietitian is. Not even in the hospital. We get all dietricians, dietary, nutritionalists, etc.  But, there are HUGE differences between dietitians and nutritionists. We are not created equally. And, like in any pro...

Your gymnast’s lunchbox comes home full… and your heart drops. You know what’s ahead—hours of intense training—and your gymnast skipping lunch just isn’t an option. But between picky eating, short lunch breaks, and the chaos of the school day, it happens more often than we’d like to admit. Back-to-school season means jam-packed schedules, early mornings, homework piles, and rushing from the classr...

As a parent, it can be tough to hold firm when it comes to your gymnast’s nutrition—especially when you're met with pushback from coaches, friends, or even your gymnast herself. But when we zoom out and really look at the big picture, we have to remember this: nutrition is a safety issue. In today’s episode, I’m diving into what it really means to hold the boundary around safety and nutrition...

In this episode of The Gymnast Nutritionist Podcast , I'm diving into the all-too-familiar gymnast summer struggle —and why it’s hitting both athletes and parents hard right now. From chaotic training schedules to travel, time off, and disrupted routines, summer often leaves gymnasts feeling sluggish, unmotivated, or stuck in a performance plateau. And it’s not just the gymnast feeling it. Pa...

If you're worried your gymnast might be underfueled or showing signs of RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) , this episode is a must-listen.  In today’s episode, I'll explain why a true gymnast fueling audit doesn’t start with macros or calorie counts. It starts with tracking growth over time PLUS nutritional intake.  When parents come to me worried their gymnast might be underfu...

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...