The Gymnast Nutritionist® Podcast

Does your gymnast suffer from "nervous stomach"?  Do competition nerves cause your gymnast to perform differently the day of a meet?  Some gymnasts get so worked up the day of a competition with nerves, anxiousness, and are apprehensive about their performance. As a result, fueling is literally the LAST thing they're thinking about. Or maybe its something they're actively avoid...

Want to know what phrase I wish we'd stop saying to our developing gymnasts? When I hear it said about a gymnast: "She needs to gain weight, but she needs to eat healthy calories".  Hard stop. I understand the sentiment and what they're trying to say, but that's just not how nutrition works. And it's definitely not the message we want to send. Calories are a measure o...

Is your gymnast meeting her own, full potential in this intense sport? Or is she comparing herself to others and using their successes as a benchmark? One of the things that separates Simone Biles from the rest is her insatiable drive to see what else she's capable of. She's never satisfied with winning, or even being the best in the world. She's curious about what else she can acco...

Have you ever heard the phrase, "you just don't know what you don't know" when it comes to your gymnast's nutrition? I'm talking with TBG program parent Dana on a very special topic on today's episode of the podcast. We're discussing how too often nutrition is the missing piece parents aren't told about as their gymnast moves up the levels.  Parents are...

At this point of the year, parents ask if nutrition is something their gymnast should focus on while they're injured. A lot of gymnasts are injured right now and won’t even have a competition season. Or some are in the process of coming back and things feel uncertain. Or others are currently in pain but in are denial and hoping it will go away. It's easy to assume there are other things...

Is your gymnast ready to crush it? Or will your gymnast implode part way through this competition season? Is there a way to predict or prevent it from happening? Preparing for competition season begins the day after the last season ended, right? There's no real "time off" in gymnastics. And each season brings it's own challenges and struggles to focus on. Off season is filled w...

How your gymnast consumes and behaves around the sweets and treats on the holidays is indicative of their relationship with these foods the other 364 days a year. I know that's a big statement, but stay with me. For example, if on Halloween your gymnast ate so much candy or sweets on the holiday they made themselves sick...more than likely they feel restricted and are probably underfueled and...

Could your gymnast be underfueled and you just not know it? What does that look like and what signs should parents be on the lookout for? Welcome to the first episode of our new series, Fueled Gymnast Fall . I'm so excited to take the next few weeks to address a handful of specific issues that could be affecting your gymnast this point of the year. Now is the time to make changes and adjustme...

Does your gymnast have a "goal weight"? Is achieving that number the only way she'll be successful in gymnastics? Looking a certain way is the basis for optimal performance...right?  Whether it was a weight pre-puberty or a number she thinks is necessary to achieve an aesthetic that has been perpetuated by #dietculture, more than likely, it will have negative affects on her performa...

Has your gymnast ever come to you and said they want to start eating "healthier"? Is this normal? Is it a red flag for something else? How does a parent know when/if diet culture or disordered eating is taking root in their gymnast? Do you know what disordered eating even looks like for a gymnast? In today's podcast, I sit down with a very special guest. My very own mentor and the d...

Do you ever feel like your gymnast is obsessed with or "addicted" to sugar!? Do you worry about your competitive gymnast and what she eats!? If you said "yes" to either of those, this candid parent interview is for you! On today's episode I'm joined by one of our level 10 gymnast parents who shares with me how and why her gymnast was "addicted" to sugar and...

In this episode, you'll hear the full story of how The Gymnast Nutritionist® started and the evolution of our signature gymnast nutrition coaching program--The Balanced Gymnast® Program.  Christina shares some never-before-released details of what's happened personally and professionally over the past 4 years and how the TBG® program was born out of necessity after a really bad car accid...

Have you ever asked a fellow gym parent about supplements, the best pre-competition meals, or maybe how many grams of protein their gymnast is eating? Could this potentially be dangerous advice for fueling your gymnast?! You're definitely not alone in asking around. This is a small, tight-knit community of well-intentioned parents who have blazed the path before you. But, as a professional, m...

Do you or your gymnast know the difference between RED-S and Overtraining Syndrome?  If you've listened to any of our podcast episodes, you've heard me discuss Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, aka RED-S, countless times. But the term overtraining syndrome might be new. Or something you've heard about but not sure exactly what it entails.  There's a lot of overlap and confus...

Does your gymnast complain of dizziness and you think her nutrition might be the cause? When soliciting advice from other gym parents about their gymnast's dizziness, most parents hear they should visit their pediatrician. As well as possibly a cardiologist or neurologist. However, very few pursue a comprehensive nutrition assessment because they just don't know what they don't know...

Have you experienced trying to get your gymnast to eat healthy...only to have it backfire on you when they overeat, binge, or sneak food behind your back?  In today's episode, I'm talking about a particular bias and emphasis on this topic with older gymnasts. Gymnasts whose bodies have changed post-puberty and parents and coaches freak out a little bit. It's all too common for adult...

Do you know how to optimize recovery nutrition for your gymnast? Today I want to talk all about recovery nutrition for gymnasts because all too frequently, parents and gymnasts are focusing on the wrong things at the wrong time.  It is towards the end of August at the time of this recording, and most gymnasts are heading back to school. Which means incredibly long days away from home. So my questi...

Is your gymnast lazy and unmotivated... or are they struggling with underfueling? Today's podcast is a little different. I'm sharing a case study of a gymnast who was struggling with power, endurance, and regression in skills. As a first-year level 10, she knew firsthand how important summer training was for upgrades and big skills.  But instead of progressing, she was actually losing sk...

When everyone else is doing the same thing, what will help your gymnast stand out from the rest? Knowledge is power. And the understanding of "how to" when it comes to fueling a high-level gymnast can make all the difference in this sport. When every other gymnast with big goals and dreams is putting in the same hours in the gym, what is going to give your athlete the edge?  What is goin...

A sports Dietitian Nutritionist should not food police you or your gymnast.  I know many gymnasts are afraid to work with a dietitian because they're worried they'll have to go on some crazy strict diet of bland boring food. They're afraid they'll be banned from enjoying their favorite dessert or Starbucks drink. Or based on past experiences with other "nutritionists"...

On today's podcast, I'm tackling a tough topic I hear from parents almost daily. The topic of, "how do I get my gymnast to eat more/enough for their high-level training"?! Once parents become aware of how rampant under-fueling is in gymnastics and the devastating consequences that result from it, most then realize their gymnasts just aren't eating enough.    But unfortunat...

This is a GREAT episode for your gymnast to listen to with you :)  Often gymnast's hear coaches say things like… "Practice how you want to compete" "Don’t waste a single turn" I was working with a level 9 gymnast recently and “don’t waste a single turn” took on another meaning for me. This story will share with you what I mean when I say "leverage the power of nutriti...

What happens when your gymnast has been working on nutrition and fueling for 3+ years? Incredible things! Here at The Gymnast Nutritionist®, we're all about sustainable results---not short-lived, quick fixes.  This episode is a transparent "where are they now" with Jennifer, the parent of a first year 13 year old level 10 gymnast. Her gymnast had an incredible last season at level 9...

School year nutrition struggles for your gymnast are real. Raise your hand if the very THOUGHT about packing school lunches and rushed early am breakfasts is giving you nightmares. You are not alone! I get questions from parents all the time about how to navigate school-year nutrition for their gymnasts.  They share their fueling struggles with the added stress of being away from home for most of...

Does your gymnast know their way around the kitchen? Do they know how to cook or how to prepare a balanced meal for themselves? An athlete taking ownership of their fueling and nutrition goes beyond just knowing what choices to make (although that is a HUGE first step in the right direction). But when your gymnast is away at college or beyond, will they know how to cook and prepare their own meals...