The Gymnast Nutritionist® Podcast

Episode 221: Why Gymnasts Implode Mid-Season (Burning the Candle at Both Ends)

Every year, somewhere between the first meet and the middle of the season, the same messages start coming in. She's exhausted all the time. She's been sick thre

Episode 220: What Should My Gymnast Eat Before a Meet? Fueling for 8 AM, Midday and Evening Sessions

"What should she eat before the meet?" is the #1 question I get from parents every comp season, and my answer is always the same: it depends on what time her session is.

Does Gymnastics Stunt Growth? [REPLAY]

🎧 Replay! Winter 2027 early enrollment for The Balanced Gymnast® Program opens November 1st at current prices -- apply now to lock in your spot. Does gymnastics stunt gr

Episode 219: Does Your Gymnast Have REDs? What's Changed Since 2022 (and What Parents Need to Know Before Comp Season)

Four years ago, our RED-S episode became one of the most downloaded episodes of this podcast. A lot has changed since then. In 2023, the International Olympic Committee u

Episode 218: What Gymnasts Who Score 38+ All-Around Do Differently With Their Fueling

Your gymnast doesn't need a perfect diet to score 38+ in the all-around, but she does need these three things. I'm sharing exactly what I see in our gymnasts wh

Episode 217: How to Get Your Gymnast Bought In to Nutrition (Without Becoming the Food Police) 

"She thinks she's fine." "She gets annoyed every time I bring up nutrition." "She thinks you're going to tell her what she can and can't eat." So does your

Episode 216: Your Gymnast Ate Breakfast, Lunch + a Snack…So Why Is She DONE by 6:30? 

"She eats breakfast." "She had lunch at school." "She had a snack before practice." So why is your gymnast completely DONE by 6:30? If your gymnast consistently falls apa

Ep 215: The Real Cost of Waiting to Fix Your Gymnast's Fueling

"Let's see how she does once season starts." "She's growing, so this is probably normal." "We'll deal with it if it becomes a bigger problem." If any of th

Episode 214: Why Gymnast Families Just Ask for Nutrition Help

So many parents come to us feeling like they're the only ones struggling like something must be uniquely wrong with their gymnast when nothing seems to be working, d

Episode 213: Is Underfueling Behind Your Gymnast's Mood Swings?

So much of the anxiety, irritability, meltdowns, and attitude we see from preteen and teen gymnasts gets chalked up to "teenage hormones" or being a moody teenager. And y

Episode 212: A Tale of Two Gymnasts- Pre-Season Edition

So much of the fatigue, skill plateaus, injuries, and burnout we see in gymnasts gets chalked up to gymnastics just being hard—and yes, it is. But that doesn't mean

Episode 211: Nutrition for Gymnasts- Surgery Edition

Your gymnast needs surgery, and the first fear that shows up for her, for you, maybe for her coaches is that she's going to "get fat" and lose everything she's

Episode 210: What to Do When Your Gymnast's Lunch Comes Home

You packed the sandwich, the fruit, the veggie, the calcium and it comes home half eaten, with the chips and dessert gone first. Sound familiar? Before you assume your gy

Episode 209: How to Schedule Meals and Snacks for Back-to-School

Is your gymnast's schedule about to fall apart the second school starts back up? If breakfast gets skipped, snacks get squeezed out, and dinner turns into whatever&a

Episode 208: 6 Summer Fueling Mistakes That Follow Gymnasts Into Fall

Have you noticed your gymnast eating fine on paper but still getting hurt, running out of steam, or feeling behind as fall training ramps up, and assumed she just needs t

Episode 207: Why "Just Lose Weight" Won't Fix Your Gymnast's Puberty Struggles

Have you noticed your gymnast suddenly feeling weaker or struggling with skills she used to hit easily, and wondered if she's just gained "too much weight"? It&apos

Episode 206: Should Gymnasts Weigh Less to Prevent Injury?

Have you ever heard a coach or well-meaning adult say something like "gymnasts need to watch their weight so there's less pressure on their joints"? It sounds scien

Episode 205: Why Your Gymnast Needs Two Meals Before Summer Training

Have you noticed your gymnast sleeping in later this summer and then heading straight to practice after only one meal? Maybe practice starts at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, o

Episode 204: Do Gymnasts Really Need Sports Drinks?

Have you ever wondered if your gymnast actually needs a sports drink at practice? Maybe you have seen other athletes drinking Gatorade, Powerade, Liquid I.V., LMNT, Prim

Episode 203: 5 Lessons Learned in 11+ years as a Peds/Adolescent Sports Dietitian for Gymnasts

Have you ever wondered if your gymnast is actually eating enough to support everything her body is being asked to do? Maybe she is training hard, dealing with injuries,