Q & A: Are Carbohydrates bad for Gymnasts?

Q: Coach Casie, someone told me carbohydrates are bad for gymnastics. Is this true?

A: We hear a lot about carbohydrates today. Often, they are called bad and unhealthy. Yet, this is not true.

You need to realize that it is necessary for your body to have the carbohydrates that it needs to power through your body’s demands. Carbohydrates are an important player in your bodies' nutritional needs, especially for a gymnast who needs to be BETTER, FASTER and STRONGER than their competition.

You should always look for whole grains when it comes to carbohydrates. Also check the labels on the food to make sure they are not full of sugars, bad fats and processed foods. (I hope that didn't just ruin your dinner meal plan.)

Round-Off Back Handspring Double YUM!

For some feeding a gymnast is like pulling teeth, you can't seem to get her to eat. While keeping in mind that she can't simply be eating a well balanced diet if it holds up any longer, you feel like just anything would do. Before you reach for those french fries and sugar packed cereal, remember what she puts into her body effects her performances. I'm certain you all want that drive home to be a joyous recap of all the awesome stuff she did at practice.

Not to worry, eating healthy is not so drab as it sounds. In fact, it's exactly the opposite. I've collected 10.0 snack recipes that fit perfectly for a gymnastics family. Each recipe is easy to make, packed with nutritional value to fuel top performances and most of all, yummay!

Eating Right for Myself and My Gymnasts

When it comes to eating right and nutrition practicing what I preach to my gymnasts is a little hard but I'm stickin' to it. Knowing that if my body is in top form, they might follow suit. 

What is Sports Nutrition for a Gymnast?

Today is the day that you begin to enhance your gymnasts' performances. 

As gymnasts, they already know that they need to work hard preparing their bodies physically so they are the best they can be.

You want to insure their body is doing everything in the correct manner from start to finish.

They may spend hours perfecting even the simplest  movements. They also work extremely hard to build  muscle to enhance how well they can run, punch, flip and swing. Or, they may spend countless hours pushing their body and mind to just go backwards. All of these things are essential parts to being a successful gymnast. There is no doubt about that. But, that is not all that you need to handle either.

Out of the Gym Work Outs

Besides planning their routine, the next set of reps and the next competition, they should be concentrating on their nutrition. Think about it. What their body eats is what makes it move. What they put into their body is the fuel it will use to do the things that they want it to do. What they do not put into the body can not help them to succeed either. While it may sound hard to determine what the right products are, it does not have to be. As gymnasts, they need to focus their time on nutrition as much as they focus it on their workouts.

Everyone (gymnast, coach, gym mom and dad) should should take the time to learn about what our body needs, how it reacts to the foods we put into it and how well it will perform based on the fuels we provide it. 

What are some of the foods that make you feel awesome, on top of your game? What foods make you feel sluggish? 

Yummy Quinoa Patty Recipe

I've become the queen of patties around my house, even grandpa and grandma have fallen for these yummy treats. The best thing about it is they are easy peasy.

Coming home after a whole night of coaching, normally I loathe doing ANYTHING in the kitchen except eating. Last night was different, I had the motivation to make something nutritious and delicious in less time it takes my girls to do a complete warm-up.