Off Topic What do competitive gymnasts eat in a day?

[Trying_to_tumble]

Alright, this question comes out of nothing but pure curiosity (aka nosiness ) but I’m interested to know what a competitive gymnast would eat on a typical day. As a recreational “gymnast” (more like “constant faller” but whatever) I’d say I eat decently healthy but I do wonder what the more dedicated gymnastic kids/teens eat like. For example, today I had
- eggs and toast and milk for breakfast
- an apple before gym
- an orange after gym
- curry and rice and salad for lunch
- a mini cheesecake cupcake as a snack
- more cheesecake for a post-snack snack
- oh look more cheesecake (they’re addictive) as a post post snack snack
- Some leftover curry and rice as a pre-conditioning snack (yes I know I snack too much but my appetite is quite insatiable )
- Some vegetable pasta for dinner
- some almond nuts as a late night snack
- aaaaand more mini cheesecakes as a post - late night snack. My mom made them yesterday, and they are the best things I have ever tasted (luckily they’re bite-sized so I won’t gain 10 pounds overnight)

That’s what I might eat on a normal day, minus going overboard on the mini cupcakes. Seriously. They’re good. So how would that compare to a competitive gymnasts diet? Are there certain foods you’re restricted from or told to eat plenty of? How much do you snack? I’m excited to read your responses!

 

[superNova08]

As a low level competitive gymnast with lots of dietary restrictions and allergies, I eat differently. But here's what I had yesterday:
Waffle with chocolate chips and pb for breakfast
Sweet potatoes gnocchi and mushrooms with a small cookie for lunch
Pecan halves for a snack
Insides of egg rolls for dinner
Dark chocolate Hershey kisses for dessert

I try to stay fairly healthy - usually I don't have a cookie or dark chocolate but I needed it yesterday.

 

[ProudGymnast]

I was a level 9 competitive gymnast last year. Nutrition has always been a big thing in my life, so my diet was very important to me. And I definitely noticed a difference when I ate good- I felt less "snacky", had more energy, conditioned better, got sick less, etc. Here were a couple things I focused on:

1) Upping my protein intake, especially before gymnastics. As a rule of thumb I tried to never eat empty, carb heavy meals as many people where I live do. PB&J on white bread just doesn't cut it when you train many hours a week.

2) Eating foods that are nutrient rich and avoiding inflammatory foods. I usually had two servings of vegetables a day, and I like to make healthy swap outs such as brown rice instead of white rice and whole grain bread instead of white bread. I also never drank soda, and avoided processed sugars as much as possible.

I also made it a point to drink lots of water, and I never skipped meals. But as with everything in life, there needs to be balance. So I for sure had fun foods like once or twice a week.

Another thing I should add is I was constantly hungry. So snacks were inevitable. Thus, I made it a point to have healthy, fulfilling snacks around. Leftover smoothie, carrots and hummus, apples and peanut butter, a mini protein shake, rx bars, these were all in my regimen.

 

[JPC13]

My daughter eats primarily protein (chicken breast or egg), raw vegetables, and fruit. She also eats a lot of nuts and a decent amount of high content chocolate. For carbs, she likes “simple” Lays and bean chips. She also drinks a lot of water.

She would eat like that even if she didn’t do gymnastics, but I’m sure her protein intake would be much less.

 

[GymDadWA]

On an average day DD eats about 2500 calories, 100g Protein, 300g Carbs, 75g fats. She is a teenager that weighs about 110lbs.

 

[RTT2]

Typical day for my daughter:
Breakfast- water, 3 turkey maple sausages, 1 slice multigrain bread, fruit, yogurt
Snack: Granola bar
Lunch: Veggie burger on multigrain, fruit, hummus and chips, piece of chocolate
Pre-practice: Bean burrito
Practice: 1/2 or whole protein bar
Dinner: Turkey tacos, lettuce, tortilla with cheese

Obviously, the meals vary day to day, but that's a pretty accurate picture of what she eats daily for 20 hrs of training. Lots of water, some snacks in there too sometimes.

 

[Trying_to_tumble]

On an average day DD eats about 2500 calories, 100g Protein, 300g Carbs, 75g fats. She is a teenager that weighs about 110lbs.

Wow, she must do a LOT of gymnastics! As a 120lbs 5’6” teen I eat 2000 calories a day, more if I’m really hungry. Maybe I need to do more gymnastics….

 

[LCsMom]

My twelve year old ball of muscle eats anything edible not locked down in the house.

 

[Livelovegymnastics]

As a level 9 gymnast, this is what I ate yesterday:
-2 rice cakes with PB, berries, and a protein bar
-Ham sandwich, carrots, cheese+crackers, and a chobani flip yogurt
-Cabbage rolls, and an apple after
-A bowl of cheerios and a banana for a snack
This was actually less food than I usually eat, typically I would eat a larger dinner and another snack but I guess I wasn't as hungry yesterday. I really just try to eat my fruits and veggies and I will typically eat as much as I want.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Wow, she must do a LOT of gymnastics! As a 120lbs 5’6” teen I eat 2000 calories a day, more if I’m really hungry. Maybe I need to do more gymnastics….

um.....
When I was in my late teens and early 20's (and around 140 lbs), I'd eat a 2000 calorie snack every afternoon before going to gym.

(boy do I wish I could still do that)

Anyway, when I was at my peak in my early 20's, I didn't have any particular diet regimen, but I ate a LOT. A typical day would be something like....
-4 packets of instant oatmeal for breakfast
-2 peanut butter and banana sandwiches for lunch
-An entire package of mozzarella garlic tortellini before workout
-2 footlong meatball subs after workout before I'd start coaching
-Whatever my parents cooked for dinner -- I'd usually eat as much as both my parents plus my brother combined

At the time, I was probably averaging between 20 and 30 hours of training per week, plus coaching (and I'd tumble and condition along with my athletes most nights)

These days, that amount of food would probably last me an entire week.

 

[lucyhills]

See these options from an ex-gymnast:
Breakfast:

• Whole grains (oatmeal, whole grain toast, or cereal) for sustained energy.
• Protein sources like eggs, yogurt, or lean meats for muscle support.
• Fruits for vitamins and minerals.

Mid-Morning Snack:

• A piece of fruit or a small handful of nuts for sustained energy.

Lunch:

• Lean protein (chicken, turkey, fish) and chicken casserole recipes for muscle repair.
• Whole grains or complex carbohydrates (brown rice, quinoa) for energy.
• Vegetables for vitamins and minerals.
• Healthy fats (avocado, olive oil) for overall health.

Afternoon Snack:

• Greek yogurt or a protein-rich snack for muscle recovery.
• Another piece of fruit or a small serving of vegetables.

Dinner:

• Lean protein, like fish or chicken.
• More vegetables.
• Whole grains or complex carbohydrates for energy.

Evening Snack:

• A small serving of a protein-rich snack or a glass of milk for muscle recovery.

What to avoid:

• Too much added sugar can affect energy levels and overall health.
• Focus on whole, nutrient-dense foods.
• While moderate amounts may be okay, too much can interfere with sleep and hydration.

 

[AmiaRay]

I eat like crap, especially when I’m not in school. I try to eat healthy, but I have a bad habit of reaching for unhealthy snacks.
Breakfast:
Always 2 waffles with peanut butter and honey
Morning snack:
Cliff bar when in school
Lunch:
yogurt with granola, goldfish, some chocolate, some fruit.
When I’m not in school, I don’t eat lunch, just snack on bananas, bread, yogurt
Afternoon snack:
A gogurt, some crackers, or a balanced break
Practice snack:
A clif bar
Dinner:
Something protein heavy, usually a meat based meal with vegetables on the side.

 

[GymDad00]

I allow my picky eating 9 year old optional gymnast to eat whatever they want. I just be sure to give them a multivitamin, fresh fruit, and sneak in vegetables as much as I can. We also allow McDonald's and other fast food a few times a week. My kid has abs and hardly any body fat eating whatever she wants while working out 20+ hours a week.. they need fuel. I'm not saying NO to anything when they are hungry. Just focus on keeping a baseline of nutrition and minimize the fast food and processed foods somewhat. Focusing too much on a strict diet is just going to lead to eating disorders and/or muscle loss due to under-eating in my opinion.

 

[kecks]

Fast food several times a week? Wow. Perhaps a cultural thing. In Germany this is not the norm and considered a treat for kids, definitely nothing to eat several times a week even for non athletes.

 

[superNova08]

Focusing on food too much at a young age is dangerous. Healthy, growing children should be eating 3 meals and 3 snacks with no more than 3 hours between eating times.
I am in eating disorder recovery, and my eating disorder was definitely in part caused by gymnastics.

Here's an example of what I eat without being in gym:
Breakfast: Waffle with chocolate chips and peanut butter and an orange
AM Snack: Chex mix and a cheese stick
Lunch: Chicken and vegetable soup and veggie straws
PM Snack: Almonds and a cheese stick
Dinner: Sheet pan including chicken, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and carrots
Bedtime snack: Ice cream

All meals and snacks should include enough food to fuel your child. All meals should include carbs, protein, and some sort of fruit or veggie. All snacks should include either carbs or protein.

It's okay for a bedtime snack to be smaller or to not include anything including carbs or protein. It's also fine to include more snacks as needed to help fuel your gymnast through practice.

Obviously my outcome of a severe eating disorder for 3+ years eventually requiring residential treatment is a little severe, but please be careful about how you and the gym talks to your child about food and exercise. In addition, make sure your child knows that everyone is beautiful at all sizes. I'd be happy to answer any questions!

 

[GymDad00]

Fast food several times a week? Wow. Perhaps a cultural thing. In Germany this is not the norm and considered a treat for kids, definitely nothing to eat several times a week even for non athletes.

Fast food several times a week? Wow. Perhaps a cultural thing. In Germany this is not the norm and considered a treat for kids, definitely nothing to eat several times a week even for non athletes.

My kids a fairly picky eater. Doesn’t like sauce on anything. So fast food is usually a plain hamburger… or plain chicken nuggets. With a small side of fries. Most kids I know whose parents ban or avoid all fast food end up with kids who over-indulge the first chance they get when their parents aren’t around monitoring their diets.

I think Usain Bolt won the gold medal eating 100 chicken nuggets a day… haha.

I still stand by the biggest risk to young serious athletes is not getting enough calories. They burn those calories off so quickly no matter the source. If they are picky eaters they will go hungry and end up with injuries. I’d rather feed them fast food more often than have a calorie deficient growing child.

8 Truths about Gymnast Injury Nutrition

Although counterintuitive, gymnast injury nutrition is one of the most important things to monitor in order to speed up the healing process.

christinaandersonrdn.com

 

[kecks]

Fries (fried in fat!) and hamburgers let alone chicken nuggets (fried in fat!) not cooked by yourself are usually highly processed foods, so yes, this is "fast food" to my German mind. Here this is nothing we would feed kids (!) several (!) times a week. These are treats for special occasions like choloate, ice cream, cake, coke... Food is bread, butter, cheese, milk, fruits, veggies, meats and fish, pasta, rice, eggs, nuts, oils... But again, probably these are cultural differences (probably not budget ones since WAG seems to be very expensive in the US).

 

[Gym4.eva]

As a gymnast I usually eat :

Breakfast: Cap’n Crunch originals or Honey Nut Cheerios (w/oat milk)
Snack: yogurt or fruit
Lunch: turkey sandwich and sun chips
Before practice: something light like fruit
During practice : I don’t really eat during practice
After practice (dinner)- something high in protein either fish or chicken w/ veggies
Dessert: Ice cream