WAG Hw to calculate caloric needs for younger gymnasts

[bogwoppit]

I hadn't really paid much attention to this thread until I had time today, I thought it would be worth looking at as nutrition is a subject I enjoy reading about. But I am just a little stunned to come here and read that 8 year olds are training 33 or 38 hours a week. No wonder they cannot maintain weight. That is a full time job. Call me crazy, but I really am stunned/horrified.

 

[emorymom]

I think it's possible you can handle this on your own and counting calories will make you all crazy.

She needs to listen to her body, but also you observe that she looks healthier when you encourage her to overcome her other interests and/or tiredness and eat. Be sure to avoid empty calories in such an elite athlete, right?

My son is 4'5" with a very long torso and decent musculature he's only about 68#.

Your daughter is on the short side and loses weight easily. Could be perfectly normal for her in her training regimen. In an abundance of caution, you may want to do a general gastro eval to rule out any problems that cause malabsorption.

 

[BlairBob]

Yeah, I have heard of some gyms training 30-35 hours...and some of these gym hours are for kids at the compulsory level. OTOH, if they want to be elites and are merely competing compulsory levels yet training as elites, it can make sense.

One of my gymnasts, as a mere 9 and 10yo wasn't really growing and he was only training 9 hours a week. He would also play soccer on his off days (TuTh). As a L4 before I got him, he actually had to reduce hours as he wasn't growing (and mom and dad were near 6'). He was about 4 1/2 feet tall and 52-57lbs.

He also had GERD which inhibited from being a big eater which sort of makes sense why he could drink so much milk (besides the fact that he wasn't fond of water or juice or many fruits) as milk is caloric dense.

Most Elites don't even train that much.

 

[ecott]

Personally, I think most Americans' diets are disturbing. I was going to say more, but I must put my hand to my mouth.

 

[JBS]

ChooseMyPlate.govLink Removed

 

[Quadqueen]

I hadn't really paid much attention to this thread until I had time today, I thought it would be worth looking at as nutrition is a subject I enjoy reading about. But I am just a little stunned to come here and read that 8 year olds are training 33 or 38 hours a week. No wonder they cannot maintain weight. That is a full time job. Call me crazy, but I really am stunned/horrified.

I completely agree...and have pointed this out when this poster has mentioned the crazy high hours her child is doing in the past. And I believe she just competed level 7 this year, right??

 

[GymBeeMom]

I completely agree...and have pointed this out when this poster has mentioned the crazy high hours her child is doing in the past. And I believe she just competed level 7 this year, right??

Yes she just finished level 7, now training level 8/9. Most of her time in the gym is not spent working on J.O. level training though. She is with a small group of girls aiming to be elites. The hours are high, agreed. Every family has to decide what is too much for their own child, whether it be training or anything else. I have the utmost respect for her coaches (who are always in tune to what is best for her) and understand that many people disagree with our decision. That's ok, I am no stranger to making unpopular decisions. I've been called crazy, but I look at the my bubbly happy successful children and feel that for today, for now, we are making the best decisions we can for both our kids. We are open to changing our decisions as deemed necessary.

That being said, high metabolism is par for the course in our family and no matter what she was doing, I believe she would have a low percentage of body fat. I am trying to help her maintain her weight for her safety and health, and as a gymnast, it is important I keep an eye out. I wasn't looking for approval for her hours of training, rather suggestions on nutrition. Thanks for the input.

 

[bogwoppit]

In order not to hijack this thread, I created a new one to discuss training hours further. Link Removed

 

[ecott]

ChooseMyPlate.govLink Removed

“Was the government to prescribe to us our medicine and diet, our bodies would be in such keeping as our souls are now.” (Often paraphrased as): “If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.” ~Thomas Jefferson, 1781

 

[Seeker]

Wow....Thomas was a very forward thinker! He's probably rolling over in his grave {repeatedly!}.

 

[JBS]

“Was the government to prescribe to us our medicine and diet, our bodies would be in such keeping as our souls are now.” (Often paraphrased as): “If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.” ~Thomas Jefferson, 1781

Pretty sure I just posted them as helpful links...but you don't have to eat vegetables if you don't want to...it's a free country...supersize yourself...as I've already suggested.

 

[ecott]

Pretty sure I just posted them as helpful links...but you don't have to eat vegetables if you don't want to...it's a free country...supersize yourself...as I've already suggested.

On a lighter note, my DD liked this YouTube video: If wild animals ate fast food. Sorry if you think I insulted you personally.

 

[BlairBob]

^^^ Hahahah. Very funny and cute.

I don't know, if you think about most indoor cats are basically eating fast food be it wet or dry. Even the fat ones can be pretty spry, quick buggers when they are chasing invisible creatures.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

Food choices tend to be an education and personal ethics issue. Pleanty of fat kids round here ! I myself am classed as obese - however thats cause I eat too much and don't do enough exercise.

I do however understand nutrition. All our food is homemade, even the bread. Pink and fluffy gets to eat what she wants pretty much - she usually has one salad a day, usually a greek salad, either a cooked breakfast or muslie and hot milk, and a main meal plus snacks of yoghurt, cheese, fruit ( if I can pursude her) cake at least once a day and copious cups of milk. Her BMI is 16.5 but her bodyfat is way low ( I can see all her ribs) My feeling is if she is gettin g good nurition and she wants an ice cream of a brownie then go for it.

 

[mimi]

My dd is very small and light (10 years old, 49 inches, 53lbs). One thing that I have tried which really seems to help is adding homemade shakes to her diet in addition to meals. I make her shakes without protein powder as my pediatrician advised that sometimes too much protein can be difficult for small bodies to metabolize. I include in the shakes full fat ice cream, whole milk, plain Greek yogurt, and either fresh fruit or peanut butter and chocolate. Now that summer is approaching I am planning on trying to up her shakes to 2 a day. For her, it has been a great way to add calories since she isn't really the type that has a super hearty appetite. Good luck to your dd in her new training schedule!

 

[bogwoppit]

I discovered that if you soak cashew nuts in water for a few hours that you can blend them in a smoothie. They add protein, fats and taste great.

 

[mimi]

I discovered that if you soak cashew nuts in water for a few hours that you can blend them in a smoothie. They add protein, fats and taste great.

What a great idea! I'm going to try that. DD loves cashews and they are another great source of protein and fat. Thanks!

 

[bogwoppit]

I love smoothies. If it doesn't go in my vitamix it isn't fun!!

 

[iwannacoach]

If it's calories and protein you're looking for I'll tell you what worked for me when, way back in my late teens, I was back packing out in the "wild country." I read an article about a mixture of dry ingredients that could be mixed with hot water to produce a great tasting hot drink that packed something like 45 grams of protein, 1000 calories, as well as substantial percentages of daily minimums for several vitamins and minerals.

I can't remember the exact quantities of the ingredients, but I think it was something like enough powdered milk to make a quart, one instant breakfast (chocolate), 1/4 cup "coffee mate," and 2 packets of swiss miss. I mixed that with 16 ounces of boiling water, and combined with occasional snacks of Brazil nuts, it was enough to get me through until mid afternoon. I remember I had to take my time to drink this, probably because of all the calories and protein, and would drink some immediately and sip on it through the next hour until it was gone.

 

[tooootsie]

My DD is 6.5 y/o only trains 6 hours a week. I try to get her to eat whatever she wants... I am unsure how many calories she consumes, but I can tell when she loses a pound. She is 3'11" and weighs between 48 and 50lbs (she fluctuates) But it seems she is heavier than some older kids on here, I wonder how?