Parents Night Time Practice and Dinner

[GymmieMom2011]

Our practice schedule just came out for the fall. My DD is schedule three nights a week from 6pm-9pm and Saturday afternoons. We usually eat dinner between 7-7:30 due to it typically being a time when everyone is home. I do not mind feeding her separately. Would you feed your gymnast dinner before practice with a snack after or snack before practice and dinner after? She is 12 years old, 6th grade. I am going to ask her for her input but wanted outside opinions as well.

 

[katrid11]

We have had practice at 5 or 530 - 9 for a couple years now. We feed our daughter a decent dinner before practice. Today she had green beans, pork chops, and bread. She eats around 4pm for a 5pm practice.

we found dinner afterwards is too late for her. She's 11 and going into 6th grade. Sleep for her is paramount. When she gets home she has dessert. She has a snack at the gym (carrots, apple, etc) during practice.

In reality it will be what works best for your gymnast's schedule and tummy LOL. Some girls do well with a snack and dinner late. Others, like mine, desire a real dinner before practice.

 

[Aussie_coach]

I would also suggest you feed her before practice. Gymnastics takes a lot of energy and she will need to be well griped for practise.

For kids that age, having food after practise as well will be important. Not necessarily a full meal, but maybe something in the car in the way home. She will have depleted a lot of her sources during training and it’s then a long time until breakfast.

Fasting from 5PM to morning is sometimes a thing for adults, trying to diet etc. but it’s not healthy for kids going through puberty.

 

[Pfiga]

I have the same concern, as my daughter's practices will be 5:30-8:30pm. Last year she ended at 7:45, so she usually had a big snack before practice and then ate dinner afterwards, but this year it may be too late. On the other hand, if she eats dinner before practice, I'm concerned about her not feeling well when she's exercising with a full stomach. We may try different options during the first few weeks and see how it goes, but I'm also interested in others' thoughts.

 

[GymmieMom2011]

Correction: she is going into 7th grade, clearly I'm in denial about her getting older, lol. Thank you for the replies so far!

 

[RTT2]

I do a mini meal right after school (burrito, or chicken dumplings, oatmeal etc- something filling but not a huge meal), then she has an energy bar in her bag, and I bring dinner for the 9pm pick up and she eats that in the car on the way home.

 

[mom2newgymnast]

My daughter has had practices from 3:30-8:30 for most of her gymnastics life. Usually she goes straight from school to practice, so she has always has dinner after practice. She'll eat a snack in the car, but not usually anything big. I've tried to get her to eat more before practice, but she prefers to wait.

 

[Scream4IceCream]

We do a heavy snack before practice and dinner afterwards. My DD is a night owl, so she has a decent amount of time to digest dinner before heading to bed.

 

[Madden3]

I think it really depends on the individual. My son hated eating before practice, he felt weighted down. My daughter feels fine eating dinner shortly before practice but she just does not eat a ton. So basically for son it was light snack before practice, big dinner after, and for daughter it is light dinner before, more dinner or snack after.

 

[WV Gym Mom]

Its going to be what works best for her stomach. Might take some trial and error. My daughter is homeschooled, so its a bit different, but she has practice 430-830, or 4-9pm, depending on the day. she eats a good late lunch, then usually a decent snack before practice. After practice we ask what sounds good. its often soup, or fruit, or a grilled cheese. Sometimes its ice cream lol.

 

[NDStars_830]

My daughter is a L4 and she practices MTTHF 5-9 - she has a snack after school and I take dinner in the car with me when I pick her up. It has seemed to work out well thus far.

 

[Tmacs]

Is there a break? My daughter has 20 minutes in the middle of practice (ends at 8) so she brings dinner there. She has a small snack before and after too.

 

[JBS]

Some girls do well with a snack and dinner late. Others, like mine, desire a real dinner before practice.

^^^This... some eat a medium sized meal both before and after practice as well.

As a head coach... athletes that are hungry during practice typically do not do well... we see more emotions from athletes that state that they don't like to eat at least a good snack before practice.

 

[Pfiga]

As a head coach... athletes that are hungry during practice typically do not do well... we see more emotions from athletes that state that they don't like to eat at least a good snack before practice.

That's a helpful perspective, thank you.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

As a 7th grader she should know what she prefers. Mine hates a heavy meal before practice or a meet unless there is a couple of hours leeway.

My vote would be meal before if it’s more than an hour before practice. Healthy lite snacky type meal in the car on the way home

 

[Dahlialover]

Mine eats before, during, and after his 4-8pm practice. We have a meal at home before, then I send a sack lunch (sandwich, granola bar, fruit, etc) to eat at break, then he finishes the remainder of that lunch in the car on the way home. He’s an inconsistent eater, so it takes multiple attempts to get enough food into him.

 

[Rachgymmom]

Check out the gymnast nutritionist! She has a podcast and an Instagram account. She used to be an elite gymnast and now is a pediatric dietician helping gymnasts around the country. We’ve started implementing her suggestions and it has helped my daughter a ton!

 

[Liza]

My daughter ( Level 7) practices 4 days a week from 4-8. She eats dinner in the car on the way to practice ( It’s about a 40 minute car ride each way) and has a snack when she gets home. I think it depends on the child whether they eat dinner or have a snack before practice. I would have a seriously cranky fifth grader if she only had a snack before practice.

 

[lucyhills]

Opt for a balanced meal that includes carbohydrates for energy, protein for muscle repair and growth, and healthy fats for sustained energy. Examples could include instant pot chicken recipes, grilled chicken with vegetables and brown rice, or a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with a side of fruit and nuts.

 

[wyntergrace25]

Our gymnast practices twice during the week from 4-8, and on the weekend they have morning practices. they have a 15-20 minute snack break. Weeknights I bring enough food for her to have a snack in the car, small snack for the break, and most of the time dinner for the drive home (we have a long one). She surprises me all the time. Some times she wants a full meal before practice, sometimes just a quick bite, and eats more during snack time at the gym. Sometimes she wants her big meal on the way home, and sometimes she will wait until she gets home.