As competition season ramps up, gymnasts aim to perform at their best after months of preparation. Yet, many face common challenges: lingering fatigue, sluggishness on competition day, and sore bodies that don’t fully recover. For some, pre-meet nerves worsen the issue, making it hard to focus and perform optimally.
As a registered dietitian for gymnasts, I see one consistent mistake that can undermine all your hard work: skipping breakfast.
Why Breakfast Matters for Gymnasts
Breakfast often gets rushed or disregarded by gymnasts, both on school days and with early morning meets, yet as a high level athlete, it should never be overlooked!
From a young age, you've likely been told that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day." But have you ever stopped to consider why that is?
Think of it like this - you wouldn't expect your car to make it on a long road trip on an almost empty tank of gas, or for your phone to last all day if you left home with only 10% battery, correct?
The same principle applies to breakfast! Having breakfast provides your body with the necessary fuel to feel energized and strong during your long days and early morning competitions.
Imagine trying to start a road trip with an empty gas tank—it just won’t work. Breakfast provides the energy your body needs to power through both training and competition.
Gymnasts who skip breakfast are more likely to:
Feel fatigued and sluggish through all parts of their day
Run out of energy during routines
Struggle with alertness or deal with mental fog
Feel excessively hungry (and craving carbohydrates and sweets) in the afternoon and late evening
The Role of Breakfast in Pre-Competition Nutrition
Breakfast is particularly critical before morning competitions. Breakfast is the first opportunity for refueling your body since your last meal, which might have been dinner or a bedtime snack from the previous night, likely at least 8 hours ago.
While you sleep, your body is surprisingly active! During this period, the body focuses on recovery. It utilizes the energy and nutrients from dinner to repair and recover from the previous day and replenish your body's energy reserves for the day ahead.
When you wake up, energy reserves are low. Eating breakfast replenishes these reserves, enhancing focus, concentration, and stamina all day long. It also helps stabilize blood sugar levels, keeping stress in check.
Without breakfast, your body essentially runs on empty until you eat again, and even if you do have hours before your meet and are able to get a meal or two in, the body still feels like it is behind and in catch-up mode for the rest of the day.
Breakfast also plays a pivotal role in:
Enhancing focus, concentration, and memory
Reducing stress levels
Regulating blood sugar levels (critical for staving off mood swings and fatigue later in the day)
Supplying the body with vital nutrients and energy for the day
Facilitating recovery
Despite its importance, breakfast is often disregarded and overlooked to allow more sleep or or simply because hunger hasn't kicked in yet.
What’s Included For Breakfast?
The composition of your pre-competition breakfast plate will be influenced by several factors, such as:
How much time you have before the competition starts
How your individual body digests nutrients like fat, fiber, and protein before a workout
Your individual food preferences
Typically, when a gymnast has a morning meet, they consume breakfast 1.5-2 hours before starting their warm-up (this may mean having to eat on the car!). The more time you have available (2-3+ hours), your plate may can have higher amounts of fiber, fat, and protein as there is enough time for digestion. In reverse, with less time (15-90 minutes), it's important to focus on including low-to-moderate fiber grains and fruits to prevent digestive issues!
I often recommend gymnasts stick to a modified high-intensity performance plate when preparing a pre-competition early morning breakfast. This approach allows you to adjust your food portions and proportions based on individual requirements and preferences.
Here are some of my favorite examples of a pre-competiton breakfast that keeps my gymnasts full of energy and ready to take on their meet:
Bagel or roll with 2 eggs, ham, cheese, and a side of fruit
Oatmeal or overnight oats made with milk, berries, nuts or nut butter, and granola on top
2 Protein Muffins with an orange and glass of milk
Waffles or pancakes, peanut butter, banana, and milk
Greek yogurt, granola, fruit, and chia seeds
Avocado toast and two eggs with a fruit cup
Tips For Early Morning Meet Day Breakfasts
As a former gymnasts, I know so many gymnasts hate the dreaded 8am report time. It can feel so challenging to have to get up so early and eat enough to fuel for a long competition. Here are 3 simple tips to make eating before an early meet simpler:
1. Choose Quick and Easy Breakfasts to Grab on the Go!
Breakfast doesn't need to be fancy or complicated to be effective (and align with a performance plate). It can be as simple as grabbing a couple of pre-packaged snacks on your way out the door. Here are some grab-and-go options to consider:
Uncrustable or pbj sandwich with chocolate milk and an apple
Protein bar (or two) with dried fruit or fruit leather/strips
Greek yogurt (or a yogurt drink) with cereal snack mix and a banana
Granola bar with hard-boiled eggs and an apple
Grapes with crackers and cheese sticks
While the quantities and combinations may vary depending on your age and level, all these choices can adequately fuel a gymnast and can be grabbed in less than a minute! When selecting your breakfast, aim to include a source of protein, carbohydrates, and fats to complement the athlete's plate. Remember, breakfast doesn't have to be complex or traditional breakfast foods! Leftovers, as well as "lunch" or "dinner" foods, can also serve as effective morning fueling options.
2. Put It Together the Night Before
So often when we think of "meal prep" we think about dinner or even lunch, but why not breakfast? Meal prep doesn’t have to involve a full day of cooking to prepare for the entire week. It can be as simple as thinking through your pre-meet breakfast the night before (when you're less tired and stressed), setting your grab-and-go breakfast on the counter so you don’t forget it in the morning, or making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or yogurt bowl the night before so you can grab it in the morning. Having a plan or idea of what you want to eat the night before can make your mornings a lot less stressful.
Here are some easy meal prep breakfast ideas:
Make a PB&J sandwich the night before
Set out an oatmeal packet or cereal and a bowl on the counter
Make a yogurt bowl the night before
Cut up some fruit the night before
Make overnight oats the night before
Make breakfast sandwiches or burritos ahead of time to reheat
3. Start SMALL
If you're used to skipping breakfast early in the morning, it's unrealistic to suddenly switch to a big breakfast, even on meet day. Start with something small and gradually progress towards a more substantial and balanced meal. This could mean starting off with a simple item like a slice of toast, a granola bar, a drinkable option such as a smoothie, chocolate milk, or juice, or a low-volume choice like dried fruit, nuts, nut butter, or seeds in the morning.
Even this small amount of food can significantly kickstart your energy levels and fuel your body effectively. However, bear in mind that consuming a small breakfast might result in feeling hungry shortly afterwards. This is actually a positive sign, indicating that your body is utilizing food for energy! Make sure you have an additional snack on hand for when hunger strikes again!
Breakfast Tips for Pre-Competition Nerves
As a registered dietitian specializing in optimizing gymnasts' performance both on and off the competition floor through proper nutrition, I cannot stress the importance of fueling your body sufficiently to achieve peak performance. However, many gymnasts often struggle to eat before a competition due to nervousness and pre-meet anxiety. But, skipping your pre-meet meal due to a nervous stomach can actually increase stress and anxiety and lead to poor performance as a result. If you struggle with a pre-meet nervous stomach, here are 3 tips to help fuel your body:
1. Practice Makes Perfect: Plan Your Competition Day Nutrition
A crucial aspect of eating before a competition, even with nerves, is to establish a regular, and normal, everyday fueling routine. In the days, weeks, and months leading up to a competition, familiarize yourself with the types of foods, meals, and snacks that you enjoy, agree with your stomach, and provide you with sustained fullness and energy. Each day presents an opportunity to become more comfortable with the foods you intend to consume on the competition day:
Your typical breakfast before school or a morning workout should mirror your breakfast on the day of the competition.
Pre-practice meals and snacks should align with your pre-competition meals and snacks.
Snacks consumed during practice should resemble the snacks you'll have during the competition.
Meals for post-workout recovery should transition into your dinner the night before the competition.
During practice, pay attention to how your body reacts to various foods. This approach allows you to make informed decisions about what suits you best on the day of the competition. By establishing a familiar routine, you'll be better equipped to manage pre-competition jitters (making it easier to eat when nerves are heightened) and ensure that your body is adequately fueled to compete on the competition stage.
2. Soothe Your Stomach and Mind with a Well-Balanced Meal
Pre-competition jitters often result in a queasy stomach, making it difficult to eat a substantial meal. Nevertheless, it's important to supply your body with the necessary nutrients for optimal performance. Opting for a balanced meal containing a combination of low-to-moderate fiber carbohydrates and lean protein approximately 2-3 hours before the competition can help calm your stomach, nourish your brain, and ensure you possess the energy essential for the rigorous demands of gymnastics. When dealing with a nervous stomach, aim to avoid foods high in fat or fiber close to the competition, as they may lead to discomfort and require a longer digestion time.
3. Integrate Low-Volume Foods or Liquid Nutrition
In times of heightened nerves, the idea of eating a substantial meal might seem daunting. In such situations, including low-volume foods (such as dried fruit, nuts, and seeds) or liquid nutrition (like smoothies, protein drinks, milk, or juice) can make a significant difference. These alternatives are often easier for many gymnasts to consume before a competition and can still offer the essential nutrients required to enhance your performance.
Bonus Tip: Some Food is Better Than None
It's crucial to recognize that in the midst of pre-competition jitters, consuming something, no matter how small, is always preferable to consuming nothing at all. Even if you or your gymnast can only handle a small snack or a few bites of a meal, it's important to provide your body with the fuel necessary for optimal performance.
If the thought of consuming a full meal appears overwhelming, concentrate on eating easily digestible snacks like crackers with cheese, a piece of fruit, a small portion of pretzels, or even a juice or sports drink. These options are gentle on the stomach while still supplying valuable carbohydrates to fuel your performance.
Remember, the goal isn't to achieve perfection in your pre-competition nutrition but to provide your body with the essential nutrients required to perform at your best. Each gymnast's response to stress is very different, so it is important to discover what works best for you through trial and error during training sessions!
Mastering pre-competition jitters is a journey that involves both mental and physical preparation and may even require guidance from a mental health professional. By practicing your competition day nutrition, soothing your stomach with a balanced meal, and integrating low-volume foods or liquid fuel, you can elevate your performance and approach competitions with confidence.
Remember, any food is better than none, and finding the right nutritional balance for your body is a gradual process that requires self-awareness, patience and time. With these tips and strategies, you'll be better prepared to navigate the challenges of pre-competition nerves and showcase your gymnastic skills at their peak.
When you skip meals (such as the first meal of the day, breakfast), neglect proper nutrition, and fail to prioritize fueling for performance, you can't expect your body to perform at 100% during competitions. It's not just about giving your all in the gym; it's also crucial to prioritize what you do outside of training. It's never too late to sort your nutrition out and experience significant improvements this season!
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