Gymnastics is truly a year-round sport; the cycle of summer training to an intense preseason to an even more vigorous competition year never really gives gymnasts a break. Sustaining this training no matter what level you are at takes a toll on your mind and body. Gymnasts put emphasis on our physical preparedness by doing things like rehab and weight training as the year ramps up, but, we are most likely not giving the proper attention to nutrition and how big of a role this plays in our performance and career overall.
Throughout the back half of my NCAA career, I struggled with my nutrition and disordered eating and how much this affected me in ways I could actually see. Looking back, I am able to understand more of how these patterns might have been looming since I was young, and coming out in less obvious, but still physical ways, like injuries, fatigue, or feeling heavy during practice.
For this piece, I was able to speak with Kerry Bair, a former division 1 gymnast, now registered dietician, who primarily works with gymnasts, educating our community about how much our nutrition matters and the amount of attention and intentionality that needs to be given to this to be our best selves, in and out of the gym. Working with a nutritionist, like Bair for example,…
