Does your doctor really know what condition your gymnast is in when evaluating their nutrition and injuries? Working with pediatric/adolescent athletes is VERY different than working with professional athletes or the general population adults. 

Child and adolescent gymnasts train as much as professional athletes (20-30 hours/week) and yet their bodies, their physiology, their psyche is vastly different. They are not just "mini-adults" and shouldn't be treated like one. 

Something that really troubles me is the lack of awareness around underfueling, poor growth, and injuries. That a vast majority of doctors just don't know or understand the true condition of a gymnast who is in the thick of injuries. 

If I were a sports medicine doctor or orthopedic doctor/surgeon, the VERY first thing I’d want to know when a gymnast sets foot in my office is

1. Are they growing in a way that’s right for them

2. Are they getting ENOUGH nutrition to support normal growth/development and healing

3. Are they getting ENOUGH micronutrients to signal all the vitamins/minerals where they need to go in the body. 

When I worked in Pediatric Endocrinology, the growth/hormone/metabolism specialists, one of the most important parts of the doctors workup was the dietitians nutrition valuation. 

If they’d get a kid referred for poor growth on ADHD meds—first question, are they eating enough?

When they get a child with celiac who still isn’t growing well after going GF…are they getting enough?

When they have an infant not growing properly weight or length-wise…are they eating enough and ABLE to eat enough?

Listen in to today's episode to learn more about: 

• Understanding growth and nutrition needs
• Common injuries and nutrition's role
• Systemic issues in gymnasts' nutrition 

Links & Resources    

• The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts 
• Episode 04: Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport and Gymnastics
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com