To wrap up our introduction to the team podcast series, today I'm pumped to chat with Megan Robinson. She is our final dietitian on team TGN® and one of our pediatric/adolescent sports dietitians who supports our gymnasts + parents inside The Balanced Gymnast® Program.  And on today's episode, we're covering a variety of topics including injury recovery nutrition for gymnasts!

Not only has Megan spent 20 years in pediatric endocrinology, but as a former gymnast, current marathoner and run coach, Megan is an athlete through and through. She connects with our clients and understands what they're going through when injury temporarily takes them away from the sport they love. She has the experience and knowledge when navigating injuries with a gymnast. Plus the strategies to optimize fueling to return to sport better and stronger than pre-injury. 

We also chat about underfueling and the affect it has on all systems of the body, particularly the GI system. In a world where it's so easy to just say "its gluten" or "its dairy" and never do the work to get the root cause, Megan dives in to fix the underlying issue, not just the symptoms.

In this episode you'll hear us touch on case studies involving: 

• Celiac and GI symptoms that could be affecting your gymnast' fueling
• Getting gymnast buy-in when it comes to leveraging nutrition
• What injury recovery nutrition for gymnasts looks like

  Links & Resources  

• The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts 
• Episode 125: [Fueled Gymnast Fall] How to help your gymnast with nutrition if they’re stuck, struggling, or injured
• Episode 113: The 5 Stages of Underfueling- Gymnast Edition
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com

In today's episode, I'm sharing why its critically important for your gymnast to be plotted on their growth chart multiple times a year. And how things can go sideways when they aren't.

I know parents spend so much time seeing specialists for their gymnasts that often the pediatrician well-checks are pushed to the back burner. But without those visits and plotting the gymnast on their growth chart...it's scary how easy it is for your gymnast to get off track for where they genetically need to be in growth and development. 

Arguably your gymnast who is training 20-30 hours a week is not a "normal" kid. Not in the sense of wear of tear on the growing and developing body. When we look at the gymnast in the context of their growth chart, it helps us understand the overall situation. We're looking at where their growth is currently, where it needs to be, and if they've fallen off their curve

 In this episode you'll hear about: 

• The importance of growth monitoring
• Why normal growth and development is one of the best protectors against setback and struggle
• Nutrition's role in growth and recovery

  Links & Resources    

• The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts 
• Episode 128: Does your injured gymnast need to "manage her weight"?
• Episode 112: Is your "tiny gymnast" actually underfueled, or growing normally for them?
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com

Injury and time off is by nature stressful for the athlete and parent. But unfortunately, in an aesthetic sport like gymnastics that is steeped in backwards thinking, navigating weight gain or management in injured gymnasts takes it to a whole other level of stress.

I know gymnasts fear gaining weight or growing will cause them to loose their skills when they're back to full training. So, to manage weight in injured gymnasts, a lot of well meaning coaches and parents will think their athlete needs less fuel since they're not training at the same level. 

While this might be the case for some, most high level gymnasts aren't fueling enough in the FIRST place. They've been training for YEARS underfueled, and that lack of nutrition is probably contributing to the injury in the first place. 

First and foremost when a gymnast is injured, now is the time to repair and recover. 

 In this episode you'll hear about: 

• The three categories injured gymnasts fall under
• Why some gymnasts go through major growth during injury time off and why its necessary
• The worse thing you can do with nutrition during injury time off

  Links & Resources    

• The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts 
• Episode 125: [Fueled Gymnast Fall] How to help your gymnast with nutrition if they’re stuck, struggling, or injured
• Episode 89: Why we focus on performance versus weight in gymnasts
• Episode 20: 8 Truths About Injury Nutrition for the Gymnast
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com

I'm so excited to introduce you all to the next dietitian on team TGN®, Ryann Mayer. She is another one of our pediatric/adolescent sports dietitians who supports our gymnasts + parents inside The Balanced Gymnast® Program. And she's making life a whole lot easier for parents of gymnasts who are picky eaters!

Ryann is a former level 10 gymnast herself and knows the sport inside and out. It's this first hand knowledge, combined with her experience and training as a pediatric and sports dietitian that makes our clients fall in love with her. 

Her expertise in all things GI and experience with selective eaters creates a safe space for our gymnasts and parents. With gymnasts who are picky eaters, she uses the approach of meeting the families where they're at; working together to make the necessary changes to help them reach their big goals and dreams. Because when you're fueled, you're more willing to try new foods!

 In this episode you'll hear us touch on case studies involving:  

• Why it's so important to build new habits from the start rather than try and fix old habits
• Navigating celiac disease and other GI issues in young athletes
• Addressing selective, aka picky eating in gymnast with creative and effective solutions

  Links & Resources    

• The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts 
• How to Fuel the Young Competitive Gymnast
• Episode 93: Navigating Gymnast Nutrition and Picky Eating
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com

A LONG overdue episode, on the podcast today I'm introducing you all to dietitian Melissa Wallinga. One of The Gymnast Nutritionist® team pediatric/adolescent sports dietitians who supports our gymnasts + parents inside The Balanced Gymnast® Program. 

She is a former NCAA athlete, current peds/adolescent sports dietitian (and super smart clinical dietitian with her doctorate--- that's Dr. Melissa to you), and mom of two darling girlies (one of which is a L6/7 gymnast). 

We're discussing how important her pediatric and adolescent clinical background is when helping our clients navigating not only sports nutrition, but everything that goes along with healthy growth and development. Young gymnasts aren't just small adults! A young, growing gymnast has specific needs from her sports dietitian and that's where Melissa comes in. 

In this episode you'll hear us touch on case studies involving: 

• Picky eating
• Iron deficiency
• ADHD challenge

  Links & Resources    

• The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts 
• Episode 36: Gymnast Nutrition and ADHD
• Episode 93: Navigating Gymnast Nutrition and Picky Eating
• Gymnasts + Growth Charts Instagram Post
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com

At this point of the year, parents ask if nutrition is something their gymnast should focus on while they're injured.

A lot of gymnasts are injured right now and won’t even have a competition season. Or some are in the process of coming back and things feel uncertain. Or others are currently in pain but in are denial and hoping it will go away.

It's easy to assume there are other things an injured gymnast should focus on besides nutrition. However, the bottom line is the best time to work on your gymnast’s nutrition was 2 years ago (or even earlier). 

BUT, the next best time to work on nutrition is NOW.  And it can sometimes be easier to work on nutrition because a gymnast has MORE time.  Sometimes it's hard to jump in with a gymnast training 20, 30 hours a week and get their nutrition where it needs to be (which is sometimes double their current intake). When a gymnast is not at gym or only partially, it’s less challenging and then we can ramp things back up as they progress in the gym. 

Welcome to the fourth episode of our series, Fueled Gymnast Fall. Now is the time to make changes and adjustments before competition season. Especially if your gymnast is injured and has never focused on nutrition.

In this episode you'll hear about: 

• How to take an honest look at their growth/development and nutrition.
• Importance of having a honest conversation about what's going on in the gym
• Why you need to address the aches and pains now

  Links & Resources  

• The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts 
• Episode 24: Using Nutrition to Optimize Injury Recovery for the Gymnast
• Enter the Fueled Gymnast Fall Podcast Giveaway
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or [email protected] 

Is your gymnast ready to crush it? Or will your gymnast implode part way through this competition season? Is there a way to predict or prevent it from happening?

Preparing for competition season begins the day after the last season ended, right? There's no real "time off" in gymnastics. And each season brings it's own challenges and struggles to focus on. "Off season" is filled with camps, upgrades, extra conditioning. And then preseason rolls around and things start really ramping up. Now, at this point of the year, gymnasts are putting together routines, working on 1st and 2nd halves, wondering if the skills are going to all come together. Wondering if they have the endurance to even make it through whole routines.

Welcome to the third episode of our series, Fueled Gymnast Fall. It's been great taking the time to address a handful of specific issues that could be affecting your gymnast at this point of the year. Now is the time to make changes and adjustments before competition season is upon us. 

It's so easy during the craziness of the year for nutrition to take a back seat. Some parents and gymnasts just don't know it could be the reason they struggle during competition season. Or others think there's plenty of time to figure it out...there's just more important things to focus on first... 

Until it's too late to harness the power of performance nutrition to support your gymnast reaching her full potential during competition season. Or it's too late to heal injuries or endurance issues and the season is over before it starts. But it doesn't have to be this way!

Listen to today's episode to hear the next episode in our series, Fueled Gymnast Fall. 

In this episode you'll hear about:  

• Is your gymnast closing the recovery gap?
• The link between immune health and sleep - and how nutrition supports this
• How to be proactive rather than reactive with your gymnast's nutrition this competition season

  Links & Resources  

• The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts 
• Sleep and Immunity
• Enter the Fueled Gymnast Fall Podcast Giveaway
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or [email protected]  

How your gymnast consumes and behaves around the sweets and treats on the holidays is indicative of their relationship with these foods the other 364 days a year.

I know that's a big statement, but stay with me. For example, if on Halloween your gymnast ate so much candy or sweets on the holiday they made themselves sick...more than likely they feel restricted and are probably underfueled and biologically hungry most of the time.

Welcome to the second episode of our series, Fueled Gymnast Fall. I'm so excited to take the next few weeks to address a handful of specific issues that could be affecting your gymnast this point of the year. Now is the time to make changes and adjustments before competition season is upon us.  

If your gymnast tends to overdo it when they're around the holiday sweets and you're ready to tear your hair out, this is definitely the episode for you. Even if Halloween was a hot mess, there's still plenty of time to adjust your fueling and feeding strategy so that your gymnast can sail through the holidays. All while fueling herself like normal and remain consistent in how she trains for energy levels. 

Listen to today's episode to hear the next episode in our series, Fueled Gymnast Fall.  

In this episode you'll hear about: 

• Making sure your gymnast is eating enough vs what you think is enough
• How YOU talk about the holidays sweets in front of your gymnast is affecting them
• Are your current feeding practices working or will they backfire down the road?

 Links & Resources 

• The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts 
•   Episode 67: How to fix your gymnast's sugar "addiction" [Parent Interview]
• Enter the Fueled Gymnast Fall Podcast Giveaway 
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or [email protected]

Could your gymnast be underfueled and you just not know it? What does that look like and what signs should parents be on the lookout for?

Welcome to the first episode of our series, Fueled Gymnast Fall. I'm so excited to take the next few weeks to address a handful of specific issues that could be affecting your gymnast at this point of the year. Now is the time to make changes and adjustments before competition season is upon us. And underfueling is unfortunately all to common amongst gymnasts and can wreck havoc on routines. 

One of the hardest things to break through when it comes to fueling the high level gymnast is understanding that it looks so different than what we're used to. But there are signs that we can look for and assess to really know if they're getting what they need. 

Because let's face it. Fueling a high-level gymnast that is training 20-30 hours a week is just not the same as fueling yourself as a parent or just "eating healthfully". And it's even different than fueling an adult athlete because these gymnasts are still in the throes of growing and developing. Their needs are unique.

Listen to today's episode to hear the first in our series, Fueled Gymnast Fall. 

In this episode you'll hear about: 

• Is fine really fine? When making assumptions can backfire or prevent reaching a gymnast's full potential
• Being a super great or "healthy" eater doesn't mean they're fueling for the work required at the upper levels
• Why underfueled gymnasts fly under the radar when parents just go off of a "look"

 Links & Resources 

• The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts 
• Episode 23: How to Fuel through Puberty for Power and Performance with Guest Dave Tilley 
• Enter the Fueled Gymnast Fall Podcast Giveaway 
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or [email protected]

Today's episode is all about NCAA recruiting and how nutrition will impact a gymnast in the college recruiting journey. 

This is a huge topic for my junior and senior gymnasts who are actively going through recruiting. I hear a lot about their experiences in the process, and it's left me thinking about how essential nutrition is to your gymnast being successful, in the sport and in college recruiting. 

Just like college recruiting doesn't start on June 15th after her sophomore year (gymnasts start working YEARS before that date to get recruited), nutrition needs to start early in her gymnastics career. Because it's not only about becoming a college gymnast. It's also about showing up at that college that chose you and being healthy enough to contribute and compete for the team. 

So I'm sharing five thoughts I have about college recruiting and your gymnast's nutrition. In this episode you'll hear about: 

• The importance of early preparation 
• Nutrition's role in skill development
• Navigating the pressure to stay on top, even after committing to college gymnastics

 Links & Resources   

• The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts 
• Episode 45: What College Bound Gymnasts Need to Know about Nutrition with Tiffany Campbell MS, RD, CSSD, CBDT
• Episode 29: NCAA Gymnastics Recruiting and Nutrition- The Need to Know with Jill Hicks
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com