Nutrition & Maintenance for Dancers”
L.A. Dance Friends & Family,
Imagine your body as a finely tuned vehicle: If you give it the
proper fuel and maintenance it requires,
then it will run efficiently and take you to the places you need to go!
Food is fuel for the body and can directly affect energy levels,
mood and performance. The “fuel” you feed your body with should be rich in
nutrients (vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, etc.) because it will help
keep your concentration & focus up, will help your muscles fire properly
and give you a boost of natural energy. This is especially important to
remember during our busy competition season in order to help keep our young
dancers healthy, happy and injury free!
Below are a few quick tips for you and/or your children on how to
stay healthy for the next couple of weeks until the next competition - STARPOWER!
Week Before Competition
It is extremely important to have adequate nutrition & rest
during the days leading up to competition:
*
Always eat three main meals and never skip
breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it
kickstarts your metabolism and helps with focus and concentration levels. When
the brain isn’t properly nourished, the body slows down and feels fatigued/sluggish.
A diet high in protein, good fats and complex carbohydrates will keep your
energy levels up and sustain proper brain function (1).
*
Snack in between meals on healthy fats &
protein.
*
Drink plenty of water - at least 8 glasses of
water a day.
*
Avoid and/or cut back on processed foods and
refined sugar. Most of the time processed food is loaded with sugar and trans
fat which leads to the food having little to zero nutritional value. Your body
then recognizes the processed food as “empty calories” and stores the excess
calories as fat on the body, instead of using it as fuel to burn off the
calories (2).
*
Eat plenty of protein leading up to performance
day. Protein enhances muscle growth and repair after intense bouts of exercise,
which dancers do on a daily basis.
*
Eat plenty of greens- like spinach and kale!
These are loaded with nutrients that will keep you feeling alert and fresh.
*
Get plenty of sleep. It is recommended that
children ages 6-12 get 9-11 hours of sleep and teenagers 13-17 get 8-10 hours
of sleep (3).
Day of Competition
S-NACKS!
We all know how long competition weekends can be which is why we
refer to them as “marathon weekends”. For this reason, it is super important to
prepare by packing nutritious snacks that can quickly refuel and replenish
nutrients in between performances. Ideas for snacks: healthy fats (raw almonds,
peanuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, cashews, macadamia nuts, etc.) natural
forms of sugar (apples, bananas, oranges, watermelon, blueberries,
strawberries, etc.) and protein (think energy bars with at least 10 to 20 grams
of protein— Clif Bars, RX Bars, Kind Bars, Primal Kitchen Bars, BulletProof
Bars etc).
T- TRUST YOUR TRAINING!
Warm-up your bodies properly and remember to trust your training
and technique. When you get on stage, remember to keep correct body alignment
when executing movements. You have all worked so hard in class over the past
year that way when you get on stage you can focus strictly on the performance
and connecting with the audience.
A - AVOID SUGARY BEVERAGES!
It’s encouraged to avoid pop or other “sugary” beverages to avoid
the insulin rush and sugar crash that will eventually happen after about 15-20
minutes of consuming it. We want our dancers to consume sustainable forms of
energy that allow them to keep going strong to last throughout the weekend. (If
you are looking for an alternative, try G2 Gatorade because it is full of
electrolytes and has a lower amount of sugar content compared to the original
kind).
R- REALLY WARM-UP YOUR BODIES!
This may be one of the most critical components of taking care of
yourselves during the competition weekend. If you go on stage without properly
being warm, there is a higher risk for injury. When the adrenaline kicks in on
stage dancers tend to push it further than they normally would, which could
potentially result in an injury if the body is not warm and prepared to be
stretched beyond its normal capacity. The best way to warm-up the body is to do
some form of cardio (jumping jacks, running in place, etc.) mixed with some
core work (holding planks, crunches, push-ups) and deep stretching (splits,
tendus to warm up the feet and battements).
P-ROTEIN!
P-ROTEIN!
Protein are the building blocks of the body! It is important to
replenish with at least 10-20 grams of protein 30 minutes to an hour after
physical exertion to help with muscle repair and recovery. Dancers burn a ton
of energy during competition weekends, so stocking up and replenishing with
protein can help their bodies recover faster.
O-PTIMISM!
Think positive! Mental health is just as important as physical
health. Remember why you love to dance and stay supportive of your peers and
friends throughout the whole weekend! Positive thoughts generate positive
feelings and attract positive life experiences!
W-ATER!
Stay hydrated and don’t forget to refuel after every performance
on stage. Dancers are constantly burning energy and sweating on stage, which is
why you must replenish to avoid dehydration. Your body is made up of two-thirds
water, so when you are dehydrated your body won’t function properly.
E-MPOWER EACH OTHER!
Being a part of a team is very exciting feeling because you are
guaranteed to have an army of friends and family that will support you
unconditionally during the long competition weekends. Take responsibility and
empower your peers by complimenting each other with positive remarks! Nothing
feels better than knowing and hearing that your hard work has paid off on
stage!
R-EST!
It is extremely important that dancers take advantage of any
downtime they may have on competition days. You can either take a break by
watching the competition or finding a place in the schools to stretch and/or
meditate!
I’m super excited
to be a part of the L.A. Dance family and can’t wait for the next competition!
Take care of yourselves and be prepared to shine on stage at Starpower!
~Miss Michelle
Works Cited
1) http://www.brainline.org/content/2012/06/nourish-your-noggin-nutrition-and-your-brain_pageall.html
2) http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/emptycalorie-foods-vs-nutrientdense-foods-1350.html
3) https://sleepfoundation.org/press-release/national-sleep-foundation-recommends-new-sleep-times
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