Coaches Gymnast and Nutrition (Vitamins)

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gymnastralo

Hi

Im a level 8 gymnast. I would like to hear what coaches would say about encouraging there gymnast to take vitamins. And what kind of vitamins would you reccomend for a gymnast healing from injury (age 13)? Is there some sort of vitamin or mineral gymnast should be taking more of??

Open to any possible suggestions or comments Please

Alison:)
 
I think that most folks in the nutrition world would tell you that there's no harm in taking a one-a-day multivitamin. However, if you're eating a proper diet, it's not really necessary, I don't believe. But, how many of us are eating a perfectly balanced diet?

Beyond that, I don't think anything else is necessary unless you have a known deficiency that has been diagnosed. For that, I'd consult your physician or a registered dietician to seek the specifics relative to what you should be consuming.

Also, be aware that vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble. This means that they are not eliminated from the body rapidly and as a result an overconsumption could lead to toxicity to the point of death. Vitamins B & C are water-soluble. Therefore, these vitamins are excreted in urine when consumption exceeds demand.

Honestly, nothing should be necessary. But, I don't feel that there's any real harm in a regular one-a-day multivitamin. Of course, if you aren't sure, always consult a professional.
 
Fish Oil. I prefer it in capsules from Trader Joes than the oil, and I prefer the non smelly kind ( run through a steaming and distillation process ). However, if you eat enough fish during the week, you can probably skip the fish oil supplementation ( I prefer my fish raw as I can't seem to take it cooked without gagging though I can eat shrimp and haven't tried shark ). It's great as a supplement for your blood, joints, Omega 3:6 fat balance and of course EPA/DHA for the fatty acids your brain needs to develop.

Some recent studies have taken the base water intake from 8 glasses a day to 1 ounce per every 2lbs(kg, actually is 2.2). You can't really process more than give or take 10 ounces of water an hour. Add in workouts or exercise, and it goes up.

If you're looking to recover or heal, check your protein intake. If you can take dairy, great and if you cannot you could try lactobacillus milk or just not bother ( or try yogurt or other fermented dairy products ). I don't reccomend soy as it's highly processed besides various other studies that leave on the cusp. Milk is the same way in that regard. I would prefer gymnasts eat non sweetened yogurt, instead just yogurt with fruit. This is tough. Basically stay away from high fructose corn syrup so I don't have to deal with hyper kids and blood-sugar spikes and lows.

Ideally you probably want to be at least 1gram of protein for every kilo or 2 pounds. This is just for base humans, especially for growing children or teenagers. For athletes, it would be good to say to bump it to 1 gram for every pound, if possible. Eggs are easy if you're not allergic to them and don't worry about cholesterol since food cholesterol doesn't translate to blood cholesterol. Even vegetarian proteins can be done like rice and beans and vegatables...just get enough!

One of the coaches I worked under simply reccomended the kids to eat as many different colors of fruits and vegatables as they could. These are full of a range of vitamins and minerals. It's a wonderful ideas. Try to avoid things that are white. This stems from a protocol in Japan I hear on how their food pyramid works and is disseminated.

Lastly, get enough good fats. This is another part of the recovery process with sufficient protein intake. While carbs are needed, too often there is a lack of good fats and protein ( especially IMO, female athletes ). Look into fats like olive oil or avocados, nuts, and there are certain oils off hand I don't remember. Maybe flax oil or flax seeds.

Another thing for female gymnasts and young females that I keep on coming across is anemia or lack of iron. It gets really annoying training anemic athletes as they just seem to vary from energetic at first, but no lasting energy in workouts or lessons. Obviously dairy and meat has a lot of iron but so do many green vegetables. I don't really count iron fortified foods but I guess one a days or supplements can be useful ( and I use to be a supplement freak. )
 

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