Snacks?

[Vintage Gymnast]

Our gym does now allow the girls a snack, my daughter goes for 4 hours twice a week. We tried to have them allow a granola bar break but the owner wont allow it. He said no reputable gym in the country allows a snack break for a 4 hours practice. Is this true of your gyms too?

 

[Vintage Gymnast]

that should have been does NOT allow, not does now allow LOL

 

[Mac]

Is this true of your gyms too?

Yes. My personal opinion is that it's only an issue for younger, newer gymnasts getting used to what it means to train longer and harder. I've never seen an older or higher level girl who needed or wanted more than liquids during practice. This isn't unique to gymnastics, in my experience.

 

[bogwoppit]

My goodness that is too weird for words.
My girls regular gym has one snack break in all there classes and training groups, For most of our team girls they come straight from school (we have a school bus that stops outside) and they actually have meals at the gym, we have tables and microwaves. My girls do not get home until 8:30pm some nights, there is no way they could do that with no food.

My girls summer training gym also encourages snack time and they eat together by the tumble track.

Both gyms are very clear though, no junk at all, only healthy food.

I do not really see the problem with a brief snack time, four hours is a lonf time to train without food. Maybe she can smuggle food in and eat it in the bathroom.

 

[Blackie6]

My daughter is allowed a snack. She goes about 11 hrs a week and sometimes up to four hrs a practice. I send her with a couple healthy snacks, they like to share!

I agree though some practices that are long should have a snack time no matter what age/level.

 

[Megley]

When my daughter's practices were 3 hours, they were not allowed a snack break but now that they go 4 hours, they do get a short break about half way through practice to eat something healthy. I honestly think this is less of an issue in the summer where practices run either from lunchtime to late afternoon or from morning to lunchtime. It's in the Fall/Winter when practices are from 4 to 8 that they really do need to eat something.

Meg

 

[GymnastRaeRae87]

My gym is rec so our longest classes (not including camps) are two hours. I get tired easily at gym so for the last part of class I don't do as well. So one of my coaches told me to bring a snack. I used to bring Ensure drinks but then I switched to Tiger Milk Bars. They are really good. I have my snack about half way through practice. I ask my coach if I can eat it and she tells me yes or wait until we finish something or we need to move a couple mats first. At camps there is always a snack/lunch break depending on how long the camp is!

 

[gym law mom]

Both our old and new gyms have a short break to get a snack. Nothing fancy like some have mentioned with microwaves etc, but time to get a power bar or something else that can be eaten in a few minutes. They also get water breaks after each event. I absolutely agree that if the gymnast is coming right from school and won't get home for dinner until about 7:30 or 8, they have to have something.

Just got my daughter's schedule for 6th grade and she eats lunch about 11:30. School is over at 2:50 and practice starts at 3:30. There is time to munch a little something in the car on the way to pracitce, but I'm sure she'll need something else to eat before practice is over at 7:30.

 

[Granny Smith]

My dd practices 4 hours at a time and they do not have an official break to eat anything, but it is allowed while they are putting on their grips for bars (they have to get them out of the locker room when it's time for bars) they can grab something that they brought with them (a couple of grapes, almonds or peanut butter crackers). Most of the time, dd does not have anything because she has a snack on the way to the gym, but at least she knows that she is allowed if she felt it was necessary.

During school my dd is one of the ones that goes to the gym straight from school. I always have a snack for her on the way to the gym. She is there from 4-8, then we get home by 8:30 and that is when she eats dinner. Sometimes I will have a small snack for her on the way home from the gym too.

 

[infinitegymcoach]

No older athletes at our gym have a snack break. They are here to do gymnastics. Liquids for them are fine.

Younger athletes????? I allow them to carry healthy snacks in there gym bag, and eat them if they are non-stop complaining about hunger.

Water is good, food is bad during workouts.

Parents feed your kids before class. It helps us as coaches to keep the class running smoothly and without distractions.

 

[bogwoppit]

"Parents feed your kids before class. It helps us as coaches to keep the class running smoothly and without distractions."


Funny I thought this was the parents thread, not the coaches thread!!!

As parents we do our best to make sure our kids fit into the coaches plans, we of course assume that it works the other way too! A child falling over from hunger is as silly as one stuffed with a big mac meal, both are safety issues.

My girls leave for school at 7:45am, they take food to last until I see them at 8pm (Mon,Wed,Fri) They are on school buses two hours a day. They eat when they can. Our coaches know that some of their gymnasts travel long distances to school and gym and therefore have become very smart about fitting in nutrition breaks. My kids cannot have lunch at 11:30am and keep going until 8pm with nothing to eat. That is dangerous and ridiculous, having said that when they do eat at gym it is not a sit down three course meal, usually soup, cheese and fruit.

We all do the best we can, and we all, parents and coaches alike, want to do the best for these young growing athletes.

 

[Blackie6]

Parents feed your kids before class. It helps us as coaches to keep the class running smoothly and without distractions.

Maybe I am taking this the wrong way but it sounds kind of snippy to me. Do you have any children of your own or are just a coach? By your reply, I think not. And, if you teach this age group and don't give them anything, then you may want to re-evaluate because I am willing to bet you have a group of nasty, grouchy, un-productive girls on your hands! My daughter is just 6 and I am sorry, 4 hours is just too long to go without a snack break. She is very physical already and not a big eatter throughout the day, to stuff a couple crackers or a cereal bar in her mouth in between the different stations is enough to keep her going.

I am not saying you need scheduled snack time, but when you send them for water (you do allow them water don't you?) allow them a quick fix.

 

[krazykidzmom]

My 10 year old dd works out 5 hours a day during the summer with no "snack break". She does fine without them. I guess she is just used to it. She also says it makes her sick before workouts to eat. She eats plenty after them! The owner doesn't like food in the gym and really there wouldn't be time to eat. There are some kids in the gym that have low blood sugar so they need to eat small portions during their workout.

 

[audra]

No older athletes at our gym have a snack break. They are here to do gymnastics. Liquids for them are fine.

Younger athletes????? I allow them to carry healthy snacks in there gym bag, and eat them if they are non-stop complaining about hunger.

Water is good, food is bad during workouts.

Parents feed your kids before class. It helps us as coaches to keep the class running smoothly and without distractions.

FOOD- especially for gymnasts is never bad!! Choosing the right snack is what is important. Some gymnasts need to refuel during a workout and it does not mean they do not have the stamina to make it through practice. In a sport where eating has been an issue for many years I would be leery of a coach that absolutely refuses to allow gymnasts a snack. It has been proven that healthy snacks throughout workouts help to maintain the workout level. How many marathon runners do you think run the entire thing on water alone and your expecting children to go through 4 hours of working out without anything. There is a reason that the energy gels and drinks are used during those times. Those are not something we want our children taking at this point so we must refuel them with food! There are many snacks gymnasts can have with them that would not distract your smooth running class!

Remember it is recommended that we eat 5-7 small meals a day instead of 3 large ones! This means we should be eating every 3 hours. If a gymnast waits to eat until after practice they are bound to consume more calories and most likely they will not choose the correct foods.

I'm sorry if I seem rude, but as a former gymnast, a coach and a mother of 2 girls- eating properly and gymnastics have to be taught together. Food is energy and energy is needed for Gymnastics!

 

[hammy]

We never had any snack breaks, except during the summer, but that's because my gym was not air conditioned and it was a big steel building...so it going to above 100. We took a drink break every time we changed events and any time while on an event that we needed one.

As far as eating meals prior to gym, a nutrionist gave a lecture and told us it was best to eat about an hour and a half before practice or about 30 minutes after practice.

 

[JBS]

As a parent, I am very interested in this thread. Here are a few things I found online:

http://www.naturalstrength.com/nutrition/detail.asp?ArticleID=1181

http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/athletes.htm

http://www.cptips.com/sixrides.htm



Remember, there is a big difference between a steak dinner and a granola bar.

 

[Blackie6]

JBS,
I appreciated your article. Thank you for restoring my faith in coaches, LOL! I have to admit as a parent I was a little upset to read that comment by teachrugrats. To discourage young children from eating (unless they were complaining I think was the comment) was just wrong and seemed ignorant. As a coach I would expect that nutrition education for the gymnasts might be just as important as the skills. You are setting up the foundation for their future in the gym & keeping them healthy. I'm sorry if I read that post wrong but it seemed like it was encouraging children not to eat and we all know that doesn't work. And the part about class running more smoothly, I doubt food is the real issue. Anyway, I was doing a little research of my own online. I thought I had read an article somewhere that was even more specific & targeted children in gymnastics. If I find it I will post it here.

 

[Carly]

Heh, the gym I'm going to is only for an
hour then going up to 2 hours! We are not
allowed to have food or drinks and its realy
hard if your starting out I was like omg im
going to faint without some water!

 

[rebeccapaige!]

I found this link on gymnasts and eating it is from a gyms website but is helpful and also states they should be eating every 3 hours which would lead me to believe a small snack would be beneficial in a 4 hour workout! luckily my daugther is only 5 and her longest practice is 1 1/2 hours but I know she is hungry even after that. anyhow since her practices aren't that long right now, I tend to give her a snack about an hour to an hour and half before practice which carries her through her practice, so when she gets out its been 3 hours and she needs another snack but I am not sure on our gym policy on this? I guess I better find out before her practices get longer.
here is the link: http://www.myachyback.com/90
Becky

 

[rebeccapaige!]

http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/publications/usa-gymnastics/1998/5/body-balance.html

hey just found this article from the usag site, something to take to that coach saying no gym would allow a snack for a 4 hour practice! says right on here you need one!
Becky