Some other options Nutrient timing you may like to choose include:. Gymnasts should be educated on fymnasts importance of healthy diets to Gymnazts their bodies to perform at their best. Nutritional support for exercise-induced injuries. On the other hand, athletes that engage in strenuous, exhaustive training, have multiple training sessions or competitions in the same day, or are trying to change body composition, may benefit from a recovery meal or snack.

Recovery nutrition for gymnasts -

Athletes over pounds may need up to 5 protein servings and servings of carbs to replenish and repair. Our goal at OSMI is to provide our patients quality, cutting-edge orthopedic treatments, both surgical and non-surgical. If you have questions about knee arthroscopy or surgery, knee joint pain, or physical therapy, please submit an online appointment request or contact our office at Skip to main content Skip to header right navigation Skip to site footer Fort Worth — Mansfield — Decatur — Orthopedics Today Urgent Care Physical Therapy Fort Worth — Physical Therapy Willow Park Eating For Post-Workout Recovery.

Why Recovery Food Matters When Eating For Post-Workout Recovery We know we need to push ourselves to reach our fitness goals, and those tough sessions can leave us tired, mentally and physically. Post-Workout Nutrition Goals Eating and drinking the appropriate nutrition after an intense workout is key to recovery.

Post workout nutrition goals include: Replenishing glycogen stores: During long or intense workouts, the body burns carbohydrates that are stored in the muscle glycogen.

Eating carbohydrates shortly after you exercise helps the body rebuild glycogen stores. Athletes should consume ½ gram of carbohydrates per pound of body weight, which is 75 grams for a pound athlete. Repairing damaged muscle: During exercise, muscle is broken down, and the foods consumed afterward can aid in tissue repair, as well as rebuilding and strengthening muscle.

Eating grams of high-quality, lean protein after a workout will maximize protein synthesis to repair muscles and enhance muscle growth. When participating in tournament play or multiple workouts in a day which leave less than 2 hours to recover, athletes may want to forego eating protein until after completing the events or eat a smaller amount.

Knowing how your body reacts in these circumstances will help you choose what works best for you. Rehydrating: Athletes can lose a large amount of electrolytes and fluid through sweating. For each pound of lost water, an athlete should consume ounces of liquid.

Water is often sufficient, but sports drinks containing electrolytes and carbohydrates can help replenish what the body has used up during the workout, especially those lasting over 60 minutes.

Staying well-hydrated in conjunction with exercise involves drinking fluids before, during, and after working out. To avoid dehydration, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends ounces of water hours prior to working out, ounces every minutes during workout, and ounces for every pound of lost fluid after workout.

When to Eat for Recovery Because your muscles are thought to be most receptive to nutrients like carbohydrates and protein for about 30 minutes after a hard effort, you want to aim to begin recovery eating within this period.

You can't expect recovery to happen without the materials it needs. Most gymnasts need anywhere from 1. To make the most out of your food, choose high-quality protein sources.

Animal sources of protein, like poultry, beef, pork, seafood, dairy, and eggs, as well as soy, are "complete" proteins, meaning they contain all 9 essential amino acids most plant-based protein rich foods are "incomplete" proteins, meaning they are missing at least 1 essential amino acid and need to be paired with a complementary protein food to ensure adequate intake of all amino acids.

If choosing plant sources of proteins, prioritize those with the amino acid "leucine" like lentils and soy to maximize muscle growth. In order to give your body doses of protein you can use throughout the day to promote recovery, include protein into all meals and snacks.

Most gymnasts will get more than enough protein by including g at meals or the equivalent of oz , and g at snacks or the equivalent of ~oz. Creatine is also a derivative of protein although not a complete protein.

The body naturally makes about 1g of creatine daily and can be consumed from the diet in limited amounts through animal proteins. Creatine creatine monohydrate is one of the most well studied supplements for sports performance in post-puberty athletes and some studies have also shown that it can be beneficial for recovery by reducing muscle damage after hard workouts in addition to adequate nutrition, hydration, and appropriate performance fueling strategies.

Additionally, there is also some research showing that creatine supplementation can be benificial for lessening the severity of and shortening the recovery time from a concussion. Creatine is not widely recommended for young athletes and those who have not completed puberty.

Vegetarian and vegan athletes may see benefits from creatine supplementation. Collagen supplements have increased in popularity over the last few years, especially for tendon and ligament health and recovery. Collagen is actually a structural protein found in connective tissues of our bodies like joints, ligaments, and tendons.

Collagen can be found in animal proteins like meat, chicken, eggs, fish, bone broth, and gelatin, or as a supplement. collagen can be helpful for those needing extra tendon and ligament injury prevention and recovery.

Collagen supplements should not be used to replace a complete protein food or supplement, as it is an incomplete protein, and while adding collagen to your diet likely wont hurt, it's benefits may only be seen if you are meeting overall energy and nutrient needs.

There are 2 main types of fats found in foods: Saturated and Unsaturated. Unsaturated fats are a good source of energy and they are anti-inflammatory, which are essential for healing and recovery.

As a gymnast, strive to get a high proportion of your dietary fat from unsaturated sources, including:. Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, trout, mackerel. Plant oils like olive oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, etc. Gymnasts recovering from injury should especially focus on Omega-3 fats, which are mostly found in fatty fish like salmon and tuna.

Polyphenols, Flavonoids, and Phytochemicals are categories of plant compounds found in fruits, vegetables, and other plant foods, usually coinciding with the color or pigment, that have been show to offer various health benefits, including reduced inflammation and increased recovery.

Gymnasts prioritizing recovery and looking to decrease the time and severity of post- injury or intense workout soreness may benefit from foods rich in the phytochemical Anythocyanin, including cherries, pomegranates, blueberries, blackberries, beets, purple cabbage, acai as well as their juices , as well as the polyphenol bromelain, found in pineapple.

Many studies have shown than 1oz of tart cherry juice concentrate or oz tart cherry juice consumed before and after a workout can aid with faster muscle recovery, less delayed onset soreness, and improved sleep when recovery happens most. Similar impacts have been shown for 1oz pomegranate juice concentrate or oz pomegranate juice.

If you struggle with bone health like breaks, fractures, or stress reactions, then you want to prioritize the bone-healing nutrients, specifically Calcium and Vitamin D. Our bones are made up largely of calcium. Calcium is found in:. Leafy green vegetables like broccoli, spinach, kale.

Tofu and soy. Chia seeds. Fortified foods like OJ. Vitamin D is also essential for bone health, since it promotes the calcium to be absorbed by bones. Additionally, Vitamin D plays an important role in regulating the inflammatory response, meaning it is an important recovery nutrient for more than just bone health.

The main way our body gets Vitamin D is from the sunlight converted by our skin , so many people do not get enough. You are at risk for Vitamin D deficiency if:.

You spend most of your time indoors like in a gym You are rarely exposed to direct sunlight only getting sunlight through windows, clothes, or sunscreen-covered skin. You live at a latitude 37 degrees or more north or south of the equator most of the USA , where you experience all 4 seasons and the sun is not very strong for 6 or more months each year.

You have a stomach condition, such as IBS, IBD, celiac disease. If you can, try getting 15 minutes of unprotected sun time each day. Vitamin D can also be found in a limited number of foods, including:.

Eggs particularly in the yolk. Oily fish like salmon and trout. Fortified foods like cereals and milks. It is important for your doctor to regularly test your Vitamin D status through blood tests in summer and winter to determine your status.

Although less commonly talked about than Calcium and Vitamin D, Magnesium plays a crucial role in bone health as it helps with Vitamin D absorption. Magnesium is found in:. Leafy greens like spinach, kale,. Nuts almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, peanuts.

Whole grains see above. Black beans. Cow's milk. As magnesium is found in a variety of foods spanning across many different food groups, aim to add food sources of magnesium to your diet first before looking at supplements.

Like Vitamin D, magnesium is also one of those biomarkers that can be assessed through bloodwork, so test, don't guess! Many calcium supplements, Vitamin D supplements, and multivitamins will also contain magnesium, so be cautious of the dose before adding any additional supplements.

Vitamin K2 menaquinone , a subset of Vitamin K is a newer area of research that plays an important role in the body's use of calcium to help build bones. Unlike Vitamin K K1 , which is typically found in leafy green vegetables, Vitamin K2 is found in:. Fermented foods like natto and sourkraut.

Cheese like gouda and Munster.

Nutrition for endurance athletes is ffor any other sport. Recovery nutrition for gymnasts requires both strength and flexibility to repeatedly perform challenging skills, such Reocvery flipping and tumbling. Many Nutrient timing start as young as age three or four and continue into their twenties, working their way through the different levels of the sport. Beginning gymnasts may take recreational classes, spending one to three hours in the gym. Once gymnasts reach the level of competing, their weekly training hours increase significantly.