Scott

Tue, 14 Sep 2021
Yoga - Year 1

Nutrition for Dancers

When nutrition for dancers comes up, there are always lots of great questions! It makes sense. You see the connection between your food intake and performance. You might even notice a difference in your mood, energy, and stamina when you consume different things.

Many of the questions I get around nutrition for dancers have to do with “what to eat,” “how much to eat,” and “what’s balanced.” In this post, you’ll find answers and insights to some of the most common questions.

How do you find balance in your diet?

Include protein, carbohydrates, and fat throughout the day. If you’ve heard to prioritize one over the other, release that advice by committing to including all macros in your daily diet. Each macronutrient is essential and plays an important role in maintaining your health. Here are just a few of the many functions of each, simplified…

Carbohydrates’ primary role is to give you energy. They are your body’s preferred source of energy. Most carbs are broken down into glucose in the body. Your brain needs glucose to function. Simple carbs provide quick energy, while complex carbs provide more slowly released energy since your body takes longer to break them down.

Some sources of simple carbs are refined grains, sugars in fruit, milk, or those added to foods. If a sugar ends in “ose,” it’s a simple carb.
Complex carbs are in fiber-rich fruits, starchy vegetables, non-starchy vegetables, whole grains, and beans.

Protein allows for muscle building. This is it’s best known role; however, it also keeps muscle, bone, and tissues healthy. Protein plays a role in numerous body processes, including immune system responses.

Common protein sources include dairy products, eggs, fish, meat, nuts and seeds, beans, lentils, and soy products.
Protein is made up of amino acids. Your body uses 20 different amino acids; they’re known as the “building blocks of life.” It’s important to eat a variety of protein sources and include legumes in your diet most days if you eat a vegan or plant-based diet. Legumes are high in lysine, an amino acid that can be lacking in plant-based diets.

Fat supports cell growth, allows for absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, and they’re a significant source of energy.

To ensure you’re getting enough fat, you might include avocado, nuts, seeds, oils, olives, or animal fats found in butter, cheese, dairy, eggs, and meat.
The categorization of “healthy” vs. “unhealthy” fats have to do with chemical structure. In general, healthy fats have undergone less processing (think whole food sources with minimal ingredients).