NEW! Idividualized nutrition assessment, eating plan, and a personalized guide to pre and post performance fueling. CDN now offers web and phone based nutrition services using the NutriTiming program. e-mail emily@dancernutrition.com for more information
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Nutrition Information for Dancers
This page is updated frequently with a variety of topics specific to dancers such as energy balance, fighting fatigue, sample eating plans, hydration, and body image.
Atlanta Ballet. Photo by Jonah Hooper
Energy Balance, what is it and how can it make a difference in your dancing?
Often dancers and other athletes do not realize that how and when you eat is as important as what you eat. Going for long periods of time without fueling your body can result in loss of muscle mass and increased body fat percentage. Not only can this affect your energy level and performance, but this can lead to undesirable body composition and susceptibility to injury.
It may be surprising to learn that dancers at the professional or pre-professional level can burn 2000, 2500 or even 3000 calories a day. Taking in this many calories each day might seem scary or even crazy to dancers who are under pressure to stay thin. However, fueling your body when it needs fuel is one of the best things you can do to achieve or maintain healthy body composition and stay competitive in the dance world. Knowing these simple tricks to timing your meals and snacks will actually help you have more energy, stronger muscles, more endurance, and less body fat.
Step 1: Estimate what you need
Estimate your energy (calorie) needs.
The Mayo Clinic and MyPlate.gov offer tools to help you calculate your estimated energy needs.
*See a dietitian for a more individualized assessment.*
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/calorie-calculator/NU00598
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/
Step 2: Divide healthy choices into regularly scheduled meals and snacks based on the amount of energy you are expending.
Example based on 120 lb professional female dancer who takes a 1 1/2 hour ballet class in the morning and rehearsal for 4-6 hours before an evening performance. Estimated energy needs: 2100-2500 calories depending on how strenuous the rehearsals and performance was.
Often dancers and other athletes do not realize that how and when you eat is as important as what you eat. Going for long periods of time without fueling your body can result in loss of muscle mass and increased body fat percentage. Not only can this affect your energy level and performance, but this can lead to undesirable body composition and susceptibility to injury.
It may be surprising to learn that dancers at the professional or pre-professional level can burn 2000, 2500 or even 3000 calories a day. Taking in this many calories each day might seem scary or even crazy to dancers who are under pressure to stay thin. However, fueling your body when it needs fuel is one of the best things you can do to achieve or maintain healthy body composition and stay competitive in the dance world. Knowing these simple tricks to timing your meals and snacks will actually help you have more energy, stronger muscles, more endurance, and less body fat.
Step 1: Estimate what you need
Estimate your energy (calorie) needs.
The Mayo Clinic and MyPlate.gov offer tools to help you calculate your estimated energy needs.
*See a dietitian for a more individualized assessment.*
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/calorie-calculator/NU00598
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/
Step 2: Divide healthy choices into regularly scheduled meals and snacks based on the amount of energy you are expending.
Example based on 120 lb professional female dancer who takes a 1 1/2 hour ballet class in the morning and rehearsal for 4-6 hours before an evening performance. Estimated energy needs: 2100-2500 calories depending on how strenuous the rehearsals and performance was.
- Breakfast: 350- 400 calories
- Snack after morning class: 200- 275 calories
- Lunch: 550-650 calories
- Post-rehearsal re-fuel: 200-285 calories
- Dinner before performance: 550-650 calories
- Post-performance re-fuel: 200-350 calories
Body Mass Index is a calculation that takes into account your height and weight. BMIs in the healthy range are associated with better health long term. Is your BMI in the "Healthy" Range?
The CDC provides a resource to check:
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/english_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.html
Snack Ideas
| cdn_100_calorie_snack_ideas_pdf.pdf |
See a dietitian for a detailed meal plan including meal suggestions based on your individual assessment.
Bone Health for Dancers: Preventing Stress Fractures and Stress Reactions Before they Derail your Career.
As a professional dancer, I knew several friends who suffered stress fractures and had to be sidelined during important times in their career. No dancer ever wants to take time off for an injury. Dancers, particularly females, are in a high risk group for low bone mineral density, stress fractures, and stress reactions. Nutrition can play a big role in helping to prevent and manage this type of injury.
* Eat regular meals and snacks, don't go for too long without giving the muscles the fuel they need. See the info on energy balance above.
* Work smart: watch your technique when landing jumps. Don't roll in on your feet or ankles and get your heels down in your plie. Strengthen leg muscles used in landing big jumps.
* For females: If your periods are infrequent or absent, please see a health care professional and/ or a sports dietitian. Infrequent periods are a warning sign.
* Get bone building nutrients from foods (see downloads below)
* Download these free resources on bone heatlh!
* Eat regular meals and snacks, don't go for too long without giving the muscles the fuel they need. See the info on energy balance above.
* Work smart: watch your technique when landing jumps. Don't roll in on your feet or ankles and get your heels down in your plie. Strengthen leg muscles used in landing big jumps.
* For females: If your periods are infrequent or absent, please see a health care professional and/ or a sports dietitian. Infrequent periods are a warning sign.
* Get bone building nutrients from foods (see downloads below)
* Download these free resources on bone heatlh!
| bone_health_for_dancers_1.doc |
| need_to_bounce_back_from_big_workout.doc |
Supplements. Do dancers need them?
Do Dancers need to take supplements? With all the marketing out there how do you know what you need and what you don't. Dancers don't have money to waste on useless products. And I hate to be the one to say that yes...most of the claims made by supplement companies don't hold up under scientific testing on real athletes. Dancers don't need protein powders or mega-doses of individual vitamins. They don't need amino acid powders or creatine. However, there are some nutrients that they do need.
New products come out everyday. E-mail me with questions about a specific nutrient or supplement and I will post the info under the "Ask the Dietitian" page.
Download this free page on Supplements for Dancers.
New products come out everyday. E-mail me with questions about a specific nutrient or supplement and I will post the info under the "Ask the Dietitian" page.
Download this free page on Supplements for Dancers.
| cdn_supplements_for_dancers.doc |