The Gymnast Nutritionist® Podcast

🎧 Replay! Winter 2027 early enrollment for The Balanced Gymnast® Program opens November 1st at current prices -- apply now to lock in your spot.

Does gymnastics stunt growth? It's quite the hot topic and many people weigh in with their own opinions. We've even heard conflicting opinions from medical providers. It's such a big question that it's actually been investigated and researched quite a bit in the past few decades by some heavy hitters such as the International Gymnastics Federation.

Some providers will give you a flippant response like, "gymnastics stunts their growth but it's...

Four years ago, our RED-S episode became one of the most downloaded episodes of this podcast. A lot has changed since then. In 2023, the International Olympic Committee updated how REDs (relative energy deficiency in sport, or underfueling) is defined and screened for, and most gymnastics parents, coaches and doctors haven't caught up. If your gymnast is heading into comp season tired, banged up, moody or just not herself, start here.

In this episode:
→ What REDs actually does inside your gymnast's body, from hormones and periods to bones, iron, sleep and mood
→ How underfueling show...

Your gymnast doesn't need a perfect diet to score 38+ in the all-around, but she does need these three things. I'm sharing exactly what I see in our gymnasts who are going to nationals year after year and getting full-ride offers right now.

In this episode:
→ Why eating "healthy" and eating ENOUGH are not the same thing, and why comp nutrition starts the other 364 days of the year
→ The Level 10 who was stuck in the 37s, switched from one meal before practice to two, hit a 38 by her second meet, qualified to the Nastia and signed a fu...

"She thinks she's fine." "She gets annoyed every time I bring up nutrition." "She thinks you're going to tell her what she can and can't eat." So does your gymnast need to be fully bought in before she can get help? If you know your gymnast needs better fueling but every conversation about food ends in eye rolls or a slammed door, this episode is for you. Christina makes the case that not wanting help and not needing help are two very different things, and that when it comes to gymnast nutrition support, buy-in is often something we build...

"She eats breakfast." "She had lunch at school." "She had a snack before practice." So why is your gymnast completely DONE by 6:30? If your gymnast consistently falls apart halfway through practice (heavy legs, a vault going nowhere, routines she can't make), this episode is for you. When it comes to gymnast fueling for practice, Christina makes the case that eating and adequately fueling a gymnast who trains 20+ hours a week are not the same thing, and that the problem showing up at 6:30 PM often started at breakfast.

Christina breaks down why a gymnast can look fine at 4:00...

"Let's see how she does once season starts." "She's growing, so this is probably normal." "We'll deal with it if it becomes a bigger problem." If any of that sounds familiar, this episode is for you. Christina makes the case that waiting doesn't keep your gymnast at baseline — if there's an underlying fueling problem, and most of the time there is, she keeps accumulating nutritional and physical consequences the whole time you wait.

Christina opens up about her own six-month struggle with her infant son's reflux and eczema, and how she kept circling around solutions before finally ma...

So many parents come to us feeling like they're the only ones struggling like something must be uniquely wrong with their gymnast when nothing seems to be working, despite doing everything "right." In this episode, Christina shares something she's never broken down publicly before: an analysis of the last 30 applications for The Balanced Gymnast Program, and the real reasons families are reaching out for support.

Spoiler: almost no one applies because they want their gymnast to "eat healthier." They apply because something isn't adding up a gymnast training 20+ hours a week who still can't get stronger, isn't...

So much of the anxiety, irritability, meltdowns, and attitude we see from preteen and teen gymnasts gets chalked up to "teenage hormones" or being a moody teenager. And yes, puberty is messy — brains are developing, school is harder, friendships are more complicated, and gymnastics only gets more demanding as the levels advance.

But what most parents and coaches don't realize is that a lot of that mood and emotion regulation trouble has a lot more to do with an underfueled brain than it does with normal teenage angst.

The brain only makes up about 2% of bo...

So much of the fatigue, skill plateaus, injuries, and burnout we see in gymnasts gets chalked up to gymnastics just being hard—and yes, it is. But that doesn't mean all of these struggles are normal.

The problem? You don't know what you don't know. And you can't necessarily look at your gymnast's teammates as the benchmark when many of them are likely underfueling and struggling too.

Our most successful gymnasts get their nutrition dialed in before competition season starts. Yet January continues to be one of our most popular times for families to reach ou...

Your gymnast needs surgery, and the first fear that shows up for her, for you, maybe for her coaches is that she's going to "get fat" and lose everything she's worked for. Christina is here to tell you that's not the goal, and it's not even the right question.

In this episode, Christina walks through nutrition before, during, and after gymnastics surgery, and why this is one of the most overlooked pieces of the recovery process. She opens by dismantling the idea that time off means the body should eat less — surgery actually increases the body's demands, dr...

You packed the sandwich, the fruit, the veggie, the calcium and it comes home half eaten, with the chips and dessert gone first. Sound familiar? Before you assume your gymnast just isn't trying, there's usually a real reason behind it.

In this episode, Christina continues the back-to-school series by troubleshooting one of the most common frustrations parents bring to her: the lunch that comes home uneaten. She's clear up front that yelling isn't the answer the goal is figuring out why it's happening.

She walks through the most common culprits, starting with the simple stuff...

Is your gymnast's schedule about to fall apart the second school starts back up? If breakfast gets skipped, snacks get squeezed out, and dinner turns into whatever's fastest after a nine o'clock pickup, she's not the only one who's going to feel it.

In this episode, Christina makes the case that back-to-school success for a gymnast comes down to one thing: the schedule. Whether your gymnast is a natural planner or needs help getting out of bed, the parent's job is the same — build a schedule that actually fits in every meal and snack she needs, and he...

Have you noticed your gymnast eating fine on paper but still getting hurt, running out of steam, or feeling behind as fall training ramps up, and assumed she just needs to push harder?

It's tempting to think the issue is training, or toughness, or just "kids get tired in summer." But in this episode, Christina breaks down six patterns she's seeing in one-on-one sessions right now, and why nearly all of them trace back to one thing: underfueling.

Ironically, many gymnasts eat better during the school year than in summer. School structure means time for...

Have you noticed your gymnast suddenly feeling weaker or struggling with skills she used to hit easily, and wondered if she's just gained "too much weight"?

It's tempting to think the fix is simple: get her lighter and the skills will come back. But in this episode, Christina explains why that logic misses something important, and why "just lose weight" almost always backfires.

Around age 11, girls enter puberty and their bodies change exactly as nature intends: gaining height, weight, and shifting biomechanics. Trying to stop that with dieting or underfueling does not solve the problem...

Have you ever heard a coach or well-meaning adult say something like "gymnasts need to watch their weight so there's less pressure on their joints"?

It sounds scientific. It sounds logical. And it can make a parent start to wonder if their gymnast should be smaller to protect her joints.

But here is the problem: that statement only tells half the story.

In this episode, Christina breaks down the physics and the physiology behind gymnast injury risk, and why trying to make a growing gymnast lighter is not the same thing as making...

Have you noticed your gymnast sleeping in later this summer and then heading straight to practice after only one meal?

Maybe practice starts at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, or even early afternoon. And because it falls in that awkward window between breakfast and lunch, it can be hard to know what your gymnast actually needs to eat before training.

But here is the problem:

One meal before a four- to five-hour summer practice is usually not enough.

In this quick tip episode, Christina breaks down why gymnasts need more structure...

Have you ever wondered if your gymnast actually needs a sports drink at practice?

Maybe you have seen other athletes drinking Gatorade, Powerade, Liquid I.V., LMNT, Prime, BodyArmor, or electrolyte packets and wondered if your gymnast should be doing the same.

Or maybe you have heard that sports drinks are “toxic,” full of sugar, dyes, or ingredients your gymnast should avoid.

But here is the problem: the conversation around sports drinks is often missing the most important piece.

Context.

In this episode, Christina breaks down what parents actually need...

Have you ever wondered if your gymnast is actually eating enough to support everything her body is being asked to do?

Maybe she is training hard, dealing with injuries, struggling with fatigue, or trying to keep up as her body grows and changes.

And maybe from the outside, everything looks mostly fine.

But here is the problem: underfueling in gymnastics is often much more common than most parents realize.

In this episode, Christina shares five of the biggest lessons she has learned in 11 years as a pediatric and adolescent sports dietitian...

Are you asking ChatGPT, AI, Google, or Facebook groups how to get your gymnast to eat better?

Maybe you already know she needs breakfast, more snacks, more protein, more carbs, or better recovery fuel. Maybe you have asked AI for meal plans, snack ideas, calorie needs, or supplement recommendations.

And maybe the answer sounded helpful.

But here is the problem: AI can tell you what your gymnast might need to eat, but it cannot actually help her do it.

In this episode, Christina wraps up her four-part series on what ChatGPT...

Are you asking ChatGPT, AI, or Facebook groups what supplements your gymnast needs?

Maybe your gymnast is tired, sore, injured, getting sick often, struggling to recover, or not gaining strength — and as a parent, you just want to help.

So you ask: Does she need magnesium? Iron? Creatine? Electrolytes? Protein powder? A multivitamin?

But when it comes to pediatric and adolescent gymnasts, supplements are not that simple.

In this episode, Christina continues her four-part series on what ChatGPT and AI do not know about your gymnast’s nutrition, and today’s focus...

Are you asking ChatGPT, AI, or an online calculator how many calories your gymnast needs?

It might seem like a simple question.

But when it comes to pediatric and adolescent gymnasts, calorie needs are anything but simple.

In this episode, Christina continues her four-part series on what ChatGPT and AI do not know about your gymnast’s nutrition, and today’s focus is calorie needs.

Because while AI can give you a polished answer, a number, or even a full meal plan, it cannot accurately assess what your gymnast’s body actual...

Are you using ChatGPT, AI, or a generic meal plan to figure out what your gymnast should be eating?

AI can be helpful for a lot of things, but when it comes to your gymnast’s nutrition, growth, development, injuries, training load, and recovery, there are major limitations parents need to understand.

In this episode, Christina kicks off a four-part series on what ChatGPT and AI do not know about your gymnast’s nutrition.

Because while AI may sound confident, polished, and helpful, it cannot properly assess your gymnast’s growth chart, puberty progre...

Is your gymnast heading into summer training with big goals, upgrade dreams, or hopes of moving up a level this fall?

Summer in gymnastics may be short, but it is one of the most important times of year for building strength, power, endurance, and new skills.

But your gymnast cannot get stronger, recover well, or make the most of upgrade season if they are under-fueled.

In this episode, Christina breaks down why summer training requires a different level of nutrition support, especially when gymnasts are training longer hours, switching to morning...

Has your gymnast been told their injury is “just overuse,” “just part of gymnastics,” or something they’ll grow out of?

Have you asked the doctor if nutrition could help — only to be told to “eat healthy,” take vitamin D, or maybe add a multivitamin?

For many injured gymnasts, that advice is not enough.

In this episode, Christina breaks down the connection between nutrition, under-fueling, growth, development, and common gymnastics injuries like stress fractures, stress reactions, OCD, gymnast wrist, Sever’s, shin splints, and other growth plate-related injuries.

Because while training load, skill progre...

Is your gymnast going through puberty and suddenly looking slower, less powerful, or less consistent in the gym?

Has a coach, pediatrician, or even your own worry made you wonder if your gymnast’s weight or changing body is the problem?

This is one of the most sensitive and misunderstood topics in gymnastics and when it’s handled the wrong way, it can cause serious harm to a gymnast’s relationship with food, body image, performance, and long-term health.

In this episode, Christina breaks down the difference between body weight and body composition, why pu...

Did it feel like your gymnast was constantly asking for sugar, snacks, or “junk food” no matter how much you tried to offer balanced meals?

Do meals feel like a struggle, leaving you second-guessing what you’re doing?

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone and it may not be what you think.

In this episode, we’re unpacking one of the most common (and misunderstood) challenges parents face: when your gymnast seems drawn to less nutritious foods.

Because while it’s easy to assume it’s about habits or preferences, t...

Did your gymnast’s competition season feel harder than it should have?

Were there unexpected struggles with strength, endurance, injuries, or consistency?

As the season wraps up, it’s the perfect time to zoom out and look at what might really be going on beneath the surface.

In this episode, we’re breaking down one of the most overlooked (but critical) factors in performance for TOPS, HOPES, and elite gymnasts: nutrition and under-fueling.

Because while it’s easy to blame skills, mindset, or body type… many of the challenges gymnasts f...

Do you know how to keep your gymnast healthy this season as they make a run at Nationals? 

Today is the second episode of our 4-part series, The Road to Nationals. I'm talking about everything you need to know in terms of fueling your gymnast, helping them stay healthy, and hopefully perform their best this competition season.  

February is not only competition season, it's also cold and flu season for all our athletes out there. Plus, most of these gymnasts are already  physically run down from the intense training, long and stressful school hours, and lac...

 If your gymnast is serious about making it to Nationals this year (or any other major competition), now is the time to dial in their nutrition. And I've got something special to help you and your gymnast really hone in on nutrition to support them throughout this very long competition season.

There's no better time than the beginning of competition season to help bring it back to the basics. Today's episode is the first in a brand new series, Road to Nationals, because that is ultimately the goal of most of our athletes. And I w...

Did your gymnast’s competition season feel harder than it should have been?
Were there struggles with strength, endurance, injuries, or consistency that didn’t quite make sense?

And now that the season is wrapping up… how do you make sure next season looks different?

In this episode, we’re taking a step back to reflect on competition season through a lens that’s often overlooked: nutrition and under-fueling.

Because while it’s easy to blame size, skill level, or even mindset, many of the most common struggles gymnasts face—like fatigue...

If your gymnast is putting in the work—20, 25, even 30 hours a week in the gym—but still not building muscle or getting noticeably stronger, it’s time to take a closer look at what’s really going on.

In today’s episode, I’m breaking down one of the most common frustrations I hear from parents and gymnasts: "She trains so much… so why isn’t she getting stronger or putting on muscle?"

Spoiler: It’s not usually about protein. 

Here’s the truth: Most gymnasts are not struggling to get enough protein—contra...

Why do parents wait so long to get nutrition support for their gymnast? No parent has ever told us they started working on nutrition with us and their gymnast "too early". 

In fact, it's almost always the opposite. When they learn how "off" their gymnast's nutrition was, how their underfueling (or not eating the right things at the right times) played a role in their performance issues and injuries...

There is so much regret for not working on nutrition sooner. Bottom line, basically about 99% of the people who go through our 1:1 program all say the s...

Is it a rebuilding season for your gymnast this year? It’s hard to sit on the sidelines when everyone else is competing.

We have a LOT of gymnasts in this situation right now, and honestly I am so grateful we get to support them. They are taking advantage of an unfortunate situation to dial in their fueling to support health and a strong comeback).

And for many, it was wakeup call to the fact their nutrition wasn't adequate to support everything they were trying to do in and out of the gym. 

If...

This biggest mistake we’re seeing high level gymnasts make right now is…

Only eating WHEN and IF they “feel hungry enough”…

 “my gymnast eats well” is 100% subjective

This can lead to "acute" underfueling. 

And a lot of gymnasts are already chronically underfueled, so this is a double whammy to acutely underfuel on competition day as well.

Here's what we're seeing from gymnasts right now:

🤸‍♀️If the comp is early afternoon, they try to sleep in as late as possible and have 1 meal before getting dressed and out the door...

Is it really a food allergy or something else entirely?
Are stomach aches, bloating, and food fears always caused by specific foods?
And how do parents know when eliminating foods is helping… or quietly making things worse?

In this episode, we’re tackling one of the most confusing topics in youth athletics: food allergies vs. food intolerances  and how both intersect with under-fueling in gymnastics. 

I’m joined by a repeat guest and allergy-immunology nurse practitioner (and fellow gymnast mom) to break down what’s real, what’s misunderstood, and what every parent and coach ne...

Is it really normal for a gymnast to not get her period until much later?
Are painful cramps, extreme PMS, or mood swings just “part of being a teenage girl”?
And is birth control truly the best — or only — solution?

In this episode, we’re asking the questions most families were never taught to ask about periods, nutrition, and hormonal health in gymnastics.

Because missing periods, severe cramps, intense PMS, and being put on birth control “to manage symptoms” aren’t rites of passage — they’re red flags.

If your gymnast has been told that l...

When parents hear “fueling,” they often assume their gymnast is doing okay—but our recent gymnast fueling audits revealed a very different story.

Here’s what we found:

And the scary part? A lot of these gymnasts already had ser...