Set Your Athletes Free With Dreams &amp; Goals Check out this post right here:  https://www.sportsperformance.academy/blog/dream-big-athlete-goals-for-the-new-year Did you used to have some amazing dreams, but then you grew up and those dreams became impractical? Me too! I've been there with you as well, but one of the reasons we've made so many advances as a society is we've had people that were willing to dream big. We can start our goal training with practical dreams, but we want to see you and your family go even further and dream AMAZING dreams! Dreams that might seem unattainable, or even impossible...but they will give you a chance to reach for the stars! So this week, have everyone in your family sit down, take 5-10 minutes and have a dreaming session. Don't let practicality intervene...DREAM BIG! And by the way, this includes you, parents!  This Years Goals Next, let's think of 1 big thing we can accomplish this year. For an athlete, it might be making it to a state competition, or finally making it on the basketball team, or even better, committing to be kinder to your siblings! Those are all great goals that are practical and doable, and they are most likely going to be that first step towards their big dream. This bigger vision of what our athletes can do is important because it gives their brains and their spirits something to focus on.  When they reach them through hard work, and the daily grind, they build self-confidence and they realize they CAN do hard but amazing things.  Monthly Goals Now that we have what we want to accomplish this year, it's time to break it down to what we have to do each month. Have your athletes work with their coaches, teachers, or even you the parent on this. What are the actions steps to get to the goal? If your athlete is trying to make the basketball team for the first time and they need to improve their shot, one of their steps might be shooting more. Your coach might say, you need to make 10,000 shots every single month. This is your goal...it's also going to let your coach know you are serious about your goals, and it will give them an automatic accountability partner! Daily Application With our monthly goal in place, now we need to focus on what are we going to do each day to make sure our goal happens. In our example of making 10,000 shots a month, in January we're going to have to make 323 shots per day, but in February, we're going to have to make 357 shots per day.  We've made these all S.M.A.R.T. goals...we started with a Big Dream, but then we became more practical in our daily application. S.M.A.R.T. stands for:  Specific Measurable w/Measurement Achievable Relevant Time-Oriented Wrapping It Up We're about to take on a whole new year, and even more exciting, a whole new decade!  Let's take advantage of this amazing gift of time that we've been given and let's make the most of it. Let's dream big, but also break it down to what we need to do every single day to be successful. Parents, don't just tell your athletes to do this...DO IT WITH THEM, and be the example of what you can dream about, and accomplish in this new decade! If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below...we'd love to help!

Set Your Athletes Free With Dreams &amp; Goals Check out this post right here: <a href="https://www.sportsperformance.academy/blog/dream-big-athlete-goals-for-the-new-year" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> https://www.sportsperformance.academy/blog/dream-big-athlete-goals-for-the-new-year</a> Did you used to have some amazing dreams, but then you grew up and those dreams became impractical? Me too! I've been there with you as well, but one of the reasons we've made so many advances as a society is we've had people that were willing to dream big. We can start our goal training with practical dreams, but we want to see you and your family go even further and dream AMAZING dreams! Dreams that might seem unattainable, or even impossible...but they will give you a chance to reach for the stars! So this week, have everyone in your family sit down, take 5-10 minutes and have a dreaming session. Don't let practicality intervene...DREAM BIG! And by the way, this includes you, parents!  This Years Goals Next, let's think of 1 big thing we can accomplish this year. For an athlete, it might be making it to a state competition, or finally making it on the basketball team, or even better, committing to be kinder to your siblings! Those are all great goals that are practical and doable, and they are most likely going to be that first step towards their big dream. This bigger vision of what our athletes can do is important because it gives their brains and their spirits something to focus on.  When they reach them through hard work, and the daily grind, they build self-confidence and they realize they CAN do hard but amazing things.  Monthly Goals Now that we have what we want to accomplish this year, it's time to break it down to what we have to do each month. Have your athletes work with their coaches, teachers, or even you the parent on this. What are the actions steps to get to the goal? If your athlete is trying to make the basketball team for the first time and they need to improve their shot, one of their steps might be shooting more. Your coach might say, you need to make 10,000 shots every single month. This is your goal...it's also going to let your coach know you are serious about your goals, and it will give them an automatic accountability partner! Daily Application With our monthly goal in place, now we need to focus on what are we going to do each day to make sure our goal happens. In our example of making 10,000 shots a month, in January we're going to have to make 323 shots per day, but in February, we're going to have to make 357 shots per day.  We've made these all S.M.A.R.T. goals...we started with a Big Dream, but then we became more practical in our daily application. S.M.A.R.T. stands for:  Specific Measurable w/Measurement Achievable Relevant Time-Oriented Wrapping It Up We're about to take on a whole new year, and even more exciting, a whole new decade!  Let's take advantage of this amazing gift of time that we've been given and let's make the most of it. Let's dream big, but also break it down to what we need to do every single day to be successful. Parents, don't just tell your athletes to do this...DO IT WITH THEM, and be the example of what you can dream about, and accomplish in this new decade! If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below...we'd love to help!

Dream Big: Athlete Goals For The New Year

Check out more on our site by clicking here:  https://www.sportsperformance.academy/blog/your-2020-athlete-nutrition-start-guide Are you excited about setting up your nutrition and health goals for you and your family for 2020, BUT... You just don't know exactly what to do?!? Or maybe you're ready to level up your nutrition goals this new year and you need a plan. You're in the right place as today we're walking you through how to be successful with nutrition in 2020 for your athlete.  Understand The Importance How important is nutrition to your athlete's health and wellbeing?  It's absolutely critical! It's the base, along with Rest &amp; Recovery, to building a strong and solid athlete that can stand the test of time. Without a solid base, your athlete will be subject to a greater risk of injury and lower levels of energy.  Your athlete is growing and changing, and to leave them without the nutrients they need to succeed is dangerous.  Get Them What They Need Knowing nutrition is important isn't a hard sell (we all know this), but knowing exactly when to feed your athlete can be much more difficult.  This is why we created the Road Map to Success. The roadmap lays out exactly when your athlete should be eating. Recommendations from the leading nutrition and dietetics association strongly suggest, based on solid scientific data, athletes should be eating throughout the day, every two hours.  The Road Map to Success outlines the most important meals for athletes which include:   Breakfast Mid-morning snack Lunch Pre-workout snack Mid-workout snack Dinner  There are two reasons to eat throughout the day:  To keep nutrients available for your athletes...this makes sure they have a constant supply of energy To make sure your athlete gets enough calories...most athletes struggle getting enough quantity, but eating throughout the day makes sure they get enough  Put It Together With A Plan We know how important nutrition is for your athlete and we know they need to be eating throughout the day. Now, we have to put this together with a plan.  Your plan doesn't have to be incredibly complicated, but you need to know what you're eating and when. If you don't know what you're eating for dinner tonight, you know exactly what will happen: You'll most likely wind up in the fast-food line! But! When you have a plan, you have a very high probability that your athlete is getting great food into their body. I NEED HELP It's OK! Everyone needs help. That's why we created Stay Fueled: Nutrition for Busy Families. Stay Fueled gives you the foundation that you need to make amazing decisions and great choices when it comes to nutrition for your busy family! As a bonus, we've even included 4 weeks of plans, just like we talked about above but you don't have to do any work...just print them off and put them into place today! It's that easy, so if you're ready to learn more about Stay Fueled, just click here. We're your teammates and we want to help you succeed with nutrition in 2020!

Check out more on our site by clicking here: <a href="https://www.sportsperformance.academy/blog/your-2020-athlete-nutrition-start-guide" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> https://www.sportsperformance.academy/blog/your-2020-athlete-nutrition-start-guide</a> Are you excited about setting up your nutrition and health goals for you and your family for 2020, BUT... You just don't know exactly what to do?!? Or maybe you're ready to level up your nutrition goals this new year and you need a plan. You're in the right place as today we're walking you through how to be successful with nutrition in 2020 for your athlete.  Understand The Importance How important is nutrition to your athlete's health and wellbeing?  It's absolutely critical! It's the base, along with Rest &amp; Recovery, to building a strong and solid athlete that can stand the test of time. Without a solid base, your athlete will be subject to a greater risk of injury and lower levels of energy.  Your athlete is growing and changing, and to leave them without the nutrients they need to succeed is dangerous.  Get Them What They Need Knowing nutrition is important isn't a hard sell (we all know this), but knowing exactly when to feed your athlete can be much more difficult.  This is why we created the Road Map to Success. The roadmap lays out exactly when your athlete should be eating. Recommendations from the leading nutrition and dietetics association strongly suggest, based on solid scientific data, athletes should be eating throughout the day, every two hours.  The Road Map to Success outlines the most important meals for athletes which include:  <ul> <li>Breakfast</li> <li>Mid-morning snack</li> <li>Lunch</li> <li>Pre-workout snack</li> <li>Mid-workout snack</li> <li>Dinner</li> </ul> There are two reasons to eat throughout the day: <ol> <li>To keep nutrients available for your athletes...this makes sure they have a constant supply of energy</li> <li>To make sure your athlete gets enough calories...most athletes struggle getting enough quantity, but eating throughout the day makes sure they get enough</li> </ol> Put It Together With A Plan We know how important nutrition is for your athlete and we know they need to be eating throughout the day. Now, we have to put this together with a plan.  Your plan doesn't have to be incredibly complicated, but you need to know what you're eating and when. If you don't know what you're eating for dinner tonight, you know exactly what will happen: You'll most likely wind up in the fast-food line! But! When you have a plan, you have a very high probability that your athlete is getting great food into their body. I NEED HELP It's OK! Everyone needs help. That's why we created Stay Fueled: Nutrition for Busy Families. Stay Fueled gives you the foundation that you need to make amazing decisions and great choices when it comes to nutrition for your busy family! As a bonus, we've even included 4 weeks of plans, just like we talked about above but you don't have to do any work...just print them off and put them into place today! It's that easy, so <a href="https://www.sportsperformance.academy/stay-fueled" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">if you're ready to learn more about Stay Fueled, just click here.</a> We're your teammates and we want to help you succeed with nutrition in 2020!

Getting Ready To Tackle Nutrition in 2020

Maximize Your Athlete's Sleep

Summary What are the basics you need to be successful in nutrition? Are you overwhelmed with feeding your athlete? Not sure if you’re doing it right? Maybe you know that you could definitely do better, but not sure where to start? Well you’re in the right place because I want to share the basics so you can get on track and know for sure you are giving your athlete exactly what they need. It DOESN'T have to be complicated, but it DOES matter what your athlete eats. Food fuels their bodies, and if they aren’t eating QUALITY whole foods, it’s a recipe for disaster. Let’s start with WHAT TO EAT: The 3 main things you need to focus on are CARBOHYDRATES, FATS, and PROTEINS. These are the macronutrients of their diets. (We don’t need to focus on micronutrients right now, if the quality of their food is great, they will be getting what they need) So let’s look into these macronutrients a little further…  Carbohydrates (Carbs): 55-65% of your athlete’s diet should be made up of carbs. BUT, not all carbs are created equal! Simple sugars are NOT the source to get good quality carbs. Some of the best foods you can get great quality carbs from are whole wheat, whole grains, sweet potatoes, quinoa, fruits and vegetables. Since most of their diet should be made up of carbs, make sure that they are getting the most out of them through whole foods, NOT through junk food, processed food and fast food. Great quality carbs will not only help them in their sport, they’ll also fuel their brains to help them in school and life. Fats: 25-35% of your athlete’s diet should be made up of fats. Just like carbs though, not all fats are created equal! The oil the French fries are fried in is NOT where your athlete should be getting their fats…not from the pre-packaged snacks or sweets either! Some of the best sources of great quality fats are wild caught fish from the ocean, avocados, egg yolks, seeds, nuts, olive oil, flax seed oil, and avocado oil. Most athletes are low in their intake of good fats, so try to add some into your athletes diet this next week. Proteins: 10-30% of your athlete’s diet should be made up of proteins. That’s really not that much, so they definitely don’t need to be supplementing with protein drinks or bars. Focus on getting great quality proteins from whole foods. Some great whole foods that are rich in protein are chicken breast, fish, lean beef, almonds, peanuts, lentils, oats, cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt. There are so many more too, it should be easy to find a whole food source to get your athlete the protein they need.  Now that you know what your athlete should be eating, let’s look at WHEN TO EAT: Follow the “Roadmap to Success,” so that your athlete’s body is fueled the entire day. If they skip some of these meals, they may experience a low in some vital nutrients that their body needs, (resulting in fatigue at the least, and injury at the worst.) It’s so important to keep your athlete fueled…they aren’t just going to school and coming home like most kids, your athlete is working out for multiple hours each day, and they NEED great nutrition in order to succeed to their greatest potential.   Start with breakfast, and include great carbs, fats, and proteins…try eggs and potatoes with an orange! Next is their mid-morning snack, which also includes carbs, fats, and proteins…try pita chips and hummus with grapes, apple slices dipped in almond butter, or a HEALTHY whole food bar. The third meal is lunch. Still including proteins, carbs and fats…try a sandwich on Dave’s Killer Bread with some great veggies and good quality meat. Don’t forget to give them a dessert that helps, like a homemade cookie with whole grains, nuts, seeds, and oats. It’s fine to put in some quality chocolate chips to satisfy their sweet tooth, but make sue to replace the simple white sugar with a more natural alternative…try coconut sugar, honey, molasses, or maple syrup (NOT the fake stuff) The pre-workout snack is next, and this should be consumed 30-60 minutes before working out. Try ½ a peanut butter banana sandwich on Dave’s Killer Bread for an easy and delicious way to get in proteins, carbs and fats. This 5th “meal” is called their mid-workout snack. It’s super simple…it’s just fruit. It’s the ONLY meal throughout the day that strays from the “proteins, carbs, and fats routine” Try grapes, melon slices, apple slices, strawberries, blueberries, you name it…choose your favorite! Finish off with Ending the day with proteins, carbs, and fats, this is a great meal to include SUPERFOODS! Try salmon, broccoli, quinoa, or sweet potatoes…there are many more to choose from so make sure to add one or two to your meal plan today.  You are now armed with the knowledge of WHAT TO EAT, combined with WHEN TO EAT… and that is a recipe for SUCCESS! These are the basics you need to help your athlete succeed in nutrition. You can’t get out there and do their sport for them, but you can help from the sidelines (or bleachers, or wherever) by making sure they are fueled properly.  Everyone is capable of implementing these basic principles, so decide to make a positive change today. What will you change? Are you missing a meal or two from the “Roadmap to Success” that you’re going to add in? Do you want to try a whole food source for protein? Going to add in a new SUPERFOOD? Or try a healthy dessert recipe? Comment below with your change…we’d love to hear from you! You’re not alone on this nutrition journey; we’re here to walk you through it!

Summary What are the basics you need to be successful in nutrition? Are you overwhelmed with feeding your athlete? Not sure if you’re doing it right? Maybe you know that you could definitely do better, but not sure where to start? Well you’re in the right place because I want to share the basics so you can get on track and know for sure you are giving your athlete exactly what they need. It DOESN'T have to be complicated, but it DOES matter what your athlete eats. Food fuels their bodies, and if they aren’t eating QUALITY whole foods, it’s a recipe for disaster. Let’s start with WHAT TO EAT: The 3 main things you need to focus on are CARBOHYDRATES, FATS, and PROTEINS. These are the macronutrients of their diets. (We don’t need to focus on micronutrients right now, if the quality of their food is great, they will be getting what they need) So let’s look into these macronutrients a little further… <ol> <li>Carbohydrates (Carbs): 55-65% of your athlete’s diet should be made up of carbs. BUT, not all carbs are created equal! Simple sugars are NOT the source to get good quality carbs. Some of the best foods you can get great quality carbs from are whole wheat, whole grains, sweet potatoes, quinoa, fruits and vegetables. Since most of their diet should be made up of carbs, make sure that they are getting the most out of them through whole foods, NOT through junk food, processed food and fast food. Great quality carbs will not only help them in their sport, they’ll also fuel their brains to help them in school and life.</li> <li>Fats: 25-35% of your athlete’s diet should be made up of fats. Just like carbs though, not all fats are created equal! The oil the French fries are fried in is NOT where your athlete should be getting their fats…not from the pre-packaged snacks or sweets either! Some of the best sources of great quality fats are wild caught fish from the ocean, avocados, egg yolks, seeds, nuts, olive oil, flax seed oil, and avocado oil. Most athletes are low in their intake of good fats, so try to add some into your athletes diet this next week.</li> <li>Proteins: 10-30% of your athlete’s diet should be made up of proteins. That’s really not that much, so they definitely don’t need to be supplementing with protein drinks or bars. Focus on getting great quality proteins from whole foods. Some great whole foods that are rich in protein are chicken breast, fish, lean beef, almonds, peanuts, lentils, oats, cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt. There are so many more too, it should be easy to find a whole food source to get your athlete the protein they need.</li> </ol> Now that you know what your athlete should be eating, let’s look at WHEN TO EAT: Follow the “Roadmap to Success,” so that your athlete’s body is fueled the entire day. If they skip some of these meals, they may experience a low in some vital nutrients that their body needs, (resulting in fatigue at the least, and injury at the worst.) It’s so important to keep your athlete fueled…they aren’t just going to school and coming home like most kids, your athlete is working out for multiple hours each day, and they NEED great nutrition in order to succeed to their greatest potential.  <ol> <li>Start with breakfast, and include great carbs, fats, and proteins…try eggs and potatoes with an orange!</li> <li>Next is their mid-morning snack, which also includes carbs, fats, and proteins…try pita chips and hummus with grapes, apple slices dipped in almond butter, or a HEALTHY whole food bar.</li> <li>The third meal is lunch. Still including proteins, carbs and fats…try a sandwich on Dave’s Killer Bread with some great veggies and good quality meat. Don’t forget to give them a dessert that helps, like a homemade cookie with whole grains, nuts, seeds, and oats. It’s fine to put in some quality chocolate chips to satisfy their sweet tooth, but make sue to replace the simple white sugar with a more natural alternative…try coconut sugar, honey, molasses, or maple syrup (NOT the fake stuff)</li> <li>The pre-workout snack is next, and this should be consumed 30-60 minutes before working out. Try ½ a peanut butter banana sandwich on Dave’s Killer Bread for an easy and delicious way to get in proteins, carbs and fats.</li> <li>This 5th “meal” is called their mid-workout snack. It’s super simple…it’s just fruit. It’s the ONLY meal throughout the day that strays from the “proteins, carbs, and fats routine” Try grapes, melon slices, apple slices, strawberries, blueberries, you name it…choose your favorite!</li> <li>Finish off with Ending the day with proteins, carbs, and fats, this is a great meal to include SUPERFOODS! Try salmon, broccoli, quinoa, or sweet potatoes…there are many more to choose from so make sure to add one or two to your meal plan today.</li> </ol> You are now armed with the knowledge of WHAT TO EAT, combined with WHEN TO EAT… and that is a recipe for SUCCESS! These are the basics you need to help your athlete succeed in nutrition. You can’t get out there and do their sport for them, but you can help from the sidelines (or bleachers, or wherever) by making sure they are fueled properly. Everyone is capable of implementing these basic principles, so decide to make a positive change today. What will you change? Are you missing a meal or two from the “Roadmap to Success” that you’re going to add in? Do you want to try a whole food source for protein? Going to add in a new SUPERFOOD? Or try a healthy dessert recipe? Comment below with your change…we’d love to hear from you! You’re not alone on this nutrition journey; we’re here to walk you through it!

The Basics for Your Athlete: Your Nutrition Start Guide

Athletes….they aren’t machines (although sometimes we treat them like they are) THEY ARE PEOPLE! And sometimes, they just need a break. If you’ve never heard of overtraining syndrome, it’s when the body really starts to shut down when there have been too many energy and physical requirements put on it. Maybe they’re doing extra work and really pushing it, or trying to progress, but it’s our job as parents to look at that and figure out when it’s time to pull back and take a little break and start recovering better.  If your athlete is following the athletic pyramid in the proper order (-Nutrition and Hydration-Rest and Recovery-Proper Movement-Strength-Skills), then you can look at the following clues to tell if your athlete needs a break:  They stop progressing- they’re no longer moving up in skills (weekly, monthly), they’re not even getting little wins; they’re just struggling to do anything in the gym or on the field. You can see it in their eyes; they’re just getting down all the time. Tired all the time- falling asleep on the way to practice or on the way home; always exhausted with little to no energy. Overuse injuries- injuries that happen when they’re doing too much…heel pain, Sever’s disease, knee pain, lower back pain, wrist pain, elbow pain, shoulder pain. If they’re getting overuse injury after overuse injury, they need to pull back, they’ve done too much. Start to talk about quitting- they are starting to say it’s too much for them and they don’t want to do it anymore.  *On the other hand, if your athlete is not following the athletic pyramid in the proper order, then that’s where you need to start! We all want our athletes to be the best they can be and to give it their all. We want them to have fun and we want them to accomplish their goals. We want them work hard and we want them to win, not only in their sport, but also in life. If you realize that your athlete needs a break, it’s not the end of the world! It’s not even the end of their sports career, in fact, it could be just what they need to get them back on track and ready to excel again. Overtraining syndrome can be corrected in 24 hours to 28 days. That’s right! They may just need a few days off to relax and recover. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s great news…and MUCH better than the alternative of continuing the downward spiral of the overtraining syndrome. #1 Takeaway TALK TO YOUR ATHLETE Ask them questions to see how they’re feeling, and listen to them…it’ll go a long way in the future of their sports career to find out this information now before it’s too late. We want to hear from you! Start the conversation with your athlete and let us know how things are going. We want to know if things are going great, and we want to know if they’re struggling. We are on your team, and we are here to encourage you and to help you out. If you have any questions or concerns, leave those in the comments as well and we’d be glad to help.

Athletes….they aren’t machines (although sometimes we treat them like they are) THEY ARE PEOPLE! And sometimes, they just need a break. If you’ve never heard of overtraining syndrome, it’s when the body really starts to shut down when there have been too many energy and physical requirements put on it. Maybe they’re doing extra work and really pushing it, or trying to progress, but it’s our job as parents to look at that and figure out when it’s time to pull back and take a little break and start recovering better.  If your athlete is following the athletic pyramid in the proper order (-Nutrition and Hydration-Rest and Recovery-Proper Movement-Strength-Skills), then you can look at the following clues to tell if your athlete needs a break: <ul> <li>They stop progressing- they’re no longer moving up in skills (weekly, monthly), they’re not even getting little wins; they’re just struggling to do anything in the gym or on the field. You can see it in their eyes; they’re just getting down all the time.</li> <li>Tired all the time- falling asleep on the way to practice or on the way home; always exhausted with little to no energy.</li> <li>Overuse injuries- injuries that happen when they’re doing too much…heel pain, Sever’s disease, knee pain, lower back pain, wrist pain, elbow pain, shoulder pain. If they’re getting overuse injury after overuse injury, they need to pull back, they’ve done too much.</li> <li>Start to talk about quitting- they are starting to say it’s too much for them and they don’t want to do it anymore.</li> </ul> *On the other hand, if your athlete is not following the athletic pyramid in the proper order, then that’s where you need to start! We all want our athletes to be the best they can be and to give it their all. We want them to have fun and we want them to accomplish their goals. We want them work hard and we want them to win, not only in their sport, but also in life. If you realize that your athlete needs a break, it’s not the end of the world! It’s not even the end of their sports career, in fact, it could be just what they need to get them back on track and ready to excel again. Overtraining syndrome can be corrected in 24 hours to 28 days. That’s right! They may just need a few days off to relax and recover. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s great news…and MUCH better than the alternative of continuing the downward spiral of the overtraining syndrome. #1 Takeaway TALK TO YOUR ATHLETE Ask them questions to see how they’re feeling, and listen to them…it’ll go a long way in the future of their sports career to find out this information now before it’s too late. We want to hear from you! Start the conversation with your athlete and let us know how things are going. We want to know if things are going great, and we want to know if they’re struggling. We are on your team, and we are here to encourage you and to help you out. If you have any questions or concerns, leave those in the comments as well and we’d be glad to help.

How Can You Tell When Your Athlete Needs A Break?

Summary Are you looking to make your athlete’s school day the best possible experience ever?  I bet you didn’t even think about this, but it absolutely starts with nutrition and feeding them the right things, so let’s make sure they are eating what their body needs for success! It’s definitely going to take some time to get your athlete on track, and it might mean you have to make slow changes over time, but you can do it! Give Them The Good Stuff At the Sports Performance Academy, we always look at making sure we have the best macronutrients that we can afford. Here’s what each macronutrient does, and how it best fuels your athlete’s body:  Carbohydrates- they fuel the brain! If your athlete isn’t eating really great carbohydrates, their brain isn’t going to have the energy that it needs to be able to learn. This goes for their sport too, they need carbs to be able to think through complex processes and perform well. Fats- up to 70% of the brain is made up of fat! Fat surrounds the neurons and makes their connections and transmissions faster and permanent, cementing their learning in place. Without great fats, the body can’t lay down high-quality myelin (the sheath that surrounds nerves that makes them so amazing). Proteins-help repair cells! Proteins also make the transmission between the neurons happen (neurotransmitters are made up of proteins as well)  Follow the Map to Get Them Where They Need To Go If you were going on a trip, to Success, CA, USA and you’ve never been there before, would just wing it, or would you type that address right into maps so you can have directions to get there? You’re going to use the map every time! So that’s why we developed The Road Map To Success for your athlete! The Road Map lets you know when and what to eat each and every day. It’s the cheat sheet for success!  Here are the important points: Eat approximately every 2 hours, including proteins, carbs, and fats in each meal! Breakfast  Steel-cut oats with blueberries and nuts (either chopped or ground) Eggs and potatoes/sweet potatoes  Mid-Morning Snack  Pita Chips with hummus and a side of grapes Apples dipped in almond butter  Lunch-  Sandwich with great quality bread (Dave’s Killer Bread “Good Seed” is my favorite) with some quality meat, cheese if they want it, and lots of good veggies-lettuce, tomato, avocado, etc…and make sure to include a dessert that helps! Homemade cookies are great because you can choose the ingredients- whole wheat flour, oats, coconut oil (or even avocado!), coconut sugar, nuts, get creative! Don’t be afraid to try something new.  Pre-Workout Snack  ½ Peanut butter/banana sandwich on Dave’s Killer Bread Apples dipped in almond butter  Mid-Workout Snack  Fruit  Dinner- try to include some of these superfoods:  Salmon Avocados Quinoa Lentils/beans  Giving your athlete great nutrition throughout the day will maximize their brain’s ability to use carbohydrates. With the healthy fats, their cells can really be amazing and fire off the transmissions that need to take place to help make processes permanent. #1 Takeaway: EAT BREAKFAST! If your athlete is starting out the day skipping breakfast, they’re running on empty! Studies have also shown that students that don’t eat breakfast do worse on test than their peers that do eat breakfast! Start with breakfast and make it a priority every day for the next two weeks. If your athlete has been eating breakfast, but not super quality (lacking protein, carbs, or fats), change it up and find something that works for you with ALL of the great nutrients that will fuel them for the day.  It’s so important that our athletes are able to concentrate and do their very best at school. This whole nutrition journey may seem hard at first, but with practice, it will become second nature…YOU GOT THIS! We want to hear from you! Leave a comment, let us know what you’re going to try, what your thoughts are, or any questions you have about this…let’s walk this road together!

Summary Are you looking to make your athlete’s school day the best possible experience ever?  I bet you didn’t even think about this, but it absolutely starts with nutrition and feeding them the right things, so let’s make sure they are eating what their body needs for success! It’s definitely going to take some time to get your athlete on track, and it might mean you have to make slow changes over time, but you can do it! Give Them The Good Stuff At the Sports Performance Academy, we always look at making sure we have the best macronutrients that we can afford. Here’s what each macronutrient does, and how it best fuels your athlete’s body: <ol> <li>Carbohydrates- they fuel the brain! If your athlete isn’t eating really great carbohydrates, their brain isn’t going to have the energy that it needs to be able to learn. This goes for their sport too, they need carbs to be able to think through complex processes and perform well.</li> <li>Fats- up to 70% of the brain is made up of fat! Fat surrounds the neurons and makes their connections and transmissions faster and permanent, cementing their learning in place. Without great fats, the body can’t lay down high-quality myelin (the sheath that surrounds nerves that makes them so amazing).</li> <li>Proteins-help repair cells! Proteins also make the transmission between the neurons happen (neurotransmitters are made up of proteins as well)</li> </ol> Follow the Map to Get Them Where They Need To Go If you were going on a trip, to Success, CA, USA and you’ve never been there before, would just wing it, or would you type that address right into maps so you can have directions to get there? You’re going to use the map every time! So that’s why we developed The Road Map To Success for your athlete! The Road Map lets you know when and what to eat each and every day. It’s the cheat sheet for success!  Here are the important points: Eat approximately every 2 hours, including proteins, carbs, and fats in each meal! Breakfast <ul> <li>Steel-cut oats with blueberries and nuts (either chopped or ground)</li> <li>Eggs and potatoes/sweet potatoes</li> </ul> Mid-Morning Snack <ul> <li>Pita Chips with hummus and a side of grapes</li> <li>Apples dipped in almond butter</li> </ul> Lunch- <ul> <li>Sandwich with great quality bread (Dave’s Killer Bread “Good Seed” is my favorite) with some quality meat, cheese if they want it, and lots of good veggies-lettuce, tomato, avocado, etc…and make sure to include a dessert that helps! Homemade cookies are great because you can choose the ingredients- whole wheat flour, oats, coconut oil (or even avocado!), coconut sugar, nuts, get creative! Don’t be afraid to try something new.</li> </ul> Pre-Workout Snack <ul> <li>½ Peanut butter/banana sandwich on Dave’s Killer Bread</li> <li>Apples dipped in almond butter</li> </ul> Mid-Workout Snack <ul> <li>Fruit</li> </ul> Dinner- try to include some of these superfoods: <ul> <li>Salmon</li> <li>Avocados</li> <li>Quinoa</li> <li>Lentils/beans</li> </ul> Giving your athlete great nutrition throughout the day will maximize their brain’s ability to use carbohydrates. With the healthy fats, their cells can really be amazing and fire off the transmissions that need to take place to help make processes permanent. #1 Takeaway: EAT BREAKFAST! If your athlete is starting out the day skipping breakfast, they’re running on empty! Studies have also shown that students that don’t eat breakfast do worse on test than their peers that do eat breakfast! Start with breakfast and make it a priority every day for the next two weeks. If your athlete has been eating breakfast, but not super quality (lacking protein, carbs, or fats), change it up and find something that works for you with ALL of the great nutrients that will fuel them for the day.  It’s so important that our athletes are able to concentrate and do their very best at school. This whole nutrition journey may seem hard at first, but with practice, it will become second nature…YOU GOT THIS! We want to hear from you! Leave a comment, let us know what you’re going to try, what your thoughts are, or any questions you have about this…let’s walk this road together!

Make School Nutrition Amazing For Your Athlete

Do you have an athlete that is experiencing heel pain? How about knee pain? Or what about hip pain, lower back pain, upper back pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain or wrist pain? Unless there was a serious injury that undoubtedly created this pain, these are all types of overuse injuries. These are SO common in sports, so what’s the reason? WHY is this happening? Let’s take a look at our “athletic pyramid” to get some answers…    They’re not getting the right nutrition and hydration. They may be deficient in something like a mineral or some micronutrients, they might not be drinking enough water, or maybe they just aren’t eating enough great quality food. The problem is, this slows down recovery and there isn’t enough time between practices to get back to their baseline. It becomes a downward spiral that leads directly to overuse injuries. They’re not getting enough rest. I may sound like a broken record, but athletes under the age of 12 need 10-12 hours of sleep each night, and athletes over the age of 12 need 8-10 hours of sleep each night. It’s not negotiable…you can’t say “well, they ate a tomato today, so they only need 6 or 7 hours of sleep.” NOPE, doesn’t work like that, you can’t negotiate with sleep. If your athlete is continually deficient in the recommended amount of sleep, the chance for overuse injury skyrockets. They’re practicing their sport with improper movement. They may be landing incorrectly, and believe it or not, their coaches may even be encouraging this! I’m not here to bash any coaches; I just want to help educate on proper movement. Most (not all) coaches are not experts on the anatomy of the human body, and they coach either “how they were taught,” or, ”how it’s always been done.” This is a HUGE problem, (especially in gymnastics) because the proper movement techniques of jumping and landing do not change from sport to sport. With the repetitions required in some sports, improper landing is a serious cause of lower back, hip, knee and ankle overuse injuries. They’re trying to do skills that they don’t have the strength to do. They can get an overuse injury when they keep trying over and over to do something that their body is not physically strong enough for yet. They’re doing a skill incorrectly. Just like improper movement, a skill done repetitively and incorrectly will cause an overuse injury.  My athlete has an overuse injury, SO NOW WHAT? Look at your athlete’s BASE, their Nutrition and Hydration, and their Rest and Recovery. Are they getting everything that we’ve talked about on the Roadmap to Success,” proteins, carbs, and fats with every single meal; and are they getting the recommended amount of sleep? Work on this for the next 2 weeks, and you will see a monster difference! Then, we can go up the pyramid and look into proper movement. Comment below to let me know what overuse injury your athlete is experiencing, and how you’re going to look at their BASE to try and get on top of this, and then come back in 2 weeks let me know how it’s working. I guarantee that if you commit to these two things, you will see improvements in your athlete’s health. I’m here to encourage you and walk alongside you, let’s get rid of these overuse injuries right now!

Do you have an athlete that is experiencing heel pain? How about knee pain? Or what about hip pain, lower back pain, upper back pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain or wrist pain? Unless there was a serious injury that undoubtedly created this pain, these are all types of overuse injuries. These are SO common in sports, so what’s the reason? WHY is this happening? Let’s take a look at our “athletic pyramid” to get some answers… <ol> <li>They’re not getting the right nutrition and hydration. They may be deficient in something like a mineral or some micronutrients, they might not be drinking enough water, or maybe they just aren’t eating enough great quality food. The problem is, this slows down recovery and there isn’t enough time between practices to get back to their baseline. It becomes a downward spiral that leads directly to overuse injuries.</li> <li>They’re not getting enough rest. I may sound like a broken record, but athletes under the age of 12 need 10-12 hours of sleep each night, and athletes over the age of 12 need 8-10 hours of sleep each night. It’s not negotiable…you can’t say “well, they ate a tomato today, so they only need 6 or 7 hours of sleep.” NOPE, doesn’t work like that, you can’t negotiate with sleep. If your athlete is continually deficient in the recommended amount of sleep, the chance for overuse injury skyrockets.</li> <li>They’re practicing their sport with improper movement. They may be landing incorrectly, and believe it or not, their coaches may even be encouraging this! I’m not here to bash any coaches; I just want to help educate on proper movement. Most (not all) coaches are not experts on the anatomy of the human body, and they coach either “how they were taught,” or, ”how it’s always been done.” This is a HUGE problem, (especially in gymnastics) because the proper movement techniques of jumping and landing do not change from sport to sport. With the repetitions required in some sports, improper landing is a serious cause of lower back, hip, knee and ankle overuse injuries.</li> <li>They’re trying to do skills that they don’t have the strength to do. They can get an overuse injury when they keep trying over and over to do something that their body is not physically strong enough for yet.</li> <li>They’re doing a skill incorrectly. Just like improper movement, a skill done repetitively and incorrectly will cause an overuse injury.</li> </ol> My athlete has an overuse injury, SO NOW WHAT? Look at your athlete’s BASE, their Nutrition and Hydration, and their Rest and Recovery. Are they getting everything that we’ve talked about on the Roadmap to Success,” proteins, carbs, and fats with every single meal; and are they getting the recommended amount of sleep? Work on this for the next 2 weeks, and you will see a monster difference! Then, we can go up the pyramid and look into proper movement. Comment below to let me know what overuse injury your athlete is experiencing, and how you’re going to look at their BASE to try and get on top of this, and then come back in 2 weeks let me know how it’s working. I guarantee that if you commit to these two things, you will see improvements in your athlete’s health. I’m here to encourage you and walk alongside you, let’s get rid of these overuse injuries right now!

Why Is My Athlete Getting Overuse Injuries?

Have you ever had your athlete get in the car after practice and say, "Mom, I'm craving a hamburger!" I have! That just happened to me 2 days ago after a hard run. I was craving chocolate and it was almost all I could think about. These cravings are really important for our athletes because it's their brain telling them something their body needs. Maybe it's the muscles saying they need more of something, or maybe it's an essential mineral they're lacking. Young athletes are still very in tune with what their bodies need and it's important that we not ignore these cravings. Cravings can give us great insight into what our athletes need. Here's what is most important though... Just because your athlete is craving something, doesn't mean we need to end up in a drive through getting less than quality food. If they're craving a hamburger, make a delicious one at home with grass fed beef. If they're craving a taco, make them a chicken or fish taco at home. If they want chocolate, don't get a milkshake from the fast food place, get them a quality chocolate bar from the store. At home, you can also add great condiments like avocado, lettuce, tomato, onion, and all of your other favorites. #1 Takeaway Find out what your athlete is craving and feed it to them! If your athlete is craving something, or you're an athlete and you're craving something, then let us know in the comments below what it is! Let's try to figure out what your athlete is missing together! I have! That just happened to me 2 days ago after a hard run. I was craving chocolate and it was almost all I could think about. These cravings are really important for our athletes because it's their brain telling them something their body needs. Maybe it's the muscles saying they need more of something, or maybe it's an essential mineral they're lacking. Young athletes are still very in tune with what their bodies need and it's important that we not ignore these cravings. Cravings can give us great insight into what our athletes need. Here's what is most important though... Just because your athlete is craving something, doesn't mean we need to end up in a drive through getting less than quality food. If they're craving a hamburger, make a delicious one at home with grass fed beef. If they're craving a taco, make them a chicken or fish taco at home. If they want chocolate, don't get a milkshake from the fast food place, get them a quality chocolate bar from the store. At home, you can also add great condiments like avocado, lettuce, tomato, onion, and all of your other favorites. #1 Takeaway Find out what your athlete is craving and feed it to them! If your athlete is craving something, or you're an athlete and you're craving something, then let us know in the comments below what it is! Let's try to figure out what your athlete is missing together!

Have you ever had your athlete get in the car after practice and say, "Mom, I'm craving a hamburger!" I have! That just happened to me 2 days ago after a hard run. I was craving chocolate and it was almost all I could think about. These cravings are really important for our athletes because it's their brain telling them something their body needs. Maybe it's the muscles saying they need more of something, or maybe it's an essential mineral they're lacking. Young athletes are still very in tune with what their bodies need and it's important that we not ignore these cravings. Cravings can give us great insight into what our athletes need. Here's what is most important though... Just because your athlete is craving something, doesn't mean we need to end up in a drive through getting less than quality food. If they're craving a hamburger, make a delicious one at home with grass fed beef. If they're craving a taco, make them a chicken or fish taco at home. If they want chocolate, don't get a milkshake from the fast food place, get them a quality chocolate bar from the store. At home, you can also add great condiments like avocado, lettuce, tomato, onion, and all of your other favorites. #1 Takeaway Find out what your athlete is craving and feed it to them! If your athlete is craving something, or you're an athlete and you're craving something, then let us know in the comments below what it is! Let's try to figure out what your athlete is missing together! I have! That just happened to me 2 days ago after a hard run. I was craving chocolate and it was almost all I could think about. These cravings are really important for our athletes because it's their brain telling them something their body needs. Maybe it's the muscles saying they need more of something, or maybe it's an essential mineral they're lacking. Young athletes are still very in tune with what their bodies need and it's important that we not ignore these cravings. Cravings can give us great insight into what our athletes need. Here's what is most important though... Just because your athlete is craving something, doesn't mean we need to end up in a drive through getting less than quality food. If they're craving a hamburger, make a delicious one at home with grass fed beef. If they're craving a taco, make them a chicken or fish taco at home. If they want chocolate, don't get a milkshake from the fast food place, get them a quality chocolate bar from the store. At home, you can also add great condiments like avocado, lettuce, tomato, onion, and all of your other favorites. #1 Takeaway Find out what your athlete is craving and feed it to them! If your athlete is craving something, or you're an athlete and you're craving something, then let us know in the comments below what it is! Let's try to figure out what your athlete is missing together!

What Do Your Athlete's Cravings Really Mean?

Have you ever been told that back pain is normal? That everyone has it, and it’s just something you have to learn to deal with? Well, it’s NOT TRUE! Back pain is not normal, and just because it may be common, does not mean you should listen to the crowd that told you it is. It could be an indicator of a very serious injury that should not be ignored! If your athlete is having any of the following symptoms, IT’S TIME TO BE SEEN!  1. Pain that lasts more than 2 weeks--check in with your primary care, but don’t stop there...it’s important that you find someone that understands sports. Your athlete needs to be seen by a professional that specializes in their specific sport. 2. Any change/control of bowel or bladder--urinating on self (accidents), can’t control #2 (defecation), leaking when they didn’t before, urgency to go to the bathroom, abdominal pain along with the back pain…go to the doctor IMMEDIATELY! There may be issues with the nervous system that are causing these symptoms, it is URGENT to be seen right away. DON’T WAIT! 3. Shooting pain into lower extremity--pain that shoots into the glute, down the leg, into the calf, into the foot, numbness, and tingling of the feet, numbness and tingling anywhere down in the lower extremity, a feeling of heaviness, can’t control walk (dragging leg), GET SEEN IMMEDIATELY. 4. It doesn’t feel right to you or your athlete--just feels different, not the normal soreness that they usually mention, ‘feels weird,” go to the doctor!  All of these are serious issues that need to be checked out right away! Don’t wait and risk fracture and future surgery because you didn’t think it was a big deal…figure out what’s going on now. It’s super important that you don’t ignore the pain that is not getting better. Soreness from a tough workout is normal and will go away, pain is NOT NORMAL. Don’t let your athlete just “suck it up” or ”push through the pain,” find out what is causing the issue, and get it taken care of. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments section below…I’d also love to hear your story! Has your athlete been suffering from back pain? Did you wait more than 2 weeks to be seen? What happened? Did it get better, worse? Have they already had a fracture? Did they need surgery? Tell me about it in the comments below…I’d love to help you navigate this journey back to optimal health! Quote Cards To Share With Your Friends

Have you ever been told that back pain is normal? That everyone has it, and it’s just something you have to learn to deal with? Well, it’s NOT TRUE! Back pain is not normal, and just because it may be common, does not mean you should listen to the crowd that told you it is. It could be an indicator of a very serious injury that should not be ignored! If your athlete is having any of the following symptoms, IT’S TIME TO BE SEEN! <ol> <li>1. Pain that lasts more than 2 weeks--check in with your primary care, but don’t stop there...it’s important that you find someone that understands sports. Your athlete needs to be seen by a professional that specializes in their specific sport.</li> <li>2. Any change/control of bowel or bladder--urinating on self (accidents), can’t control #2 (defecation), leaking when they didn’t before, urgency to go to the bathroom, abdominal pain along with the back pain…go to the doctor IMMEDIATELY! There may be issues with the nervous system that are causing these symptoms, it is URGENT to be seen right away. DON’T WAIT!</li> <li>3. Shooting pain into lower extremity--pain that shoots into the glute, down the leg, into the calf, into the foot, numbness, and tingling of the feet, numbness and tingling anywhere down in the lower extremity, a feeling of heaviness, can’t control walk (dragging leg), GET SEEN IMMEDIATELY.</li> <li>4. It doesn’t feel right to you or your athlete--just feels different, not the normal soreness that they usually mention, ‘feels weird,” go to the doctor!</li> </ol> All of these are serious issues that need to be checked out right away! Don’t wait and risk fracture and future surgery because you didn’t think it was a big deal…figure out what’s going on now. It’s super important that you don’t ignore the pain that is not getting better. Soreness from a tough workout is normal and will go away, pain is NOT NORMAL. Don’t let your athlete just “suck it up” or ”push through the pain,” find out what is causing the issue, and get it taken care of. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments section below…I’d also love to hear your story! Has your athlete been suffering from back pain? Did you wait more than 2 weeks to be seen? What happened? Did it get better, worse? Have they already had a fracture? Did they need surgery? Tell me about it in the comments below…I’d love to help you navigate this journey back to optimal health! Quote Cards To Share With Your Friends

When Should Your Athlete Be Seen For Back Pain?

Why Is Recovery So Important? When we don’t get recovery right, our athletes have a big decrease in energy. I see it in the gym and get emails all the time about overuse injuries (heel pain, knee pain, wrist pain, elbow pain, lower back pain, etc.) which are all due to not recovering properly. When we see recovery become a priority, all sorts of great things that happen! 1. Cells are able to store energy, which will give them lots of energy for the next practice 2. Their body will have the ability to adapt to training and go even above where they were at the start of training 3. Less anxiety, more mentally strong when they are getting fully recovered between practices The biggest part of recovery (and the base of the Athletic Pyramid) is Nutrition and Hydration, eating the right foods at the right times, and hydrating.  The next step up on the pyramid and The BIGGEST Takeaway from this video: SLEEP If under the age of 12, they NEED 10-12 hours of sleep EACH NIGHT If over the age of 12, they NEED 8-10 hours of sleep EACH NIGHT CHALLENGE: I challenge you to make sleep priority and put it into practice. You may have to rearrange your schedule, but it is possible…It may be hard, but it’s worth it!!! I guarantee you will see less injury and anxiety, and more energy, recovery and even super-compensation!  For the next 2 weeks, try it out, leave a comment or send a message and let me know so I can cheer you on and encourage you in this super IMPORTANT component of recovery…YOU GOT THIS!

Why Is Recovery So Important? When we don’t get recovery right, our athletes have a big decrease in energy. I see it in the gym and get emails all the time about overuse injuries (heel pain, knee pain, wrist pain, elbow pain, lower back pain, etc.) which are all due to not recovering properly. When we see recovery become a priority, all sorts of great things that happen! 1. Cells are able to store energy, which will give them lots of energy for the next practice 2. Their body will have the ability to adapt to training and go even above where they were at the start of training 3. Less anxiety, more mentally strong when they are getting fully recovered between practices The biggest part of recovery (and the base of the Athletic Pyramid) is Nutrition and Hydration, eating the right foods at the right times, and hydrating.  The next step up on the pyramid and The BIGGEST Takeaway from this video: SLEEP If under the age of 12, they NEED 10-12 hours of sleep EACH NIGHT If over the age of 12, they NEED 8-10 hours of sleep EACH NIGHT CHALLENGE: I challenge you to make sleep priority and put it into practice. You may have to rearrange your schedule, but it is possible…It may be hard, but it’s worth it!!! I guarantee you will see less injury and anxiety, and more energy, recovery and even super-compensation!  For the next 2 weeks, try it out, leave a comment or send a message and let me know so I can cheer you on and encourage you in this super IMPORTANT component of recovery…YOU GOT THIS!

Why Is Recovery So Important For Your Athlete?

The Gymnast Care Podcast brings you cutting edge sports performance strategies to help you and your athlete succeed through sport and life.

Get mp3, summary, and quotes from this episode: http://gymnastcare.com/3-easy-ways-to-make-sure-our-smaller-athletes-get-enough-food-throughout-the-day This video came up from our Nutrition = Performance Seminar when a young athlete went to her coach after the seminar and asked, "Coach, how do I eat this much food?!?" That's a great question and one that I never thought of for a young athlete. We definitely don't want your athlete getting overwhelmed and we want to give you as parents great strategies to help your athletes eat the best food. So how do we get great food into our athlete's diet? We've identified 3 points and here they are: 1. Encourage your athlete 2. Use high-density foods like superfoods 3. Be creative We also want to make sure we add all of these ideas into our Road Map to Success. The Road Map makes sure we eat throughout the day, and when you implement the Road Map, the rest of this will be easy! 1. Encourage Your Athlete, Never Force If you're just starting this whole road to amazing nutrition, your athlete might not yet be convinced that this is the best way forward for them, so it's always best to encourage and never force. It's going to take time to get their buy-in towards better eating. Remember my number one rule when it comes to eating new food: You don't have to eat the whole thing, but you have to take one bite, chew, and swallow. It takes time, but as your athlete starts growing, they might surprise you with the new foods they are willing to try! 2. Use High-Density Foods Like Superfoods We have amazing foods available to us that have a higher density of nutrients than their non-superfood cousins. For example, we can use brown rice vs. white rice. Brown rice is a superfood and it is packed full of great micronutrients, macronutrients, and calories. So if dinner calls for rice, potatoes, or other food, see if you can replace it with a superfood. 3. Be Creative With Your Daily Plan One of the easiest ways to get great nutrition is through smoothies or yogi drinks. It's a simple way to get in great ingredients like leafy greens, veggies and fruit. Also try peanut butter, chia seeds, and Greek yogurt, all of which are superfoods. Another fun way to get chia seeds into your athletes diet is in cold herbal tea. Â When you stir chia seeds into liquid and let them sit a while, they get a sort of gel like coating that makes them fun to drink! Chia seeds are a great way to get protein and omega 3 fatty acids. Wrapping It Up There are some very simple ways to get that extra food into your young athlete and it doesn't have to be forced. Make sure you stick to the Road Map to Success and add in superfoods and be creative with adding in new ingredients! Make it fun! Thanks for joining us and we'll see you next time, right here at gymnastcare.com

Get mp3, summary, and quotes from this episode: <a href="http://gymnastcare.com/3-easy-ways-to-make-sure-our-smaller-athletes-get-enough-food-throughout-the-day" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://gymnastcare.com/3-easy-ways-to-make-sure-our-smaller-athletes-get-enough-food-throughout-the-day</a> This video came up from our Nutrition = Performance Seminar when a young athlete went to her coach after the seminar and asked, "Coach, how do I eat this much food?!?" That's a great question and one that I never thought of for a young athlete. We definitely don't want your athlete getting overwhelmed and we want to give you as parents great strategies to help your athletes eat the best food. So how do we get great food into our athlete's diet? We've identified 3 points and here they are: 1. Encourage your athlete 2. Use high-density foods like superfoods 3. Be creative We also want to make sure we add all of these ideas into our Road Map to Success. The Road Map makes sure we eat throughout the day, and when you implement the Road Map, the rest of this will be easy! 1. Encourage Your Athlete, Never Force If you're just starting this whole road to amazing nutrition, your athlete might not yet be convinced that this is the best way forward for them, so it's always best to encourage and never force. It's going to take time to get their buy-in towards better eating. Remember my number one rule when it comes to eating new food: You don't have to eat the whole thing, but you have to take one bite, chew, and swallow. It takes time, but as your athlete starts growing, they might surprise you with the new foods they are willing to try! 2. Use High-Density Foods Like Superfoods We have amazing foods available to us that have a higher density of nutrients than their non-superfood cousins. For example, we can use brown rice vs. white rice. Brown rice is a superfood and it is packed full of great micronutrients, macronutrients, and calories. So if dinner calls for rice, potatoes, or other food, see if you can replace it with a superfood. 3. Be Creative With Your Daily Plan One of the easiest ways to get great nutrition is through smoothies or yogi drinks. It's a simple way to get in great ingredients like leafy greens, veggies and fruit. Also try peanut butter, chia seeds, and Greek yogurt, all of which are superfoods. Another fun way to get chia seeds into your athletes diet is in cold herbal tea. Â When you stir chia seeds into liquid and let them sit a while, they get a sort of gel like coating that makes them fun to drink! Chia seeds are a great way to get protein and omega 3 fatty acids. Wrapping It Up There are some very simple ways to get that extra food into your young athlete and it doesn't have to be forced. Make sure you stick to the Road Map to Success and add in superfoods and be creative with adding in new ingredients! Make it fun! Thanks for joining us and we'll see you next time, right here at <a href="http://gymnastcare.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">gymnastcare.com</a>

3 Super Simple Ways to Make Sure Your Smaller Athletes Get Enough Food To Fuel Their Sport

What a big question, and there is so much noise about protein out there. So how much protein does my young athlete need? Here's the breakdown:  It's less than you think (0.8-1.2 g/kg of bodyweight) 10-30% of total dietary intake You can find protein in animal products, but even better protein is found in plant based food  As parents, we're bombarded with messages about how much protein athletes need to build muscle, perform at a high level, and if you take in 2 tons per day, your athlete will be a super hero! Here's the deal...it doesn't work that way. Protein, out of all the macronutrients of Protein, Carbs, and Fats, is the smallest amount we need by percentage. Really? You bet! So let's get into some of the specifics of protein for your young athlete. 1. It's Less Than You Think! Our athletes don't need a ton of protein and in fact here's the exact range: 0.8-1.2 g/kg of bodyweight Now you might be thinking, Dr. Josh, I do not calculate my athletes weight in kilograms, and to that I would say, me neither! Here's the take away from the range above: It's not very much! For an 80lb athlete which would be a typical 10-12 year old, they would only need a 4 oz chicken breast and 1 cup of yogurt to reach the total protein requirements for the day! If you're eating from the Road Map to Success like we talk about here at Gymnast Care, you're already there! You're getting all of your food in the proper proportion and that's what we want. 2. 10-30% of Total Dietary Intake Here is the percentage range for all of the macronutrients your athlete needs:  Carbohydrates: 55-65% Fats: 25-35% Protein: 10-30%  It's fun to tell parents this because they always get an "Oh man, I've been scammed for so long" look on their face! Let's look at a sport like gymnastics that uses carbohydrates as it's main fuel in the gym. We definitely don't want to overdo it with the protein. A good plan for a gymnast would be 65% carbohydrates, 25% fats, and 10% protein. This will give them the energy to both succeed in the gym, and give them the energy they need to heal and recover after a hard practice. 3. The Best Protein Sources There's two big sources of protein that we can eat: Animal and Plant. Animal proteins would consist of the following:  Lamb Beef Pork Chicken Fish Eggs  Eating animal proteins in moderation is a very good idea. They are a good source of protein, but there are better sources of protein that we can find in plants. Some great sources of plant protein for young athletes would include:  Lentils Peanuts and other tree nuts Chia seeds (which also have great Omega 3's) Chick peas Quinoa Edamame   There are many more plant sources as well, it would take a book to list them all. You don't have to be vegetarian, but adding some of these into your diet will really boost your athletes performance and recovery. Wrapping It Up The best part about eating from the Road Map to Success, and eating great quality food, is food found in nature is already optimized for your young athlete's performance! Make sure your athlete eats great, natural food at the right time, trains hard, but with the rest they need to recover, and you will see your athlete do some amazing things!

What a big question, and there is so much noise about protein out there. So how much protein does my young athlete need? Here's the breakdown: <ol> <li>It's less than you think (0.8-1.2 g/kg of bodyweight)</li> <li>10-30% of total dietary intake</li> <li>You can find protein in animal products, but even better protein is found in plant based food</li> </ol> As parents, we're bombarded with messages about how much protein athletes need to build muscle, perform at a high level, and if you take in 2 tons per day, your athlete will be a super hero! Here's the deal...it doesn't work that way. Protein, out of all the macronutrients of Protein, Carbs, and Fats, is the smallest amount we need by percentage. Really? You bet! So let's get into some of the specifics of protein for your young athlete. 1. It's Less Than You Think! Our athletes don't need a ton of protein and in fact here's the exact range: 0.8-1.2 g/kg of bodyweight Now you might be thinking, Dr. Josh, I do not calculate my athletes weight in kilograms, and to that I would say, me neither! Here's the take away from the range above: It's not very much! For an 80lb athlete which would be a typical 10-12 year old, they would only need a 4 oz chicken breast and 1 cup of yogurt to reach the total protein requirements for the day! If you're eating from the Road Map to Success like we talk about here at Gymnast Care, you're already there! You're getting all of your food in the proper proportion and that's what we want. 2. 10-30% of Total Dietary Intake Here is the percentage range for all of the macronutrients your athlete needs: <ul> <li>Carbohydrates: 55-65%</li> <li>Fats: 25-35%</li> <li>Protein: 10-30%</li> </ul> It's fun to tell parents this because they always get an "Oh man, I've been scammed for so long" look on their face! Let's look at a sport like gymnastics that uses carbohydrates as it's main fuel in the gym. We definitely don't want to overdo it with the protein. A good plan for a gymnast would be 65% carbohydrates, 25% fats, and 10% protein. This will give them the energy to both succeed in the gym, and give them the energy they need to heal and recover after a hard practice. 3. The Best Protein Sources There's two big sources of protein that we can eat: Animal and Plant. Animal proteins would consist of the following: <ul> <li>Lamb</li> <li>Beef</li> <li>Pork</li> <li>Chicken</li> <li>Fish</li> <li>Eggs</li> </ul> Eating animal proteins in moderation is a very good idea. They are a good source of protein, but there are better sources of protein that we can find in plants. Some great sources of plant protein for young athletes would include: <ul> <li>Lentils</li> <li>Peanuts and other tree nuts</li> <li>Chia seeds (which also have great Omega 3's)</li> <li>Chick peas</li> <li>Quinoa</li> <li>Edamame </li> </ul> There are many more plant sources as well, it would take a book to list them all. You don't have to be vegetarian, but adding some of these into your diet will really boost your athletes performance and recovery. Wrapping It Up The best part about eating from the Road Map to Success, and eating great quality food, is food found in nature is already optimized for your young athlete's performance! Make sure your athlete eats great, natural food at the right time, trains hard, but with the rest they need to recover, and you will see your athlete do some amazing things!

How Much Protein Does My Young Athlete Need?

In our gyms and sports organizations, we all want to see our athletes perform at the highest levels they can. Athletes train hard. Coaches dedicate their lives to their athletes. Parents pay copious amounts of money and time towards their child's dreams. But in gymnastics, we still have a 77% major injury rate for our athletes. How is this even possible? It's because we haven't developed athletes with a solid foundation. As a sport, gymnastics has put SKILLS as the most important part of the equation. So How Do We Change The Nutrition Culture In Our Gyms? 1. We have to recognize the importance of Nutrition &amp; Hydration which is the base of our athlete. We also have to combine this with rest and recovery to solidify the solid foundation. Nutrition, Hydration, Rest and Recovery form this amazing base that our athletes can then rely on when times get hard. As coaches and parents, you have to make the difficult decisions to make the base the most important part of your athletes training. Sometimes, this means cutting practice short to give your athlete enough time to sleep. Gyms, you might have to make practice 3 1/2 hours instead of 4 hours to make sure your athletes are recovering, resting, and getting time to eat a delicious dinner. Athletes need 8-10 hours of sleep if they are over 12 years old, and 10-12 hours if they're under 12...and this needs to be a priority. These are not easy decisions, but they are the right ones. The added bonus is more efficient coaching and a decreased injury rate. 2. Use science in your gym to increase performance. We know that athletes perform better when they're hydrated, but many gyms will not allow their athletes to have a water bottle with them at all times. This is silliness. Hydration is key and it's part of the base of your athlete. Maybe you need to have a drink station at each event with an absorbent pad for the athletes to drink on. If that's what it takes, then do it. Don't create a disfunction in your athlete because you're worried about spilling water. Your athlete is worth way more than your gym will ever be. The mid-workout snack is another critical component where you can use scientific research to your benefit. In gymnastics, the skills are completed as anaerobic activity. Because of this, carbohydrates are the major fuel used in the sport, and the athlete has to eat carbohydrates to get the fuel into the muscles. Utilizing a mid-workout snack, where your athlete eats FRUIT, is a great way to get a refill on energy for your athlete. The carbohydates found in fruit are quickly digestible and will give them that extra push to finish practice strong.Â  You don't need a dedicated snack time, it can be as simple as having grapes available for your athlete to put in their mouth in-between events, this would be an amazing energy boost for your athlete. 3. Be The Example Your athletes need someone to look up to when it comes to nutrition, but so many times, your athletes see their coaches eating fast food right in front of them. They also see a snack bar where the gym sells soda, candy, chips, and junk just to make some extra money. How do you want your athlete to make good decisions when you're not willing to make them yourself? Coaches, owners, and parents, it's time to step up your game. Be the example that your gymnast and athletes need so they can be excellent. Wrapping It Up Changing the nutrition culture isn't easy, but you can start today. What does it take to change your nutrition culture? It takes YOU making the decision to make your athlete's health the number one priority in your gym. When you make your athlete's foundation the priority, skills will follow. Athletes will not be struggling with injury and your gym will be the leader in performance. You can do this, and we're here to help!

In our gyms and sports organizations, we all want to see our athletes perform at the highest levels they can. Athletes train hard. Coaches dedicate their lives to their athletes. Parents pay copious amounts of money and time towards their child's dreams. But in gymnastics, we still have a 77% major injury rate for our athletes. How is this even possible? It's because we haven't developed athletes with a solid foundation. As a sport, gymnastics has put SKILLS as the most important part of the equation. So How Do We Change The Nutrition Culture In Our Gyms? 1. We have to recognize the importance of Nutrition &amp; Hydration which is the base of our athlete. We also have to combine this with rest and recovery to solidify the solid foundation. Nutrition, Hydration, Rest and Recovery form this amazing base that our athletes can then rely on when times get hard. As coaches and parents, you have to make the difficult decisions to make the base the most important part of your athletes training. Sometimes, this means cutting practice short to give your athlete enough time to sleep. Gyms, you might have to make practice 3 1/2 hours instead of 4 hours to make sure your athletes are recovering, resting, and getting time to eat a delicious dinner. Athletes need 8-10 hours of sleep if they are over 12 years old, and 10-12 hours if they're under 12...and this needs to be a priority. These are not easy decisions, but they are the right ones. The added bonus is more efficient coaching and a decreased injury rate. 2. Use science in your gym to increase performance. We know that athletes perform better when they're hydrated, but many gyms will not allow their athletes to have a water bottle with them at all times. This is silliness. Hydration is key and it's part of the base of your athlete. Maybe you need to have a drink station at each event with an absorbent pad for the athletes to drink on. If that's what it takes, then do it. Don't create a disfunction in your athlete because you're worried about spilling water. Your athlete is worth way more than your gym will ever be. The mid-workout snack is another critical component where you can use scientific research to your benefit. In gymnastics, the skills are completed as anaerobic activity. Because of this, carbohydrates are the major fuel used in the sport, and the athlete has to eat carbohydrates to get the fuel into the muscles. Utilizing a mid-workout snack, where your athlete eats FRUIT, is a great way to get a refill on energy for your athlete. The carbohydates found in fruit are quickly digestible and will give them that extra push to finish practice strong.Â  You don't need a dedicated snack time, it can be as simple as having grapes available for your athlete to put in their mouth in-between events, this would be an amazing energy boost for your athlete. 3. Be The Example Your athletes need someone to look up to when it comes to nutrition, but so many times, your athletes see their coaches eating fast food right in front of them. They also see a snack bar where the gym sells soda, candy, chips, and junk just to make some extra money. How do you want your athlete to make good decisions when you're not willing to make them yourself? Coaches, owners, and parents, it's time to step up your game. Be the example that your gymnast and athletes need so they can be excellent. Wrapping It Up Changing the nutrition culture isn't easy, but you can start today. What does it take to change your nutrition culture? It takes YOU making the decision to make your athlete's health the number one priority in your gym. When you make your athlete's foundation the priority, skills will follow. Athletes will not be struggling with injury and your gym will be the leader in performance. You can do this, and we're here to help!

3 BIG Steps To Change The Nutrition Culture In Your Gym

Because She's Worth It, Audio Version

Dave Tilley

Find Dr. Dave Tilley's New Book By Clicking Here. Welcome to The Gymnast Care Podcast Episode 35 with Dr. Dave Tilley as we discuss his new book and improving gymnastics performance. Here are some great tidbits from his book:    "Utilizing more parts of the body to spread out load theoretically helps to take excessive strain o of any one point. It also does not place all of the workload for creating and absorbing force on the lower back musculature. Utilizing more of the entire kinetic chain compared to relying on certain areas to do all the work is our goal. It’s a simple distinction – exaggerating the lower back extension vs. a “spread out” extension – but this same concept also leads to a very important point related to optimizing performance and power."    In today's episode, we discuss Dr. Dave Tilley's new book on increasing gymnastics performance. He gives us a ton of great information on this topic as well as protecting your gymnast from future injuries.

<a href="http://www.shiftmovementscience.com/shift-education/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Find Dr. Dave Tilley's New Book By Clicking Here.</a> Welcome to The Gymnast Care Podcast Episode 35 with Dr. Dave Tilley as we discuss his new book and improving gymnastics performance. Here are some great tidbits from his book: "Utilizing more parts of the body to spread out load theoretically helps to take excessive strain o of any one point. It also does not place all of the workload for creating and absorbing force on the lower back musculature. Utilizing more of the entire kinetic chain compared to relying on certain areas to do all the work is our goal. It’s a simple distinction – exaggerating the lower back extension vs. a “spread out” extension – but this same concept also leads to a very important point related to optimizing performance and power." In today's episode, we discuss Dr. Dave Tilley's new book on increasing gymnastics performance. He gives us a ton of great information on this topic as well as protecting your gymnast from future injuries.

Dr. Dave Tilley and His New Book on Gymnastics Performance

Marjorie Eastman

Welcome back to the Gymnast Care Podcast! Today we sit down with Marjorie K. Eastman, author of the book, The Frontline Generation. Why in the world would you have Marjorie on your podcast...you might say. Well, Marjorie just happened to be my boss while I was deployed to Afghanistan, and we were able to do a very special mission together that made a very big impact on both of our lives. This is a very special podcast that gets into some deep personal subjects for both Marjorie and Dr. Josh. Marjorie's book is a compilation of stories that she put together as a gift for her son when he grows up. Her son was diagnosed with cancer in the first year of his life and while she sat by him in the hospital, she wrote the stories of those that served with her during her time in the military so that one day, when her son was able, he would be able to read about those people she found that impacted her life in some way. She wrote about those that served, even though they did not have to. I hope you get to take the time to listen to this amazing podcast with my great friend, to not only see a different side of me, but to also learn about service to those around us. You can find The Frontline Generation: How We Served Post 9/11 by clicking here. Find out more about Marjorie here: thefrontlinegeneration.com Thanks again for joining us and we'll see you soon!

Welcome back to the Gymnast Care Podcast! Today we sit down with Marjorie K. Eastman, author of the book, <a href="http://amzn.to/2dQAZbJ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Frontline Generation.</a> Why in the world would you have Marjorie on your podcast...you might say. Well, Marjorie just happened to be my boss while I was deployed to Afghanistan, and we were able to do a very special mission together that made a very big impact on both of our lives. This is a very special podcast that gets into some deep personal subjects for both Marjorie and Dr. Josh. Marjorie's book is a compilation of stories that she put together as a gift for her son when he grows up. Her son was diagnosed with cancer in the first year of his life and while she sat by him in the hospital, she wrote the stories of those that served with her during her time in the military so that one day, when her son was able, he would be able to read about those people she found that impacted her life in some way. She wrote about those that served, even though they did not have to. I hope you get to take the time to listen to this amazing podcast with my great friend, to not only see a different side of me, but to also learn about service to those around us. <a href="http://amzn.to/2dnLQ9Q" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">You can find The Frontline Generation: How We Served Post 9/11 by clicking here.</a> Find out more about Marjorie here: <a href="http://thefrontlinegeneration.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">thefrontlinegeneration.com</a> Thanks again for joining us and we'll see you soon!

The Frontline Generation with Marjorie Eastman

Bill Sands

If you have a big ego and get your feelings hurt quickly, then this podcast is probably not for you! There's no swearing or dumb stuff, just hardcore and to the point information that will make you a better parent, coach, and gymnast. As always, Dr. Sands does not disappoint when he comes on the Gymnast Care Podcast. He takes gymnastics to the next level for our audience every time he joins us. Some of the science below sounds boring, but Dr. Sands gives us the straight scoop in his manner and it will rock your world! So What's Inside? In Episode 33, Dr. Sands discusses his new theories on recovery and adaption. We all know that recovery is our body's ability to return to pre-participation levels following practice or competition, but what is adaptation. Adaptation is the body's response to training that allows someone to improve in their body's ability to move through their sport. Adaptation increases strength, quickness, recovery ability, cardiovascular ability, neurological response, and so much more. Recovery-Adaptation Cycle Here is the progression of adaptation that Dr. Sands discusses in his new research paper on recovery. It's a 3 stage confluence of the body's reaction to training. 1. Predisposing Phase  Sets the stage for the athlete's career It's the background of training The baseline of conditioning and flexibility Should create a healthy athlete Training is closely monitored Baseline mental ability  2. Enabling Stage  It begins with the applications of modalities like compression, ice, sauna, etc. Recovering from individual practices Strong mental training  3. Reinforcing Stage  This is where true adaptation accelerates  One of the most fascinating parts of this model of recovery/adaptation is that we're always moving in and out of stages. On Training The Gymnast It's not the fatigue [of the athlete], it's the resistance you work with that makes an athlete stronger. And that's the amazing part of Dr. Sands' interviews. He knows what the irresponsible actions that occur in gyms are, and he lets us know, based on research, what we can do better. Dr. Sands is a strong believer that athletes should be doing exercises and training that directly relate to the sport and nothing more. Gymnasts live in a very anaerobic type state and as such should not be doing long-distance running and other activities that are more likely to injure a gymnast rather than improve their gymnastics ability. And here is my favorite quote from the interview: Gymnasts are practicing TOO HARD, TOO LONG, and AT THE WRONG TIME.  Classic Dr. Sands.

If you have a big ego and get your feelings hurt quickly, then this podcast is probably not for you! There's no swearing or dumb stuff, just hardcore and to the point information that will make you a better parent, coach, and gymnast. As always, Dr. Sands does not disappoint when he comes on the Gymnast Care Podcast. He takes gymnastics to the next level for our audience every time he joins us. Some of the science below sounds boring, but Dr. Sands gives us the straight scoop in his manner and it will rock your world! So What's Inside? In Episode 33, Dr. Sands discusses his new theories on recovery and adaption. We all know that recovery is our body's ability to return to pre-participation levels following practice or competition, but what is adaptation. Adaptation is the body's response to training that allows someone to improve in their body's ability to move through their sport. Adaptation increases strength, quickness, recovery ability, cardiovascular ability, neurological response, and so much more. Recovery-Adaptation Cycle Here is the progression of adaptation that Dr. Sands discusses in his new research paper on recovery. It's a 3 stage confluence of the body's reaction to training. 1. Predisposing Phase <ul> <li>Sets the stage for the athlete's career</li> <li>It's the background of training</li> <li>The baseline of conditioning and flexibility</li> <li>Should create a healthy athlete</li> <li>Training is closely monitored</li> <li>Baseline mental ability</li> </ul> 2. Enabling Stage <ul> <li>It begins with the applications of modalities like compression, ice, sauna, etc.</li> <li>Recovering from individual practices</li> <li>Strong mental training</li> </ul> 3. Reinforcing Stage <ul> <li>This is where true adaptation accelerates</li> </ul> One of the most fascinating parts of this model of recovery/adaptation is that we're always moving in and out of stages. On Training The Gymnast It's not the fatigue [of the athlete], it's the resistance you work with that makes an athlete stronger. And that's the amazing part of Dr. Sands' interviews. He knows what the irresponsible actions that occur in gyms are, and he lets us know, based on research, what we can do better. Dr. Sands is a strong believer that athletes should be doing exercises and training that directly relate to the sport and nothing more. Gymnasts live in a very anaerobic type state and as such should not be doing long-distance running and other activities that are more likely to injure a gymnast rather than improve their gymnastics ability. And here is my favorite quote from the interview: Gymnasts are practicing TOO HARD, TOO LONG, and AT THE WRONG TIME.  Classic Dr. Sands.

Recovery, Adaptation and The Right Work in the Gym with Dr. Bill Sands

Many of you remember Dr. Courtney Carignan from Episode 22 of the podcast She had published a paper showing the lasting effects of flame retardants in foam in gymnasts. In July, she published a follow-up study to the initial study that confirmed the harmful chemicals in the blood of gymnasts, and she showed that 89% of the gym's foam still contain dangerous chemicals! 89% of the gym's foam still contains dangerous chemicals! So What Do We Do About This? So then the question comes up, what do we do about this? Dr. Carignan suggests 3 points to protect your gymnasts:  Gymnasts should WASH their hands before they eat Take a SHOWER when you get home from the gym REPLACE the pit foam in your gym with pit foam that does not contain dangerous flame retardants 

Many of you remember Dr. Courtney Carignan from Episode 22 of the podcast She had published a paper showing the lasting effects of flame retardants in foam in gymnasts. In July, she published a follow-up study to the initial study that confirmed the harmful chemicals in the blood of gymnasts, and she showed that 89% of the gym's foam still contain dangerous chemicals! 89% of the gym's foam still contains dangerous chemicals! So What Do We Do About This? So then the question comes up, what do we do about this? Dr. Carignan suggests 3 points to protect your gymnasts: <ol> <li>Gymnasts should WASH their hands before they eat</li> <li>Take a SHOWER when you get home from the gym</li> <li>REPLACE the pit foam in your gym with pit foam that does not contain dangerous flame retardants</li> </ol>

Flame Retardants in Pit Foam Are DANGEROUS

Welcome to a very special Gymnast Care Podcast! This is for you, the gymnast. We made this special podcast with Dr. Stephanie Fournier to help you understand what is happening in your body when you tumble. Some times, when you tumble you leak, and it's fairly common in gymnastics for this to happen. There are many strategies that gymnasts do to try to prevent this like going to the bathroom right before tumbling, holding it in as best as possible, and not drinking water. Get The Right Advice We want to make sure you getting the right advice and that's where Stephanie comes in. She's an expert and she's worked with gymnasts just like you to help you protect your body and find strategies so you don't leak when you tumble. She also has some great advice so you can talk to your coaches, your parents and your providers about this subject and not be embarrassed. I personally want you to feel confident in your body. You only get one body, and we want you to have an amazing relationship with it as you grow. So What's Common in Gymnastics? It’s pretty common in Gymnastics and Sports to have leakage when you do strenuous activities, but even though it is common, it’s not always the best for you. We want our athletes to be as healthy as possible, not just now but for the rest of your lives! So check out this list to see if any of these things happen to you:  Leakage (a little pee) with cough, sneeze, laugh, and/or tumbling Having to go pee a lot during the day…more than once every 2-3 hours Waking up more than once during the night to go pee Feeling as if you can’t fully empty the bladder…still feel like you need to pee but can’t Involuntary leakage of gas When you sit down to pee, it takes a while to start going (we call this urinary hesitancy) Needing to strain or push to go pee (or start the stream) Chronic constipation Wanting or needing to go pee during physical activity You’ve stopped drinking water so you don’t have to go pee (to reduce leakage)  So what are some of the things that cause this issue? Leakage during gymnastics or sports is also causing you to not perform at your best. Here are some of the reasons why you might have leakage:  Weak core Weak gluteus muscles Poor landing/squat position (i.e. knee valgus)    These are the easy things that we can work on and we have lots of videos at Gymnast Care to help you. Sometimes, though, it can be a more serious issue and seeing a women’s health professional will help you figure out exactly what’s going on. It’s OK to be nervous about talking to someone about this…it’s an uncomfortable issue, but professionals like Stephanie are amazing and they can really help you become an even better athlete! And remember, this happens to a lot of athletes, not just gymnasts. You got this! So ask your parents if you can make an appointment with a women’s health expert so you can get back to being the best you can be, all while you protect your body!

Welcome to a very special Gymnast Care Podcast! This is for you, the gymnast. We made this special podcast with Dr. Stephanie Fournier to help you understand what is happening in your body when you tumble. Some times, when you tumble you leak, and it's fairly common in gymnastics for this to happen. There are many strategies that gymnasts do to try to prevent this like going to the bathroom right before tumbling, holding it in as best as possible, and not drinking water. Get The Right Advice We want to make sure you getting the right advice and that's where Stephanie comes in. She's an expert and she's worked with gymnasts just like you to help you protect your body and find strategies so you don't leak when you tumble. She also has some great advice so you can talk to your coaches, your parents and your providers about this subject and not be embarrassed. I personally want you to feel confident in your body. You only get one body, and we want you to have an amazing relationship with it as you grow. So What's Common in Gymnastics? It’s pretty common in Gymnastics and Sports to have leakage when you do strenuous activities, but even though it is common, it’s not always the best for you. We want our athletes to be as healthy as possible, not just now but for the rest of your lives! So check out this list to see if any of these things happen to you: <ul> <li>Leakage (a little pee) with cough, sneeze, laugh, and/or tumbling</li> <li>Having to go pee a lot during the day…more than once every 2-3 hours</li> <li>Waking up more than once during the night to go pee</li> <li>Feeling as if you can’t fully empty the bladder…still feel like you need to pee but can’t</li> <li>Involuntary leakage of gas</li> <li>When you sit down to pee, it takes a while to start going (we call this urinary hesitancy)</li> <li>Needing to strain or push to go pee (or start the stream)</li> <li>Chronic constipation</li> <li>Wanting or needing to go pee during physical activity</li> <li>You’ve stopped drinking water so you don’t have to go pee (to reduce leakage)</li> </ul> So what are some of the things that cause this issue? Leakage during gymnastics or sports is also causing you to not perform at your best. Here are some of the reasons why you might have leakage: <ul> <li>Weak core</li> <li>Weak gluteus muscles</li> <li>Poor landing/squat position (i.e. knee valgus)</li> </ul>   These are the easy things that we can work on and we have lots of videos at Gymnast Care to help you. Sometimes, though, it can be a more serious issue and seeing a women’s health professional will help you figure out exactly what’s going on. It’s OK to be nervous about talking to someone about this…it’s an uncomfortable issue, but professionals like Stephanie are amazing and they can really help you become an even better athlete! And remember, this happens to a lot of athletes, not just gymnasts. You got this! So ask your parents if you can make an appointment with a women’s health expert so you can get back to being the best you can be, all while you protect your body!

What if I Leak When I Tumble

When a gymnast leaks during tumbling, running, jumping, or playing, it can be a sign of dysfunction of the pelvic floor. Today, we sit down with Dr. Stephanie Fournier, a women's health expert, to discuss what the implications of leakage are. Many times, this starts when our gymnasts are young, but creates big problems later in life including pain during intercourse, weak core, back pain, emotional trauma, and relationship problems. This can also be a big problem for adult athletes as well. Stephanie even quotes one CrossFit coach as saying: If you're not leaking, you're not training hard enough.  This of course was said by a male coach who knows nothing about women's health or female anatomy. Stephanie gets into why this strategy can create some big problems when it comes to female athletes' health.

When a gymnast leaks during tumbling, running, jumping, or playing, it can be a sign of dysfunction of the pelvic floor. Today, we sit down with Dr. Stephanie Fournier, a women's health expert, to discuss what the implications of leakage are. Many times, this starts when our gymnasts are young, but creates big problems later in life including pain during intercourse, weak core, back pain, emotional trauma, and relationship problems. This can also be a big problem for adult athletes as well. Stephanie even quotes one CrossFit coach as saying: If you're not leaking, you're not training hard enough.  This of course was said by a male coach who knows nothing about women's health or female anatomy. Stephanie gets into why this strategy can create some big problems when it comes to female athletes' health.

Does Your Gymnast Leak When She Tumbles?

Actual information is informative and helpful. 
Although the three stars is a result of listening to several and static or feedback is in the audio. It’s distorted enough that it makes hearing the content more difficult and not enjoyable. *If it’s on my end some help would be appreciated and I can change review 👍🏼

Audio Issues

Great Podcast, thanks so much Dr. Josh and Dr. Sands! Awesome information every coach and parent should hear, especially coaches working with kids at the developmental level. Great tools for smart training!

Podcast with Dr. Sands

The Gymnast Care Podcast

Hello and welcome back to another Gymnast Care Podcast! We're coming to you live from GymCon USA 2015! Dr. Joshua Eldridge spoke to coaches on Helping Parents Understand Nutrition. Coaches have a difficult job because they specialize in teaching kids about the sport of gymnastics, but they also have to be invested in keeping them healthy. And we all know that nutrition is the key to this! So join us as we get into this presentation from Dr. Eldridge on Helping Parents Understand Nutrition. Follow along with our presentation slides on our site at https://gymnastcare.com/coaches-help-your-parents-understand-nutrition

Hello and welcome back to another Gymnast Care Podcast! We're coming to you live from GymCon USA 2015! Dr. Joshua Eldridge spoke to coaches on Helping Parents Understand Nutrition. Coaches have a difficult job because they specialize in teaching kids about the sport of gymnastics, but they also have to be invested in keeping them healthy. And we all know that nutrition is the key to this! So join us as we get into this presentation from Dr. Eldridge on Helping Parents Understand Nutrition. Follow along with our presentation slides on our site at <a href="https://gymnastcare.com/coaches-help-your-parents-understand-nutrition" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://gymnastcare.com/coaches-help-your-parents-understand-nutrition</a>

Coaches, Help Your Parents Understand Nutrition

Tori O'Keefe

This week's episode is Maile and her mom Tori talking about what it's like to raise an elite gymnast! After a 13 place all-around at the US Secret Classic 2015, She's set up perfect for the P&amp;G Championships, and a long career ahead!

This week's episode is Maile and her mom Tori talking about what it's like to raise an elite gymnast! After a 13 place all-around at the US Secret Classic 2015, She's set up perfect for the P&amp;G Championships, and a long career ahead!

What It's Like to Raise an Elite Gymnast with Maile and Tori O'Keefe

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