Top 5 Nutrition Tips for Dancers

A dancer's diet is one of the most important to keep healthy and pirouetting through the day. To ensure your diet is helping you dance the best, we talked with our Central Florida Ballet Nutrition & Pilates Instructor, Lorraine Spack, on her Top 5 Nutrition Tips for a healthy dancer. Read below to discover the best food to eat to have energy during dance, without getting that too full feeling, and more of her expert tips!

1.     ALWAYS EAT BREAKFAST

Breakfast jump starts your metabolism and gives you energy for the day.  Even just a small breakfast of fruit and whole grain toast will energize you and keep you mentally focused throughout your morning activities.

2.     ALWAYS COMBINE A PROTEIN WITH A CARBOHYDRATE

              

Carbohydrates give you the energy needed to dance, while protein provides your body with the essential amino acids needed to build lean muscle.  They work as a team when eaten together by slowing the rate at which your blood sugar rises and falls. This will prevent you from becoming hungry to quickly and will help keep your energy level sustained for a longer period of time.

3.     EAT FREQUENT SMALL MEALS THROUGH OUT THE DAY OF “REAL FOOD”

This is the best way to maintain a consistent high energy level throughout the day, without getting that too full feeling while having to dance.  Avoid many snack foods that are  marketed as “healthy”.  They often contain much added sugar and fat. These do not provide the best nutrients for optimal performance energy and building lean muscle.  Real foods like vegetable sticks and hummus, fruit and yogurt, low fat cheese and brown rice, nuts, seeds and whole grain crackers are much better at fueling the body.

4.     ALWAYS EAT WITHIN 45 MINS. AFTER DANCE OR EXERCISE

Research shows that a window period of about 45 mins. exists after completion of exercise when the body is at its peak for absorption of nutrients. Getting food into the body during this time period allows for improving the recovery rate of muscles, replacing the stored energy in muscles, preventing muscle soreness and encouraging the growth of lean muscle tissue better.

5.     MAINTAIN ADEQUATE HYDRATION

Proper hydration will help fight off fatigue, muscle soreness and electrolyte imbalances. Do not wait to drink until you are thirsty—this is to late. A good rule of thumb is 1 ounce of water for every kilogram of body weight.(1 pound = 2.2 kilograms)

About Lorraine Spack: Fitness Professional

Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Registered Nurse CPR / First Aid / AED Certified

AFAA Certified Personal Trainer & Group Exercise Instructor Specialty Fitness Training & Certifications in Stott Pilates, Yoga, Spinning, Weight Training and Sports Nutrition

  

Lorraine currently teaches Pilates and Nutrition at the Central Florida Ballet Academy 

For more information on the Central Florida Ballet & Academy, please visit http://www.CentralFloridaBallet.com or call 407.849.9942. Fall classes have started! Call today and enroll now before classes fill up.