Episode 143: Does your doctor KNOW what condition your gymnast is really in when it comes to nutrition and injuries?
Does your doctor really know what condition your gymnast is in when evaluating their nutrition and injuries? Working with pediatric/adolescent athletes is VERY different than working with professional athletes or the general population adults.
Child and adolescent gymnasts train as much as professional athletes (20-30 hours/week) and yet their bodies, their physiology, their psyche is vastly different. They are not just “mini-adults” and shouldn’t be treated like one.
Something that really troubles me is the lack of awareness around underfueling, poor growth, and injuries. That a vast majority of doctors just don’t know or understand the true condition of a gymnast who is in the thick of injuries.
If I were a sports medicine doctor or orthopedic doctor/surgeon, the VERY first thing I’d want to know when a gymnast sets foot in my office is
1. Are they growing in a way that’s right for them
2. Are they getting ENOUGH nutrition to support normal growth/development and healing
3. Are they getting ENOUGH micronutrients to signal all the vitamins/minerals where they need to go in the body.
When I worked in Pediatric Endocrinology, the growth/hormone/metabolism specialists, one of the most important parts of the doctors workup was the dietitians nutrition valuation.
If they’d get a kid referred for poor growth on ADHD meds—first question, are they eating enough?
When they get a child with celiac who still isn’t growing well after going GF…are they getting enough?
When they have an infant not growing properly weight or length-wise…are they eating enough and ABLE to eat enough?
Listen in to today’s episode to learn more about:
- Understanding growth and nutrition needs
- Common injuries and nutrition’s role
- Systemic issues in gymnasts’ nutrition
Links & Resources
- The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts
- Episode 04: Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport and Gymnastics
- Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com
