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Episode 89: When we focus on weight vs performance for gymnasts

Episode 89: Why we focus on performance versus weight in gymnasts

Gymnastics Culture, Performance Nutrition, Podcast

March 11, 2024

When we focus on weight vs performance for gymnasts most will never quite reach their full potential. Sad, but something we see over and over in young elite gymnasts with all the potential in the world but who have to quit due to injury or burnout. 

When we concentrate on performance and take the focus off the scale, we can dial in properly fueling our gymnasts. And today I’m talking about the elephant in the room of why your gymnast might gain weight when working on nutrition. 

First and foremost I have to say your 15, 16, 17+ year old gymnast should not look like they did when they were 9, 10, 11. Most of the population that we work with are growing and developing pediatric and adolescent gymnasts. Who should be growing and gaining weight. Even gymnasts (male and female) who have gone through puberty should still be experiencing body composition and weight changes. 

We need to step away from the mindset that only certain body types or a certain weight can do gymnastics. Not only is this toxic and dangerous, it simply isn’t true. Skills today take a tremendous amount of muscle which is only attainable if your gymnast is properly fueling for the work required. And that muscle looks different on all body types.

There are a handful of reasons your gymnast might experience weight gain when they start to work on their nutrition. And that’s ok because the science is showing why we need to start focusing on performance vs weight for our gymnasts. Want to know why? Listen in to hear more. 

In this episode you’ll hear about: 

  • Reasons why a gymnast might gain weight while working on nutrition
  • Puberty, genetic factors, and body diversity in gymnastics
  • Why weight is not an indication of performance

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