What Should a Gymnast Eat Before a Competition?

The food fuel you choose before a gymnastics competition will affect every tuck jump, walkover, and handstand. You can enhance your abilities or hinder your performance based on the foods you choose. Sufficient calories, hydration, and carbohydrates will give you the power you need to succeed.

So, what should a gymnast eat before a competition?

The night before a competition, a gymnast should eat pasta or rice with mixed vegetables and a serving of protein (like lean meat or tofu). The day of a competition, a gymnast should eat natural sugars and carbs like:

  • Toast
  • Dried fruit
  • 1/2 bagel
  • Cooked pasta
  • Rice cake
  • Cooked oatmeal
  • Banana
  • Applesauce
  • Apple or orange juice

Of course, don’t forget to sip on plenty of water or sports drinks to remain hydrated.

An ideal dinner the night prior to a meet should include carbohydrate-rich foods like pasta or rice. The carbs ensure that your muscles can store enough glycogen for peak performance. Include vegetables to get the vitamins and minerals you’ll need to recover, and of course, protein to heal up those microscopic tears that occur during the gymnastics meet.

Most gymnastic meets take place in the morning, so a light breakfast containing carbohydrates will give you energy. Continue to eat healthy carb and natural sugar-based snacks throughout the day to keep up your energy levels.

Let’s talk more about timing your meals and snacks before a gymnastics competition, foods you should avoid before gymnastics, and other nutritional ideas for the competitive gymnast.

How long should you eat before gymnastics?

When is the ideal time to eat before practicing or competing?

For an early morning gymnastics meet

If you have an early-morning gymnastics competition, stick to a light breakfast with carbs and natural sugar, like whole-grain cereal and an apple or banana. Half of a bagel, 1 cup of oatmeal, or 1 cup of applesauce are alternative options.

For a gymnastics competition later in the day

If your gymnastics meet is later in the day,and you’ll have 3-5 hours to digest your food, you should eat a big breakfast, complete with lean protein and plenty of carbs. If you have an afternoon or evening competition, eat a filling breakfast like peanut butter oatmeal paired with a fried egg and toast.  

3-4 hours before a gymnastics competition

3-4 hours before a competition,you should eat a filling meal, because it should be well-digested by the time you get to your meet. Potatoes, rice, or pasta can give you the carbs that you need, and a small portion of chicken, turkey, ham, or low-fat dairy would be appropriate choices. Green leaf vegetables will also balance your nutrients to maximize your abilities.

2-3 hours before a gymnastics competition

2-3 hours before a competition, you’ll be safe with a small meal. Overeating could cause bloating and discomfort, but undereating can cause weakness and low energy. Examples of small meals include a modest chicken and vegetable sandwich or two slices of whole wheat avocado toast.

1-2 hours before a gymnastics competition

1-2 hours before a competition, many gymnasts might consume a blended meal or protein shake, because liquids digest much faster than solids.

Within an hour of a gymnastics competition

Within an hour before a gymnastics competition,eat only light meals or snacks. Good energy-boosters include carrot sticks, dried bananas, berries, and whole grain rice cakes.

What foods should you avoid?

What food should you avoid before gymnastics?

  • New foods. You never know how your body is going to react to a new food. Your body may respond to new cuisine with diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting or bloating. Before a gymnastics competition, stick to familiar foods.
  • High-fat or greasy foods. Potato chips, French fries, hot dogs, donuts, candy bars, pizza, and fatty desserts take a long time to digest. They often cause stomach pain and whole-body sluggishness, and do not give athletes the clean energy they need to perform well.
  • High-fiber foods. Bran, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, brussels sprouts, cabbage, beans, and high-fiber cereals can cause stomach discomfort like gas and bloating. While it is important to eat fiber on a regular basis, it is not a good choice in the hours before a competition.
  • Carbonated beverages. Soda and other carbonated drinks may create air bubbles in the stomach, resulting in gas and discomfort. Drinking carbonated beverages may also lead to exhaustion, headaches, cramping or fainting, because soda does not provide the same hydration benefits as water.
  • High-protein meals. In addition to avoiding high fat content, you should also avoid too much protein before a gymnastics competition. It may take a full 5-6 hours to digest a lot of protein. Just remember – eating protein the night before a gymnastics meet is a great idea, but keep your protein intake low on the day of the meet.
  • Food safety concerns. It may not be the best time to try a new food truck or restaurant, or risk undercooking your chicken. Don’t eat anything that you think might make you sick, because food poisoning will take you out of the competition.

What should a gymnast eat after a meet or practice to recover?

What you eat after your gymnastics competition matters just as much as what you eat beforehand, so what are those magic foods that will help you recover post-gymnastics?

Here are a few ideas to get you started. Create a combination of the following foods so that you are getting both carbs and protein with your recovery meal.

  • Sweet potatoes
  • Chocolate milk
  • Crackers with cheese
  • Quinoa or other healthy grains
  • Whole grain toast with peanut butter
  • Yogurt with nuts
  • Edamame
  • Protein powder
  • Eggs
  • Greek yogurt
  • Cottage cheese
  • Salmon
  • Chicken
  • Tofu
  • Tuna
  • Protein bar

Protein provides the body with amino acids necessary to rebuilding the muscles. Protein also offers the right building blocks for new muscle growth. Aim to eat 20-40 grams of protein after your gymnastics competition.

Carbs replenish your body’s glycogen stores, therefore restoring your energy and strength. When you eat carbs and protein together, you are also stimulating insulin secretion, which is an essential function of your metabolism. Aim for a ratio of 3 carbs to 1 protein.

Healthy fats like avocado or natural nut buttersmay also promote muscle growth. Keep in mind that too much fat might slow down the absorption of your post-workout meal, so while healthy fats can be helpful in small doses, they should be limited.

Restoring your body with healthy foods is even more important when you are exercising regularly. A competitive gymnast doesn’t usually have 3 or 4 days to rest and recover, so they need to take advantage of nutrients for fast recovery.

When should I eat after a gymnastics meet or practice?

After a workout, your muscles are low on glycogen, which is the body’s preferred energy source during an intense physical event. Proteins in your muscles are also broken down, and small tears appear in the muscles.

Experts used to recommend waiting to eat after a workout, but studies show that delaying carb consumption after a workout may diminish the benefits of refueling by up to 50%!

Try to eat within 30 minutes after finishing a competition in order to promote muscle healing and regrowth, and increase your glycogen stores. Include carbs, protein, and fat (and don’t forget to rehydrate).

How many calories does a competitive gymnast burn during a meet?

How many calories will you burn during gymnastics meet? Since most competitions last several hours, the average competitive gymnast is going to burn around 1,000 calories during a meet.

According to a Chron fitness article, performing a gymnastics routine for four hours will burn about 941 calories for a 120-pound person or about 1,254 calories for a 160-pound person. Heavier people burn calories faster than lighter people, but during a lengthy and intense exercise regimen, like a gymnastics competition, everyone is going to burn a lot of calories.  

That being said, it’s essential to fuel up accordingly – both before and after your gymnastics competition! Gymnasts should be eating regular, small meals that are low in fat but high in carbs. Poor nutrition and hydration can result in reduced performance and low energy. On the other hand, healthy carbs, vegetables, and protein will give a gymnast the protein and energy they need to feel, look, and perform their best.