Nutrition Spotlight: Protein

It’s no secret that for as long as dance has been around; dancers have been rumored to have a complicated relationship with food. It's not surprising! With all the crazy fad diets and stories about dancers’ extreme eating, it’s easy to get confused as to what you think you’re supposed to be eating or not eating. Every time I read a magazine or turn on the TV, I hear “no carb diet is best” or “juice cleanses are the way to go,” but the truth is none of this nonsense dieting applies to you—a young athlete in training.

Your goals are to get stronger, have energy to work hard all day and then possibly perform at night. I don’t care what the media, your friends or even you believe is okay, you will not be able to continue this rigorous life with only juice and carrots in your stomach. You will pass out, and no one wants to be the kid that faints. I promise you'll never hear the end of it!

Therefore, I want to focus part of this blog specifically on nutritional advice to set some myths straight and help you stay healthy.

To start, let’s focus on the importance of protein!

With such busy schedules of balancing school, class, and rehearsal, it’s easy to just grab a bag of pretzels or a piece of fruit and think that it’s enough. Even though pretzels are a good snack for carbohydrates and I’ll never tell you to not eat fruit, neither of these choices has any protein; something necessary for your muscles to repair post exercise, maintain strength, and keep you feeling full. Without protein, all of your hard work will amount to little because you cannot get stronger if your muscles don’t have the nutrients to rebuild. Also, a lack of protein results in slower brain functions and a weakened immune system meaning you'll be more forgetful and weaker.

Peggy Swistak, a nutritionist at the Pacific Northwest Ballet, says, “The grams of protein dancers need is equal to half their weight. (Ex: A 120-pound dancer should aim for 60 grams.)”  

Break up your servings of protein throughout the day to give yourself continuous energy and keep your stomach from awkwardly grumbling in class.

Protein is much easier to incorporate into your hectic life than you think, even if you’re a vegetarian. Start eating more of these foods and I promise you’ll feel stronger and more capable of making it through that last class of the day!

References:

Dance Magazine: The Protein Equation

Livestrong: What Does a Lack of Protein do to Your Body?

Encore note: One of my favorite post show snacks is these delicious energy bites. You don’t have to bake them, there’s no refined sugar (besides the chocolate chips, but come on, you deserve those!), and with the oats, peanut butter, and flaxseed, they’re full of protein to keep you going or help you recover at the end of the day. I like to make a batch at the beginning of the week so I can have good energizing snacks on hand all week long.