The Gymnast Nutritionist® Podcast

Christina Anderson MS, RDN, CSSD, CSP
  • 5.0 (138)
  • Nutrition
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to The Gymnast Nutritionist® podcast, a free resource for gymnast, parents, and coaches to learn to fuel the gymnast optimal performance and longevity int he sport. Christina Anderson MS, RDN, CSP, CSSD is a board certified pediatric/adolescent registered dietitian nutritionist, former gymnast, and current nationally rated gymnastics judge. She helps gymnasts and their parents take a proactive approach to fueling, without the stress or overwhelm. This podcast is all #realtalk where she tackles tough subjects about nutrition, body image, and more in the sport of gymnastics. 

  1. 1d ago

    Ep 215: The Real Cost of Waiting to Fix Your Gymnast's Fueling

    "Let's see how she does once season starts." "She's growing, so this is probably normal." "We'll deal with it if it becomes a bigger problem." If any of that sounds familiar, this episode is for you. Christina makes the case that waiting doesn't keep your gymnast at baseline — if there's an underlying fueling problem, and most of the time there is, she keeps accumulating nutritional and physical consequences the whole time you wait. Christina opens up about her own six-month struggle with her infant son's reflux and eczema, and how she kept circling around solutions before finally making a change that turned things around in two weeks and the guilt of wishing she'd done it sooner. It's the exact same regret she hears from every parent who finally gets their gymnast nutrition support: "We wish we had started earlier." From there, Christina walks through six specific costs of waiting until January (the point when most families are already in crisis) instead of getting ahead of things in preseason from harder-to-correct deficiencies to the toll it takes on a gymnast's confidence. In this episode, we cover: ❗ Why "wait and see" isn't neutral your gymnast's nutritional needs keep increasing the whole time you wait  ❗ Cost #1: how an inadequate fueling problem becomes exponentially harder to correct the longer it goes unaddressed  ❗ Cost #2: why pushing harder in the gym often backfires when the real issue is fuel, not effort  ❗ Cost #3: how chronic underfueling sets the stage for preventable bone stress injuries, tendon issues, and recurring strains  ❗ Cost #4: why iron and other nutrient deficiencies take three or more months to correct meaning January is already too late  ❗ Cost #5: why puberty and growth don't pause for comp season, no matter how full the schedule is  ❗ Cost #6: the psychological toll of months spent exhausted, inconsistent, and questioning herself  ❗ Why September and October not January are the real window to get ahead of comp-season struggles Links & Resources Join the Preseason Gymnast Nutrition Challenge (Sept 20–21) The Balanced Gymnast® Program (Level 5–10) Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist

  2. Sep 14

    Episode 214: Why Gymnast Families Just Ask for Nutrition Help

    So many parents come to us feeling like they're the only ones struggling like something must be uniquely wrong with their gymnast when nothing seems to be working, despite doing everything "right." In this episode, Christina shares something she's never broken down publicly before: an analysis of the last 30 applications for The Balanced Gymnast Program, and the real reasons families are reaching out for support. Spoiler: almost no one applies because they want their gymnast to "eat healthier." They apply because something isn't adding up a gymnast training 20+ hours a week who still can't get stronger, isn't recovering, keeps getting hurt, or just doesn't seem like herself anymore. Christina makes the case that these are rarely six separate problems they're almost always connected, compounding into the same underlying issue: unintentional underfueling. And she explains why January (mid comp-season) is the worst time to start untangling it, and why preseason is the real window to close the gaps before everything ramps up. If you've ever listened to an episode like this and thought "that's literally my gymnast" this one's for you. That's exactly why Christina is running a Preseason Gymnast Nutrition Challenge on September 20th and 21st, designed to help you figure out if your gymnast is eating enough, where her biggest fueling gaps are, and what to change now before comp season ramps up. In this episode, we cover: ❗ Why almost no parent applies for nutrition support because they want their gymnast to "eat healthier" ❗ The top 6 struggles behind the last 30 program applications — and how often they overlap ❗ Why strength and skill plateaus are often a fueling problem, not a training problem ❗ How chronic underfueling quietly leads to repeat injuries and stalled comp seasons ❗ Why "she's just tired" is often the first sign of underfueling, not a normal teen thing ❗ Why preseason — not January — is the best time to fix fueling gaps Links & Resources Join the Preseason Gymnast Nutrition Challenge (Sept 20–21) The Balanced Gymnast® Program (Level 5–10) Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist

  3. Sep 7

    Episode 213: Is Underfueling Behind Your Gymnast's Mood Swings?

    So much of the anxiety, irritability, meltdowns, and attitude we see from preteen and teen gymnasts gets chalked up to "teenage hormones" or being a moody teenager. And yes, puberty is messy — brains are developing, school is harder, friendships are more complicated, and gymnastics only gets more demanding as the levels advance. But what most parents and coaches don't realize is that a lot of that mood and emotion regulation trouble has a lot more to do with an underfueled brain than it does with normal teenage angst. The brain only makes up about 2% of body weight, but it uses 20% of your gymnast's resting energy expenditure — and it needs at least 130 grams of carbohydrate a day just to function, before factoring in a full school day and hours of training. When a gymnast is running on empty by 7:30pm after a long day, her brain isn't being "mental" or uncoachable when she falls apart after a correction — it's simply out of fuel and in panic mode. Christina breaks down the science behind why underfueling hits the brain just as hard as it hits bones and muscles: the hypothalamus constantly senses whether there's enough energy coming in, and when there isn't, it signals the reproductive system (lost periods), thyroid (metabolism), and adrenal glands (stress response) to pull back. Add in the fact that neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine are literally built from protein, carbohydrate, iron, B vitamins, copper, and vitamin C, and it's easy to see how an underfueled gymnast ends up stuck in a cycle of fatigue, frustration, mental blocks, and anxiety that gets labeled as a confidence or mindset problem — when the real issue is that her brain and body simply don't have enough resources to cope. Christina also walks through why "but she eats a lot" often isn't the full picture, especially for gymnasts who've been underfueled for years and are now working against a cumulative deficit — which is why many of the gymnasts she works with need 2,500 to 3,000+ calories a day to actually catch up. In this episode, we cover: ❗ Why mood swings, anxiety, and meltdowns in teen gymnasts are often blamed on hormones when fueling is the real driver  ❗ Why the brain needs at least 130g of carbs a day just to function — before school and training  ❗ How the hypothalamus links underfueling to lost periods, stress fractures, and always feeling cold  ❗ Why serotonin and dopamine can't be made without enough protein, carbs, and key micronutrients  ❗ How the "underfueled → tired → frustrated → labeled mental” cycle leads gymnasts to quit  ❗ Why headaches, stomach aches, and delayed puberty often get investigated by specialists without anyone ruling out underfueling first If your gymnast doesn't seem like herself anymore and you want to make sure underfueling isn't behind it, reach out. Information on how to connect is below. Links & Resources The Balanced Gymnast® Program (Level 5–10) Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist Episode 138: Gymnast Labs, Endurance, and Iron Deficiency/Anemia Episode 188: Gymnast Mental Blocks and Nutrition

  4. Aug 31

    Episode 212: A Tale of Two Gymnasts- Pre-Season Edition

    So much of the fatigue, skill plateaus, injuries, and burnout we see in gymnasts gets chalked up to gymnastics just being hard—and yes, it is. But that doesn't mean all of these struggles are normal. The problem? You don't know what you don't know. And you can't necessarily look at your gymnast's teammates as the benchmark when many of them are likely underfueling and struggling too. Our most successful gymnasts get their nutrition dialed in before competition season starts. Yet January continues to be one of our most popular times for families to reach out—when everyone is panicking because their gymnast doesn't feel ready for season, is still stuck on skills, is exhausted, or is dealing with an injury that just won't go away. By that point, we're playing catch-up. And issues that have been building for months aren't always going to be fully resolved by Regionals. In this episode, Christina tells the story of two level 10 gymnasts who took very different approaches to preseason nutrition — and had very different comp seasons because of it. The first, a four-time national qualifier with a full-ride D1 scholarship, was struggling badly going into her senior year: constant sickness, injuries, skills falling apart after years of consistency. When her mom joined Christina's preseason nutrition challenge that September, an initial consult revealed underfueling, iron deficiency, and an H. pylori infection. Correcting her intra-workout fueling and hydration made a difference within weeks, and by comp season she was hitting high 38 all-arounds, qualified to the Nastia Liukin Cup, made nationals, and is now competing in college. The second gymnast waited much longer. Injured in preseason, she rehabbed in time to attempt a comeback but had no energy or endurance. She didn't start working with Christina until April, and recommended bloodwork was delayed until summer — which revealed months of undiagnosed iron deficiency anemia. She missed nationals that year, losing an entire season to a fixable problem caught too late. Christina uses both stories to make the case for why preseason, not January or April, is the time to get fueling right. In this episode, we cover: ❗ Why gymnasts shouldn't compare their struggles to teammates who may also be underfueled  ❗ How one gymnast turned her senior year around by fixing fueling in the fall  ❗ Why iron deficiency and H. pylori infections take months, not days, to resolve  ❗ How delaying lab work cost another gymnast an entire competitive season  ❗ The difference between iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia  ❗ Why January is the most popular — and most reactive — time families reach out Christina's takeaway: gymnastics being hard doesn't mean your gymnast's fatigue, plateaus, and injuries are normal. Families who get ahead of nutrition before comp season starts see dramatically different outcomes than those who wait until crisis mode. With four months left before the new year, there's still time to change the trajectory of this season. If your gymnast is heading into preseason and you want to make sure fueling isn't holding her back, reach out. Information on how to connect is below. Links & Resources The Balanced Gymnast® Program (Level 5–10) Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist

  5. Aug 24

    Episode 211: Nutrition for Gymnasts- Surgery Edition

    Your gymnast needs surgery, and the first fear that shows up for her, for you, maybe for her coaches is that she's going to "get fat" and lose everything she's worked for. Christina is here to tell you that's not the goal, and it's not even the right question. In this episode, Christina walks through nutrition before, during, and after gymnastics surgery, and why this is one of the most overlooked pieces of the recovery process. She opens by dismantling the idea that time off means the body should eat less — surgery actually increases the body's demands, driving up protein turnover, wound healing, immune function, and tissue remodeling, so a calorie deficit is the last thing a healing body needs. She then digs into something most parents never hear from a surgeon's office: chronic underfueling going into surgery compromises the very tissues being operated on, and it's often part of why the injury happened in the first place. Christina shares a client story about intentionally delaying an elbow surgery by two months to get a gymnast out of a chronic deficit first, and explains why she wishes every young athlete got a full nutrition assessment before going under the knife including a look at growth charts, not just a snapshot of height and weight. From there, she covers the ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery) approach to pre- and post-op fueling, what to actually feed a gymnast in the rough first few days home (think sick-day food: smoothies, eggs, oatmeal, soup), and how bowel function, hydration, and protein timing all play a role in getting back on track. She also breaks down which supplements are worth discussing with a dietitian — collagen, creatine, zinc, magnesium, omega-3s — and which ones are just expensive noise if the underlying diet isn't there yet. Finally, Christina walks through the three phases of return-to-sport nutrition, why a gymnast's pre-surgery nutrition status should change how her return timeline is paced, and why parents need to be especially careful about comments on weight, body changes, or "getting her body back" during recovery. In this episode, we cover: ❗ Why surgery is never the time to diet, restrict, or aim for weight loss ❗ How chronic underfueling before surgery compromises tissue healing and surgical outcomes ❗ What ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery) means for pre- and post-op eating ❗ Why growth charts matter more than a single height-and-weight snapshot ❗ Easy, tolerable foods for the first few rough days after surgery ❗ Which supplements (collagen, creatine, zinc, magnesium, omega-3s) actually help — and when they're a waste of money ❗ The three nutrition phases of return-to-sport recovery ❗ How to support your gymnast's body image without commenting on weight or body changes Christina's takeaway: surgery is not a time to shrink the body it's a time to fuel it. The gymnasts who recover fastest and most safely are the ones whose nutrition was dialed in before they ever hit the operating table, and parents play a huge role in protecting that mindset at home. If your gymnast is facing surgery or an extended time out of the gym, reach out. Information on how to connect is below. Links & Resources The Balanced Gymnast® Program (Level 5–10) Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist

  6. Aug 17

    Episode 210: What to Do When Your Gymnast's Lunch Comes Home

    You packed the sandwich, the fruit, the veggie, the calcium and it comes home half eaten, with the chips and dessert gone first. Sound familiar? Before you assume your gymnast just isn't trying, there's usually a real reason behind it. In this episode, Christina continues the back-to-school series by troubleshooting one of the most common frustrations parents bring to her: the lunch that comes home uneaten. She's clear up front that yelling isn't the answer the goal is figuring out why it's happening. She walks through the most common culprits, starting with the simple stuff: can your gymnast actually open everything you packed on her own, especially younger gymnasts who may be too embarrassed to ask for help? From there, she shares a personal story about her mom's health-food peanut butter experiment gone wrong, and why sending food a gymnast actually likes matters more at lunchtime than sending the "healthiest" option. Christina also gets into some heavier territory: gymnasts on ADHD medication that suppresses appetite right around lunchtime, high schoolers skipping lunch to keep studying for a perfect grade, and the one that requires the most care gymnasts who are purposefully not eating because of struggles with food and body image. She's direct about the fact that eating disorder rates among female high schoolers are alarmingly high, and that this is often where one-on-one support, including a therapist, becomes essential. Throughout, she comes back to one theme: validate first. Gymnasts don't need a lecture in the car or the moment you open the lunchbox they need to feel seen, and a calm, neutral conversation goes a lot further than pushing harder. In this episode, we cover: ❗ Why "she just won't eat it" is rarely the full story ❗ How packaging and container struggles quietly derail lunch ❗ Why sending food your gymnast actually likes beats sending the "healthiest" option ❗ How to talk to your gymnast about fueling and injury prevention without lecturing ❗ Why ADHD medication can suppress appetite right at lunchtime ❗ How perfectionism and school stress can push lunch aside ❗ The warning signs of disordered eating and body image struggles ❗ Why validation, not correction, is the first step to a real conversation Christina's takeaway: an uneaten lunch is a signal, not a failure on your part or your gymnast's. Figuring out the "why" — and getting support when it's needed — matters far more than getting frustrated in the moment. If lunch has been a recurring struggle for your gymnast, reach out. Information on how to connect is below. Links & Resources The Balanced Gymnast® Program (Level 5–10) Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist  christinaandersonrdn.com

  7. Aug 10

    Episode 209: How to Schedule Meals and Snacks for Back-to-School

    Is your gymnast's schedule about to fall apart the second school starts back up? If breakfast gets skipped, snacks get squeezed out, and dinner turns into whatever's fastest after a nine o'clock pickup, she's not the only one who's going to feel it. In this episode, Christina makes the case that back-to-school success for a gymnast comes down to one thing: the schedule. Whether your gymnast is a natural planner or needs help getting out of bed, the parent's job is the same — build a schedule that actually fits in every meal and snack she needs, and help her stick to it. She starts with breakfast, and why skipping it doesn't just cost calories, it gets in the way of the repair and recovery that's still happening from the last 48 hours of training. Skipping breakfast also means walking into school without the fuel to focus, which snowballs into longer homework sessions and less sleep at night. From there, Christina walks through the rest of the day: the mid-morning school snack (and why "we're not allowed to eat in class" is usually an excuse, not a real barrier), school lunch as often the most important meal of the day, and the specific formulas behind pre-workout, intra-workout, and post-workout snacks. She's firm on one point in particular — there is no scenario where it's okay for a gymnast to skip dinner after a late practice, even if she's exhausted. Christina also tackles the myth that weekends are a break from fueling. For growing gymnasts, especially those still working through a calorie deficit built up during the week, Saturday and Sunday matter just as much as training days. In this episode, we cover: ❗ Why a consistent schedule is the foundation of getting enough nutrition in ❗ What happens physiologically when your gymnast skips breakfast ❗ How to handle the "I can't eat snacks in class" pushback ❗ Why school lunch may be your gymnast's most important meal of the day ❗ The different formulas behind pre-workout, intra-workout, and post-workout snacks ❗ Why skipping dinner after a late practice is never the right call ❗ When a bedtime snack (yes, even dessert) is the right move ❗ Why weekends are not the time to ease up on fueling Christina's takeaway: nutrition doesn't fix itself overnight, and August is the time to build the habits — not January, when comp season panic sets in. If last school year was a struggle, this is the moment to get ahead of it. If you're already dreading how this school year's schedule is going to affect your gymnast's fueling, reach out. Information on how to connect is below. Links & Resources The Balanced Gymnast® Program (Level 5–10) Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist  christinaandersonrdn.com

  8. Aug 3

    Episode 208: 6 Summer Fueling Mistakes That Follow Gymnasts Into Fall

    Have you noticed your gymnast eating fine on paper but still getting hurt, running out of steam, or feeling behind as fall training ramps up, and assumed she just needs to push harder? It's tempting to think the issue is training, or toughness, or just "kids get tired in summer." But in this episode, Christina breaks down six patterns she's seeing in one-on-one sessions right now, and why nearly all of them trace back to one thing: underfueling. Ironically, many gymnasts eat better during the school year than in summer. School structure means time for breakfast, a mid-morning snack, and a pre-workout lunch. In summer, late workouts and long training days often mean one meal before practice and nothing again until 5 or 6pm, right when the body is trying to repair and recover. The margin for error is thin. It only takes missing about 300 calories a day, roughly 5% of needs, to trigger low energy availability and start breaking down bone. Christina is seeing gymnasts miss 60-65% of their needs this summer, right when the off-season is supposed to be the building season, not the falling-behind season. Christina shares a real example: an elite gymnast recovering from surgery who now weighs a little more than before, and feels stronger than in any past comeback, because her body finally has enough fuel to rebuild muscle. Weight gain during recovery isn't a setback, it's often what makes the comeback work. She also touches on why disordered eating tends to spike in summer, how to fuel through off-season surgeries without setting up the next injury, the truth about energy drinks and random supplements, and why older, post-puberty gymnasts often need a different training stimulus than what's already programmed at the gym. Fixing this takes consistent, adequate nutrition matched to training load, and honest tracking of growth, intake, and performance, not just a glance at her plate. In this episode, we cover: ❗ Why summer schedules quietly wreck fueling, even for good eaters ❗ How missing just 5% of daily calories triggers low energy availability ❗ Why disordered eating tends to spike over the summer ❗ How to fuel through off-season surgery without risking the next injury ❗ Why gymnasts really reach for energy drinks, and how to talk about it ❗ Why random supplements can't fix a shaky nutrition foundation ❗ Why post-puberty bodies need a different conditioning stimulus ❗ The real difference between eating healthfully and eating adequately Christina's takeaway: eating well and eating enough are not the same thing. Gymnasts who are properly fueled through the off-season come out the other side stronger, more resilient, and ready for comp season. If you're noticing red flags in how your gymnast is fueling, recovering, or bouncing back from injury this summer, reach out. Information on how to connect is below. Links & Resources The Balanced Gymnast® Program (Level 5–10) Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist  christinaandersonrdn.com

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About

Welcome to The Gymnast Nutritionist® podcast, a free resource for gymnast, parents, and coaches to learn to fuel the gymnast optimal performance and longevity int he sport. Christina Anderson MS, RDN, CSP, CSSD is a board certified pediatric/adolescent registered dietitian nutritionist, former gymnast, and current nationally rated gymnastics judge. She helps gymnasts and their parents take a proactive approach to fueling, without the stress or overwhelm. This podcast is all #realtalk where she tackles tough subjects about nutrition, body image, and more in the sport of gymnastics. 

Information

  • Creator
    Christina Anderson MS, RDN, CSSD, CSP
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    213
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Gymnast Nutritionist® Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Gymnast Nutritionist® Podcast