Dance Nutrition

dancer in arabesque I love this time of year when the weather turns cool and fall dance season is in full swing. As I spend my time off trying to see as many dance performances as possible, my time in the office is spent helping my dancer clients fine tune their nutrition habits for this busy dance season.

What you eat and when you eat can have a big impact on your energy, focus, endurance, and recovery. Here are my nutrition tips to help you perform at your peak this season and beyond.

Let’s start with a refresher on what you need to eat and why:

Enough energy (aka calories)
Undereating can have serious consequences like decreased strength and stamina and increased risk of injury. Dancers need to consume enough energy for classes, rehearsals, performances, and the activities of day-to-day life.

Good sources: Aim to get most of your energy from nutritious choices like whole grains, lean protein, low-fat dairy, fruit, vegetables, and healthy fats. But remember, the goal is to eat a mostly healthy diet, not to be perfect.

Carbohydrates (aka carbs)
Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for your brain and muscles. Eating the right amount of carbs will help keep your energy and focus up during class, rehearsals, and performances.

Good sources: Whole grains (such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole grain pasta, oats), quinoa, starchy vegetables (corn, peas, potatoes), beans/legumes, fruit, milk, and yogurt

Protein
Protein is necessary for muscle growth, strength, repair, and recovery and for your metabolism and immune system to work properly.

Good sources: Meat, poultry, fish, tofu (and other soy foods), seitan, dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt), eggs, nuts, seeds, beans/legumes

Fat
Fat is needed for normal brain and nerve functioning, regulating body temperature, and hormone production (which plays a role in bone health). Fat provides an additional source of fuel for the muscles and helps us absorb fat soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, K).

Good sources: Nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil, canola oil, fatty fish (like salmon)

Vitamins and Minerals
Dancers can usually get the vitamins and minerals they need by eating a well-balanced diet that provides enough energy and includes a variety of fruits and vegetables. Dancers with food allergies and/or restricted diets (for example, vegans) may need to take supplements. Here are three vitamins and minerals that are especially important for dancer health:

Calcium & Vitamin D are needed for good bone health. Calcium is found in dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt), soy products, collard greens, and almond butter. Fatty fish (like salmon) and fortified foods (like dairy and plant milks) provide some vitamin D, but there aren’t many good food sources of this important vitamin. The best source of vitamin D is sun exposure. Many dancers don’t get enough vitamin D and may need to take a supplement.

Iron helps make red blood cells which bring oxygen to the muscles. Iron is found in red meat, fortified grains, beans/legumes, and spinach. The iron in vegetarian foods is better absorbed when eaten with vitamin C rich foods (like citrus).

Fluid
Staying well hydrated is important for dancers because even slight dehydration can negatively affect concentration and performance. Fluid needs vary based on factors such as age, gender, activity level, sweat rate, and environment. To meet fluid needs, dancers should drink liberally before dancing and during breaks and meals, as well as sip fluids throughout classes and rehearsals. Water is usually best, though sports drinks (like Gatorade, Powerade, etc) may be helpful for dancers with high energy needs, heavy sweating, or long periods of intense dancing without enough break time to eat solid food.

When to eat: How to use meal timing to optimize performance and recovery

Pre-Dance
3-4 hours before: Eat a well-balanced meal including carbohydrate, protein, and fat.
Example: turkey and avocado sandwich on whole grain bread with an apple

30-60 minutes before rehearsal or a performance: Have a carbohydrate-rich, easy to digest snack to top off your energy stores.
Examples: fresh or dried fruit, applesauce, sports drink

Bonus TIP: As you get closer to the time you will be dancing, choose foods low in fat and fiber (both slow down digestion and may cause stomach upset). Use rehearsals to practice your pre-show meals and snacks – it’s not a good idea to try new foods or drinks on the day of a performance!

During Dance
You may need extra fuel during long rehearsals, performances, or days with many hours of intense dancing. Taking frequent bites of easy to digest, carbohydrate-rich foods or sipping on a sports drink can help keep your energy levels up.
Examples: dried fruit, clementine segments, applesauce, pretzels

After Dance
Within 30-60 minutes after you finish dancing: Have a snack or meal that includes carbohydrate and protein. Carbs replenish the muscle fuel you used while dancing, and protein is needed for muscle repair and recovery.
Snack examples: low-fat chocolate milk, protein and fruit smoothie, apple and peanut butter

Bonus TIP: Include antioxidants (found in brightly colored fruits and veggies like red peppers, broccoli, berries, spinach, & carrots) and anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats (found in salmon, tuna, ground flaxseed, & walnuts) in your post-dance meal to help with recovery.

Putting it all together: Sample dancer meal plan for a rehearsal day*

Sample Dancer Meal Plan *Portion sizes vary based on individual needs

Dancer Diet Mistakes Dancers are artistic athletes. They need the strength and energy to meet the physical demands of training and performing and they also need to maintain the aesthetic requirements of their art. Figuring out the best way to eat to achieve both can be challenging. And unfortunately, the pressures of the profession, the abundance of misinformation, the influence of fellow dancers, and the lure of the magical quick-fix can lead to following a diet that is more harmful than healthy.

Unhealthy diets are usually overly restrictive and difficult to sustain. They can lead to decreased strength, energy, and focus, and increase your risk of injury. No dancer wants that. To avoid the pitfalls of unhealthy diets, first you have to know what to look out for. Here’s a list of the Top 5 Diet Mistakes I often see dancers make (and made myself as a dancer before I knew better!).

Top 5 Dancer Diet Mistakes

1. Following a low-carb diet.

Although carbohydrates (aka carbs) are often demonized, they are an essential nutrient – especially for dancers and other athletes. Carbs are the main source of fuel for your brain and muscles, so it’s not surprising that low-carb diets often cause fatigue and make it harder to focus.

On the other hand, eating the right amount and type of carbs will improve your energy levels and concentration, making it easier to pick up and perform difficult choreography. Getting enough carbs in your diet also ensures that protein can be used for muscle repair (this is known as the protein-sparing effect of carbs). Whole grains, high-fiber starchy vegetables, beans/legumes, and fruit are all good carb choices. If you are interested in learning more about carbs, check out this article.

2. Eating too little.

Dancers are prone to undereating. For some, long rehearsals and busy schedules make it tough to fit in enough at meals and snacks. For others, the pressure to achieve or maintain a certain weight or body composition can lead to cutting back too much on important nutrients. Regardless of the reason, under-fueling can have serious consequences for a dancer’s health and career such as muscle loss, bone loss, weakened immune system, and increased risk of injury.

3. Ignoring Meal and Snack Timing.

It’s not just what you eat, but when you eat it that’s important. Getting the right balance of nutrients at the right time can help sustain energy levels, prevent digestive problems, and aid in muscle recovery and injury prevention.

Here are some Performance Meal Timing Tips to get you started:

Have a well-balanced meal including carbohydrates, protein, and fat about 3-4 hours before a performance.
Have a carbohydrate-rich snack 30-60 minutes before the performance to “top off” your energy stores. A piece of fruit, handful of dried fruit, or sports drink are good choices.
Limit fat and fiber in pre-performance meals. These nutrients slow down digestion and may cause stomach upset – especially when combined with nerves (so large salads are usually not the best pre-performance choice!).
Have a snack that includes both carbohydrates and protein after the performance – ideally within 30 minutes of when you finish dancing. Carbs are necessary to replenish the muscle fuel you used up while dancing, and protein is needed for muscle repair and recovery. Recovery nutrition is especially important if you have two performances in the same day. Low-fat chocolate milk, a protein/fruit smoothie, or peanut butter and crackers are all good post-performance choices.

4. Following fad diets.

From cleanses to detoxes to caveman diets, fad-diets are everywhere, and their promises of quick, miracle-like results can be hard to resist. But it’s important for dancers to know that most fad diets don’t have any good scientific evidence to support their claims. For example, there’s no need to do a cleanse or detox diet – your kidneys and liver will cleanse and detox your body naturally! And these diets can have dangerous side effects such as dehydration or electrolyte imbalances.

Most fad diets involve excessive and unrealistic food restrictions that can cause nutrient deficiencies, make you susceptible to injury, and may trigger an eating disorder. Plus numerous studies have found that diets are more likely to cause weight gain than long-term weight loss. Instead of following an ineffective and potentially harmful fad diet, focus on improving your diet in small, sustainable ways that will help rather than harm your health and career.

5. Trying to eat “perfectly.”

The pursuit of perfection can help you continue growing and improving as a dancer, but it’s not a helpful approach when it comes to food. Categorizing foods, meals, or days of eating as “good” or “bad” can cause feelings of guilt, frustration, and deprivation which may lead to overeating or bingeing. Sometimes, the focus on perfect healthy eating can turn obsessive and begin interfering with quality of life (a type of disordered eating known as orthorexia). Remember that there is no such thing as perfect eating – it’s all about balance. Strive to make the healthiest choices most of the time, but leave room to include your favorite foods and treats too.

Interested in learning more? Contact us for more information on our dancer-specific services including the Eat Better Dance Better Nutrition Workshop for Dancers.