22/9/17 - Nutrition and Hydration Lecture, One Dance UK

NOTES FROM LECTURE ON HEALTHY NUTRITION AND HYDRATION FOR DANCERS

In order to determine the number of calories a dancer should eat in a day, nutritionists look at the frequency of classes, the intensity, the timing and the type of training - as different dance styles require different amounts of energy. For example, ballet requires a lot of strength but not a lot of movement, while something like house is very high energy and cardio-based.

Everyone should have a different diet, because everyone has different needs.

There are 3 main types of carbohydrate:

• Starch - peas and potatoes, grains and grain products - slow release of energy. We definitely need these in our diet.
• Sugars - naturally occurring in fruit or added sugars in sugary foods like sweets. Have a fast release of energy, and we need few of these and should rarely eat these products.
• Fibre - wholegrain products and fruits with skins, breakfast cereals. Need these, important for dancers because it helps with digestion, a slower release of energy.

Dancers should have 50% of their daily calories being made up of carbohydrates, and we should have approximately 2000 calories. 25% should be fat, and 15-20% should be protein (in terms of calories).

To sum it up - we should eat food, not a lot, mostly plants.

Different diets for different levels of training:

• If not dancing/losing weight - Half of plate should be vegetables, quarter protein and a quarter whole grains. Plus one teaspoon of oil.
• Moderate training - A third vegetables, a third grains, a third protein, with one tablespoon of oil.
• Hard training - half grains, quarter vegetables and a quarter protein, with 2 tablespoons of oil.

When calculating the amount of calories one can eat each day, you do this calculation:

655.1 + (9.6 x weight (kg)) + (1.8 x height (cm)) - (4.7 x age (years)). This would give you the amount of calories needed to maintain your current weight. 

This is multiplied by different numbers based on the level of activity that will be done in the day.

Little exercise - x1.2

Light exercise - x1.375

Moderate exercise - x1.55

Active - x1.725

Very active - x1.9

When trying to get diet right, start from number 1 and once satisfied, work your way up to number 4.

1. Energy balance (calories in vs calories out)

2. Daily nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins)

3. The time of day you are consuming food

4. Supplements

You should not count calories!

FAD diets: such as the green cleanse, paleo, 5:2 diet, alkaline, high protein diet.

THEY DO NOT WORK LONG TERM. Give you results short term but leaves you more unhealthy than you started in the long run. These diets are NOT beneficial to dancers. They may lead to cravings, muscle loss, food preoccupation, slow metabolism and deficiencies. 

Protein provides the building blocks for muscle, and it is not the only nutrient that leads to muscle growth. 

Protein sources: quorn, whole grains, tofu, nuts and seeds, beans and pulses, meat, fish, eggs.

Remember portion sizes!

Dressings and sauces - salsa, pesto, tomato-based, mustard, vegetable stock, chutney, guacamole, vegetable oil/balsamic vinegar.

A low fat diet is better than a no fat diet! Fat is important for working muscles, and it helps to keep the joints flexible and healthy, and we need fat to think. 

3 kinds of fat:

• Saturated: animal fats, milk and cheese, should be consumed in small quantities.
• Monounsaturated - olive/vegetable oil
• Polyunsaturated - walnuts, rapeseed oil, omega 3

Water gives you energy, improves dance performance, and is involved in every process in the body.  lack of water makes exercises harder to perform.

You should be hydrated before class, sip through exercise, drink 2/3 hours before exercise and if doing less than 30 minutes of exercise, water is ideal, but if up to an hour, either water or a hypotonic work. A hypotonic should be 4.8g per 100ml. 

Don't drink high sugar branded drinks, and milk post-exercise contains several vital nutrients for recovery.

Breakfast:

Whole-wheat toast, muesli with natural yogurt and fruit, blended cereals with plant milk, whole wheat toast with peanut butter and a small glass of orange juice.

Lunch:

Needs to be satisfying but not too filling to avoid stomach cramps during exercise. Needs to be easy to digest foods, carbohydrates and a moderate amount of protein. 

For example: whole wheat bread and grapes, pasta with vegetables and quorn and a banana, pitta with hummus /tofu and an apple, soup with carbs+protein+salad, potato salad with leaves and tomato etc.

Supplements - dancers do not need these.

Many of them promise better stamina, increased strength, quick recovery and a lower body fat, however while some are supported with scientific evidence, many are not. They can never substitute a poor diet, there are many choices (pills, drinks, powders). The consensus of IOC was that very few actually enhance performance. A good diet, rest and sleep take priority, but if you do choose to take them, choose a reputable brand, and choose a multi-vitamin. It is important to remember that there is never a quick fix, and it takes years to build muscle and improve stamina and strength. Vitamin D is good to take if there is minimal sun exposure as it is important for bones and muscles.

Snacks: (before and after exercise)

Fruit and yogurt, fruit and milk, fruit and nut cereal bar, dry cereal, dried fruit bars, homemade biscuits/muffins, crackers/crisp bread with hummus, vegetable sticks with hummus, nut butter, seeds with nuts and dried fruit, cubes of cheese with fruit. 

Eating before an important event:

-Take small healthy snacks between meals when exercising

-Eat familiar foods

-Drink plenty of fluids

-Trial and error portion sizes

-Take own food where possible

-If nervous, eat and drink light

-Avoid skipping meals

-Choose carbohydrate snacks

-Avoid high fat and sugary foods

Also, remember to not eat too quickly, and you should drink at least one and a half litres of water a day.

Why this is important for a dancer:

Healthy nutrition is extremely important for a dancer because we put a lot of strain on our bodies every day, and so it is vital that we give our bodies the correct nutrients to heal and also to improve our strength. Without enough carbohydrates in our diet, we would have very little energy which decreases dance performance and makes us less likely to eventually succeed in the industry as it takes longer to improve, as our brains cannot function well enough without the correct nutrients to apply corrections and concentrate on the task at hand. Additionally, it is important that we eat well for our mental health, as without enough fat in our diet, we struggle to think clearly and we are less likely to be mentally prepared for a rehearsal, which could lead to someone applying the incorrect technique due to lack of focus and injuring themselves as a result of this. Therefore, healthy nutrition is vital to a dancer if they want to improve and better themselves, and also if they want to remain energized and prepared for life in the industry.

Overall, I learnt a lot from this lecture and the primary information that I will take away is that I really should change my diet depending on how active I am that day, and after reflection, I came to conclude that I eat too many carbohydrates on days where it cannot be justified by a lot of physical activity, so I definitely need to be aware of this in the future and I need to ensure that I eat an appropriate amount. Additionally, I took away from today that I need to really take control of my diet to achieve the best results possible in the studio to improve as quickly as I possibly can and make use of every opportunity.