Gymnast parents have been joining me for a FREE weekly webinar each week of December: the FUELED Comp Season Series. Each Tuesday this month at noon MT, I’m covering a key topic your gymnast needs to navigate competition season successfully. So let's talk about how every tenth matters...would your gymnast’s nutrition score an 8.0 or a 9.5+?

Your gymnast SAYS she wants to do well this competition season...but does her nutrition really reflect her goals?

Most gymnasts' fueling would score in the 8.0 range... they're "giving tenths away" by missing out on the right foods, in the right amounts, at the right times to help them perform their BEST

Learn how your gymnast's nutrition score can go from that 8.0 to 9.5+ range when it comes to their fueling SO THAT they can reach their big goals + dreams this season (and for many after)

I'm talking about some of the most-over-looked aspects of fueling that gymnasts miss that are like literally "giving away tenths" in their routines.

And trust me, I'm a judge (actually, I really am. Going on 17+ years and a Nationally rated/NCAA USA Gymnastics judge so I do know a thing or two about how nutrition can level up your gymnast's performance.

If you want this to be the year your gymnast stops giving away tenths during her routines, this episode will show you what needs to change now. Before comp season chaos catches up.

Links & Resources

• Episode 72: Fueled Gymnast Fall-How to keep your gymnast from imploding this competition season
• Episode 168: What can parents *actually* control to help their gymnast crush it this competition season?
• The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com

ICYMI… this week we launched our new, FREE, 4-week Zoom webinar: the FUELED Comp Season Series. Each Thursday this month at noon MT, I’m covering a key topic your gymnast needs to navigate competition season successfully. First up: injuries, immune health, endurance/performance issues, and REDs during comp season.

In this episode, we’re diving into the overlooked connection between why so many gymnasts struggle with injuries, illness, and performance decline right when it matters most and REDs (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport).

This episode is especially for parents who:

• Have a gymnast training 20–30 hours a week, ideally Level 5/6 through Level 10 and elite (male and female gymnasts welcome).
• Have a gymnast with big goals and big dreams—whether that’s D1 college gymnastics or elite—and know they need to stay healthy, strong, and progressing over the next several years.
• Have watched their gymnast deal with injuries during comp season, repeated illness, or frustrating endurance/strength/power issues that don’t match their work ethic.
• Want to prevent the performance-limiting issues that silently build in the background and eventually derail progress.

Competitive season is a high-stress window for gymnasts—physically, mentally, and physiologically. When fueling isn’t adequate for the training load, this is often when REDs symptoms show up loud and clear:

• Never-ending fatigue
• Decreased strength or endurance
• Chronic or overuse injuries
• Poor recovery
• Back-to-back illnesses
• Inconsistent performance

Parents often assume these problems are “just part of season,” but they’re not. They’re warning signs.

If you want this to be the year your gymnast stops falling apart mid-season, stops getting injured or sick right before big meets, and finally performs to their true ability, this episode will show you what needs to change now. Before comp season stress catches up.

Links & Resources

• Episode 150: When denial gets in the way of nutrition for gymnasts [Replay]
• Episode 04: Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport and Gymnastics
• The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com

In this episode, we’re having an honest conversation about gymnast bodies, growth, and the persistent (and harmful) belief that adults can (or should) control how a gymnast develops.

You cannot tell where a gymnast is in their growth trajectory just by looking at them or comparing them to their teammates. Growth is completely individual. It's shaped by genetics, prior growth patterns, and the adequacy of nutrition.

And yet, the sport continues to act like height, weight, or body type determines success. Spoiler: it doesn’t. Sure, being extremely tall may make certain events more challenging. But what will definitely hurt a gymnast's success is career ending injuries due to REDS. Can we just stop with adults making assumptions and “predictions” about gymnasts' bodies that often have no basis in science?

What’s even more frustrating? It’s almost 2026, and we STILL have coaches telling parents not to “overfeed” their gymnasts out of fear they’ll get “too big.” Nearly every time we hear this, it’s coming from an elite coach claiming they “know” everything about gymnast growth and development. Meanwhile, the gymnasts receiving this advice are commonly underfueled, behind in growth, and nowhere near the trajectory needed for long-term success.

Listen in to hear more about:

• Gymnast bodies need to grow in a way that’s right for them.
• And here’s what happens if you try to stop it.
• Strategies for supporting gymnasts' nutrition and growth

Links & Resources

• Episode 112: Is your “tiny gymnast” actually underfueled, or growing normally for them?
• Episode 157: Why your gymnast needs a pediatric/adolescent sports dietitian
• The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com