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

Welcome back to Fueled Gymnast Fall, a podcast series on what you need to know about fueling your gymnast as we move into this next competitive season. Today, we’re tackling a major issue I see EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR: the mid-season implosion.

A lot of gymnasts start the season in one of two places:
✔️ Looking strong but already running on fumes, or
✔️ Already dealing with nagging injuries, chronic fatigue, or inconsistent training.

By January or February, the wheels start to fall off. And parents are left wondering, “How did we get here again?”

A mid-season implosion isn’t random. It’s predictable—and preventable—when you understand the warning signs and support your gymnast with the right fueling strategies.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know exactly how to help your gymnast avoid the mid-season implosion—the fatigue, injuries, illnesses, and burnout that derail even the most talented athletes.

We’re breaking it into three focus areas that matter most this time of year. In this episode you'll hear about:

• Closing the recovery gap (and what the recovery gap is!)
• Protecting immune health and sleep + biggest nutrition mistakes hurting immune health
• Being proactive instead of reactive: Creating systems that support consistency all season long

Links & Resources

• Episode 176 – Fueled Gymnast Fall: Are so many gymnasts really underfueled?
• 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

Welcome back to Fueled Gymnast Fall, a podcast series on what you need to know about fueling your gymnast as we move into this next competitive season. Today I'm addressing a sensitive subject for those gymnasts who are injured and not quite sure what season will look like this year.

If your gymnast was injured last season or is struggling with an major injury this preseason, it can feel frustrating and discouraging. But this doesn’t have to be a wasted time in her gymnastics journey. In fact, this can be one of the most valuable times for growth and recovery. When it’s approached the right way.

I'm talking about how to help your gymnast use her injury season wisely. From nutrition to mindset, we’ll cover what she can do to maintain strength, support healing, and come back even stronger. You’ll learn how fueling plays a crucial role in injury recovery, why underfueling can delay healing, and how to keep her confidence and motivation up while she’s sidelined.

In this episode you'll hear about:

• Why fueling is even more important when your gymnast is injured
• Strategies for staying fueled during rest and rehab phases
• When to modify (or not) their nutrition intake

Links & Resources

• Episode 176 – Fueled Gymnast Fall: Are so many gymnasts really underfueled?
• Episode 24: Using Nutrition to Optimize Injury Recovery for the Gymnast
• The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com

Welcome back to Fueled Gymnast Fall, a podcast series on what you need to know about fueling your gymnast as we move into this next competitive season. Today I'm answering a question constantly asked around this time of the year, "Should a gymnast “Clean Up” their diet before comp season starts?"

As competition season approaches, many parents and gymnasts start thinking about “cleaning up” their diet; cutting out sugar, eating more salads, or trying to be “extra healthy.” Maybe the gym or coach is making "fueling suggestions" about getting ready for season. But is that actually what your gymnast needs to perform their best?

In this episode, we dig into what “cleaning up” a gymnast’s diet really means—and why it can sometimes do more harm than good. You’ll learn how well-meaning nutrition changes can unintentionally lead to underfueling, low energy, and even slower recovery right when your gymnast needs to be at her strongest.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your gymnast should “tighten up” their eating before meets begin, this episode will give you the truth—and a better plan for fueling confidence, strength, and success this season.

In this episode you'll hear about:

• Why “eating cleaner” doesn’t always equal better performance
• The top 3 tips when it comes to pre-season fueling advice

Links & Resources

• Episode 176 – Fueled Gymnast Fall: Are so many gymnasts really underfueled?
• Episode 10: Do Gymnasts Need to “Eat Clean” to be Successful?
• The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com

Welcome to Fueled Gymnast Fall, a podcast series on what you need to know about fueling your gymnast as we move into this next competitive season. And on today's episode, we're diving right in with the question, "Are so many gymnasts really underfueled?"

Yes, yes they are…

Why do parents and coaches not believe us? Maybe it's because we are so conditioned to seeing “teeny, tiny pre-pubescents gymnasts” especially at the upper levels that we assume this is normal. So many parents and coaches assume they can tell whether a gymnast is getting enough fuel just by looking at her. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. You can’t “look” at a gymnast and know if she’s underfueled.

Gymnasts are some of the toughest athletes out there. They push through pain, fatigue, and injuries that would sideline most others. And because of that, we often mistake symptoms of underfueling as “just part of the sport.” Let's unpack why this mindset needs to change and how to start recognizing when a gymnast really is underfueled.

In this episode you'll hear about:

• Understanding what underfueling really looks like
• How inconsistency (skipping meals, uneven fueling, post-practice exhaustion) contributes to underfueling and disrupts recovery
• When it’s time to seek help and solutions

Links & Resources

• Episode 04: Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport and Gymnastics
• Episode 64: Is your gymnast overtrained or underfueled?
• The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com

What Is OCD (Osteochondritis Dissecans) and how does nutrition play a role for your gymnast?

In this episode, we’re diving into one of the most misunderstood overuse injuries in gymnastics. OCD, or Osteochondritis Dissecans, and how nutrition plays a powerful role in both prevention and recovery. Parents, if you’ve ever wondered whether your gymnast’s elbow or knee pain could be related to underfueling, this is a must-listen.

We’ll start by breaking down why gymnasts are at higher risk for OCD compared to other athletes. It’s not just the pounding on joints. It’s the combination of intense training volume, early specialization, and often, inadequate nutrition for the demands of the sport.

And we'll discuss how this injury happens in gymnasts and answer one of the biggest questions parents have: Is it overtraining or underfueling? The truth is, both play a role. When the body doesn’t get enough energy or nutrients, bone and cartilage lose their ability to keep up with repetitive impact, setting the stage for breakdown and injury.

✨ Ready to learn more? Tune in as we dive deep on this dreaded diagnosis, and hear more about how nutrition plays a part in prevention and recovery from OCD for your gymnast.

In this episode you'll hear about:

• What Is OCD (Osteochondritis Dissecans) and who is at risk?
• The role nutrition plays: why fueling literally determines healing.
• Return to sport and what parents must understand about progressing safely back to training once cleared

Links & Resources

• ROCKET Elbow OCD
• Dave Tilley and SHIFT Movement Science
• Dr. Ian Crider The Gymnastics Doc
• The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com