If you’re honest, you’ve probably asked yourself this at least once: We’re doing all the things… so why isn’t it working? You can work hard and still not get results. In this episode, we’re asking the hard question: are you and your gymnast really putting in the work for results you want? What does this actually looks like and why so many families are stuck despite “doing everything right”?

If your gymnast can’t stay healthy even though you’re “working on nutrition,” it’s time to look closer.

❗Are they actually eating enough to support their training?
❗Is their growth and development truly caught up?
❗Have you followed through with labs and supplements, especially if they’re a picky eater?
❗Are they fueling in and around workouts so they can stay focused and avoid careless mistakes that lead to injuries?
❗And are you putting real boundaries and safeguards in place, or just hoping things improve?

Here’s the hard truth: adequate fueling is a safety issue. I like to say, "if you can fuel it, you can do it". But the uncomfortable truth is that many gymnasts are working incredibly hard in the gym… while their bodies are quietly falling behind.

Today I'm breaking down the most common disconnects I see with families who think they’re supporting their gymnast’s health, but are missing key pieces that make all the difference. Plus what our most successful families are doing so their gymnast's hard work produces the results they want.

If you’re stuck in the cycle of “we’re working so hard but nothing is improving,” this episode is your wake-up call. 🎧 Listen now and learn more about how to make sure everything you and your gymnast are doing gives you the outcome you actually want.

Links & Resources

• The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts
• Episode 182: Would your gymnast’s nutrition score an 8.0 or 9.5+?
• Episode 176 – Fueled Gymnast Fall: Are so many gymnasts really underfueled?
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com

As competition season approaches, many parents are suddenly seeing more fear, anxiety, and mental blocks in the gym. What’s surprising is how often these struggles show up right as families start asking about fueling. This episode explores the connection between gymnast mental blocks and nutrition, and why emotional challenges often intensify when the body is under stress.

First, this is common. The pressure of upcoming meets can absolutely trigger mental blocks, and many gymnasts benefit from working with a licensed therapist or sport psychologist. Mental support matters.

But nutrition is often a missing piece. When a gymnast isn’t eating enough to support training, growth, and stress, the body shifts into survival mode. This activates the fight-or-flight response, making the brain more reactive and less flexible.

Underfueling often shows up as increased anxiety, panic before skills, emotional outbursts, or sudden fear that feels “out of nowhere.” When food restriction or disordered eating patterns are involved, nervous system stress increases even more, often intensifying mental blocks and emotional volatility.

When gymnasts are supported with consistent fueling, adequate electrolytes, balanced minerals, and stress-aware nutrition, improvements in mood, focus, sleep, and emotional regulation often follow.

Mental health in kids and teens isn’t just psychological. It’s also physiological. Minerals play a key role in nervous system regulation, stress response, and brain chemistry. Mental health symptoms are rarely caused by one deficiency. They’re usually the result of imbalance.

🎧 Listen now and learn more about:

• The connection between gymnast mental blocks and nutrition
• Underfueling and the fight-or-flight response
• The minerals that affect brain chemistry

Links & Resources

• The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts
• Episode 22: Fueling the Gymnast to Beat Competition Nerves
• What foods should gymnasts eat on competition day?
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com

If you’re listening to this episode, there’s a good chance you’ve been there... standing in a hotel room, a gym lobby, or in the car on competition morning while your gymnast says, “I’m not hungry,” or flat-out refuses to eat anything. And you’re left wondering, what do I do with this gymnast who refuses to eat before a competition?

Is this normal?
Am I overreacting?
And… is it actually safe for them to compete?

So today we’re going to talk through exactly what to do when your gymnast refuses to eat before a competition. Calmly, practically, and with safety in mind.

It's actually incredibly common in gymnastics. This happens at all levels, even with gymnasts who fuel well the rest of the time. Most of the time, this is driven by nerves; when the nervous system is in a heightened stress state, digestion slows and appetite drops. That is a normal physiological response. HOWEVER “I’m not hungry” does not mean “I don’t need fuel.

Gymnasts don’t need a full stomach to compete safely. But they do need available energy. Fuel supports focus, coordination, confidence, and injury prevention.

And if your gut tells you something isn’t right, listen to it.

🎧 Listen now and learn more about:

• Reasons why a gymnast refuses to eat before a competition
• What are the safety concerns around competing when not properly fueled
• Proactive strategies to help your gymnast

Links & Resources

• The Balanced Gymnast® Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts
• Episode 22: Fueling the Gymnast to Beat Competition Nerves
• What foods should gymnasts eat on competition day?
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or christinaandersonrdn.com