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The Complete
Irish Dancer
What you need to know about Nutrition & Athletics
Specifically for Dancers
Irish Dance Nutrition
This pamphlet created specifically for academic purposes
PhyEdu 110: Nutrition
Professor—Franca Alphin
Fall 2010
Duke University
Created by Elizabeth Scott
[email protected]
What’s Inside:
• Breakdown of a healthy diet for adolescent athletes
• Suggestions for Pre & Post workout snacks
• Guidelines for making realistic expectations about
weight & body image—The Female Athlete Triad
• Tips for Cross-training & preventing injury
Date: 12/8/10
by Elizabeth Scott
PAGE 2
THE COMPLETE IRISH DANCER
Irish Dance as Exercise
Did you know that the nutrition your
body needs depends not only on
how long you exercise for, but what
type of exercise you’re doing? For
instance, marathon runners and
sprinters may burn the same calories, but where those calories come
from is very different. You can
learn about these differences below.
Aerobic vs. Anaerobic
When you exercise, there are two potential metabolic pathways your body
goes through to produce energy—anaerobic (without oxygen) and aerobic
(using oxygen).
Low-intensity activities, such as stretching, warming up, and ceili dancing are
aerobic; your muscles require energy, and your body is able to provide them
with sufficient energy by breaking down glucose (carbohydrate). This breakdown, which uses Oxygen, creates ATP, which is a high-energy molecule that
is your body’s “energy currency”.
During very high-intensity activity, however, your muscles require so much
energy that your body can not use Oxygen to break down glucose fast enough.
Once your muscles exhaust their immediate glycogen stores (only 2-3 seconds), an alternative, faster pathway must be used to provide energy; this is
called the lactic acid cycle, and does not require oxygen.
Examples of anaerobic activity are a the start of a sprint, or the first few seconds of a step, when the energy requirement is greatest.
Most forms of exercise are a combination of
these two types. In general, more complicated
your steps are, the higher likelihood you experience moments of aenerobic activity.
PAGE 17
THE COMPLETE IRISH DANCER
Resources & References
Further Reading:
USDA Food Pyramid
http://www.MyPyramid.Gov
Includes a menu planer, diet calculators, and a special area for kids
Tips for Hydration in Children:
http://www.medindia.net/beat_heat/hydration-tips-children.asp
National Institute of Health
http://health.nih.gov/category/FoodNutritionandMetabolism
Like an Encyclopedia for health & Nutrition!
Sources:
(1)
Growth and pubertal development in children and adolescents:
effects of diet and physical activity. The American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition, August 2000 vol. 72 no. 2 521S-528S
(2) Overuse Ankle Injuries in Professional Irish Dancers. Foot and Ankle
Surgery, March 2010 Vol. 16 Issue 1, 45-49.
(3) Thompson, Janice, Manore, Melinda. Nutrition An Applied Approach, 2nd
Edition, 2009.
(4) Getty Images, Photos from the 2010 World Championship
www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/7538781/Inpictures-the-World-Irish-Dancing-Championships-in-Glasgow.html?
image=16
NUTRITION & ATHLETIC S
PAGE 16
Rules of Injury Prevention
NUTRITION & ATHLETIC S
PAGE 3
Studies have shown...
1. Take Stretching Seriously
Stretching is only useful if you do it correctly. Take it just as seriously
as you do the rest of class, because it is there to prevent injury and improve
flexibility. Stretching should be included in warm-up before and cool-down
after every time you exercise; it increases blood flow to your muscles, and
may help improve muscle soreness.
2. More isn’t always better
Every exercise program, even for professional athletes, includes rest
periods or a day off. If you push yourself hard every day, your muscles and
bones do not have time to heal between workouts, and you become much more prone to injuries like tendonitis, sprain, or stress fractures.
Since Irish Dance is a year around sport, make
sure you incorporate your own plan for taking
time off every now and then, for your own health.
3. If it hurts, STOP!
This advice should be easy to follow,
but for so many dancers, it isn’t. Continuing to
dance on a sore or hurt foot is how chronic injuries develop. A recent study
found more than half of a professional Irish dance troupe were dancing
through chronic ankle & foot injuries, many of which developed many years
prior while they were dancing as teens. When you dance through pain, you
only do yourself a disservice.
4. Know when to see a professional
If you are a competing Irish dancer, you should have a Physical
Therapist. If you have pain, go and see them. Period. Your friends may think
they have the perfect advice for your situation, but only a doctor or PT can
diagnose your foot pain and get you on the road to recovery.
The Nutrients your body uses depends on your exercise
Depending on how fast you are running your steps, or how long practice lasts, you will have different nutritional needs. If you do endurance drills (such as jump roping) for an extended period, than you
burn more carbohydrate than if you were slowly learning a new step
for the same duration.
You don’t always know what you’ll be doing until you get to class, so
focus on replenishing the carbohydrates you lose from day-to-day.
That way if you have two hard classes in a row, you know you’ll be
prepared!
A recent study in professional Irish Dancers found:
“Irish dancers land from jumps on the forefoot with the knee extended and
ankle plantar-flexed during which up to six times their body weight is transmitted. They also perform on their toe-tips and metatarsal heads, analogous
to en-pointe and demi-pointe in ballet, during which the Achilles tendon is
kept tightened. In addition, some dancers may have to force pronation in
order to keep their feet “turned out”. Ankle pronation contributes to the onset
of Achilles injury, as can muscle imbalance, tight heel cords, a small or thin
tendon mass, hindfoot valgus, and pes cavus with associated haglunds disease.”
Think about your activities.
Where do your dance classes fit in? Are you always out of breath during class, or do you find it easy to keep going? Depending on if you
are taking drills, teams, or solo classes, your requirements vary.
PAGE 4
THE COMPLETE IRISH DANCER
A Healthful Diet: The Components
What is a Healthful Diet?
A healthful diet is one that provides the appropriate
combination of energy and nutrients. It is:

Adequate—Has enough carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins & minerals for
optimal body function

Moderate—Has an appropriate amount of calories to sustain your activity
level

Balanced—Includes a combination of meats, vegetables, fruits, and grains

Varied—Includes many foods from each food group, for varied nutrition
NUTRITION & ATHLETIC S
PAGE 15
Components of Total-Body Fitness
An appropriate fitness program overloads your body a little bit every time you
exercise, without wearing you out completely. A fitness plan for adolescents &
adults should incorporate all three of the following categories:
Cardiorespiratory Fitness
Ideally: At least 20 minutes, 3-5 days per week (64-90% of max heart rate)
Cardiorespiratory fitness improves the ability of the heart, lungs, and circulatory system to efficiently supply the muscles with blood (oxygen).
Practicing Irish dance continuously counts towards cardiorespiratory fitness,
because your heart rate is elevated; however, if you stop frequently (do one
step at a time only), then the benefit is lessened. To focus on cardiorespiratory fitness, do several steps in a row , or reduce the breaks between each
set of steps so that your hear rate does not drop as much (interval training).
Alternatively, try any of the endurance activities listed in cross-training.
Muscular Fitness
Ideally: 8-10 exercises, 2-3 days per week, working all major muscle groups
Muscular fitness involves how much you can lift and for how long. It is essential to dance: your core muscles (abs), quadriceps, hamstrings especially are
essential
To improve muscular fitness, you do not need to lift weights a gym. You can
also do sit-ups, push-ups, calisthenics, and resistance training, of which there
are hundreds of variations.
Flexibility
Flexibility is the ability to move a joint through an
extended range of motion—something all dancers
desire. Keep in mind that even small flexibility improvements take many weeks of stretching every
day. That being said, improving flexibility is easy to
work on because it doesn’t require any special
equipment, and exercises can be done in your own
room.
An additional benefit to being flexible is that you
become less injury prone, because loose muscles
are less likely to tear.
PAGE 14
THE COMPLETE IRISH DANCER
NUTRITION & ATHLETIC S
Improving Fitness for Dance
A Healthful Diet: The Building Blocks
Goals
Carbohydrate
What do you want to improve in your Irish dancing? If you’re not sure where to
begin, ask your teacher or look at recent comments from judges. A fitness or
dance goal will keep you motivated to practice, and will give you a sense of
fulfillment once completed. It is an essential way to keep from burning out of
competition.
What is cross-training?
Cross-training or conditioning is doing varied activities to improve overall performance in your sport. By doing many different activities, you get the benefits
of all of them without the drawbacks (such as over-use injuries) that come
from doing the same thing all the time.
Choose activities for cross-training which match up with your goals. For instance, if you want better turn-out, take a ballet class or incorporate ballet
stretches and pliés into your warm-up. If you need more endurance, try running outdoors instead of just doing your steps over and over.
One benefit of conditioning through other sports is that it can be more fun
than just going to the gym. Also, since it is inappropriate for children to be
lifting weights due to the potential for stunted growth, their main method of
conditioning should be other sports.
Endurance: Swimming, running (soccer, field hockey), jump-roping
Strength:: Pilates, martial arts, rowing, rock climbing
Flexibility: Ballet, Yoga, gymnastics
PAGE 5
A vital source of energy and essential nutrients. All carbohydrates are broken
down and turned into glucose, which your body either burns for fuel or stores as
glycogen in fat cells. In some foods, carbohydrate is found in “simple” forms that
do not need to be broken down much by the body; these foods are high in simple
sugars. Alternatively, some foods (whole grains) are more complex and take
longer for the body to break down into glucose; these foods keep you full longer
and provide more sustained energy.
Best Sources (Sustained Energy): Fibrous Fruit, vegetables, whole grains
Avoid high-sucrose (high sugar) foods since they will be quickly digested,
provide little satiety value, and are bad for your teeth.
Protein
Proteins are critical components of all tissue in the human body: bones, blood,
muscles, hormones, etc. Since the body can not manufacture all types of amino
acids (the building blocks of protein), it is therefore an absolutely critical part of
your diet. Choose many different sources of protein to get all the different types
of amino acids!
Best Sources: lean meats, milk products, tofu, lentils
Avoid foods that contain protein, but are also high in fat. Includes fatty
red meat and fried meats.
Fat
Fat provides energy during rest. It also contains twice the energy per gram than
protein or carbohydrate. It is a necessary part of your diet because of essential
fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins.
Best Sources: fish, nuts, dairy products
Avoid Trans fats and saturated fat, which are found in lard & butter.
Choose foods containing monosaturated fat instead, which include many
oils and margarine.
Other forms of dance such as highland dancing are a
great way to improve flexibility, core strength, and turnout.
PAGE 6
THE COMPLETE IRISH DANCER
NUTRITION & ATHLETIC S
PAGE 13
An Example Day
The Female Athlete Triad
Start your day off right with whole grains like
cereal or oatmeal. Sprinkle berries on it to get
in some fruit!
The female athlete triad is a name for three medical disorders that often occur
together in female athletes in specific sports. It is especially common in sports
that judge subjectively, focus on appearance, and stress a specific body type for
success. Because Irish Dance meets all of these criteria, dancers should take
special notice of these problems and consider carefully their own health.
Add a glass of skim milk for protein and calcium, if you don’t like it in your cereal.
At school, fill your plate with
veggies and fruit if it’s an option.
Soups can be a great way to
get additional vegetables.
Add milk, and a sandwich or
wrap with turkey for a lean
source of protein.
Disordered Eating
Disordered eating is where the problems begin. The high stakes of competition
cause some athletes to turn to extreme and harmful dieting in order to maintain
or achieve a specific goal weight. The malnutrition which results from this practice puts them at significant risk for many serious problems.
Amenorrhea
Without enough food, the body copes by eliminating certain processes, one of
which is the menstrual cycle. In younger girls this means a later onset of menstruation, or in older girls the lack of a period. This dysfunction is a direct result
of too-little energy input, and too much bodily stress. There is a direct correlation
between amenorrhea and osteoporosis.
Osteoperosis
A contributing factor to bone density loss, or osteoporosis, is reduced levels of the hormones
estrogen and progesterone.
These are the same hormones
repressed during amenorrhea.
Bone loss increases risk of muscle and bone injuries, and inhibits
growth critical in adolescence.
Before heading to the dance studio, grab a sandwich with wholegrain bread and peanut butter for
a quick energy boost that will sustain you until dinner!
Eat a filling and nutritious dinner that contains a balance of
vegetables, protein, and
starch. A good example is lasagna with veggies in it, or a
salad with chicken and
mashed potatoes.
Because > 90% of the total adult
bone mass is established during
the pubertal years, failure to accrue bone mineral at a normal rate
during this time may result in permanent deficits(1).
Don’t forget a little dessert!
Modern expectations about
hair & body have changed
the appearance of Irish
dance dramatically
PAGE 12
THE COMPLETE IRISH DANCER
Body Image & realistic expectations
What is an appropriate body weight?
It’s the question so many girls want to know—am I “fat”? Do others think I’m
fat? Well as any good athlete knows, fat is not based on a scale number or
waist measurement, but over-all body composition and fitness. Muscle
weighs more than fat and is more dense, so the more fit your are, the higher
chance the number on your scale won’t tell you anything about your health.
Body image is how you see yourself when you look in the mirror, regardless of
whether or not you are clinically overweight or underweight. It includes how
you feel In your body, how you think others see you, and how you see yourself.
Often, eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are results of poor body
image and low self-esteem, combined with other social & genetic factors.
If you have serious concerns about your body weight, however, consider talking to your pediatrician or even your coach about it. Remember that you are not judged on your body weight, but on your performance—so focus on what’s important!




Thoughts for a Happy You:
Don’t compare your body to others
Focus on Fitness, not on Fat
Remember that your body goes through many changes in
adolescence, and weight gain or loss is completely normal
Don’t define yourself by how you look in the mirror, but by
how unique & special you are as a person
NUTRITION & ATHLETIC S
PAGE 7
Some Notes about Meals
Depending on your school’s schedule and your practice times,
snacks should be adjusted. Always eat when you’re hungry!
Breakfast
Breakfast is critical! Studies have
repeatedly shown there are numerous benefits from eating breakfast, in
both academics and athletics. Don’t
let a picky eater go hungry. If you
don’t like eating first thing in the
morning, take your breakfast with you
to school and eat it there.
Lunch
Dinner
Your parents choose your dinner
menu, so talk to them about what
you like! If you have specific dietary
goals, communicate it with them so
that they can help you keep a balanced diet. Eat until you’re not hungry, but don’t eat until your very full
in order to clear your plate. You are
in control of your food choices!
Studies show that many schoolprovided lunches are nutritionally
inadequate. Consider opting-out of
your school-lunch program if it is not
balanced, varied, and nutritious, and
pack your own instead. Alternatively,
supplement lunch with healthier options by packing extra snacks in your
bookbag.
After-School Snack
Lunch can seem far away by 4pm.
Never go to dance practice hungry!
When choosing a snack, consider
how hungry you are and whether or
not you are going to exercise soon
after. If your snack is huge, consider
splitting it up and eating half before
practice, half on the way home after!
Being hungry during class won’t
make your lifts any higher!
Airbrushed abs may look cool, but they have little to do with being healthy.
THE COMPLETE IRISH DANCER
PAGE 8
Pre & Post Workout Snacking
But I don’t want to gain weight!
Snacking is great tool whether you are interested in losing weight, gaining it,
or maintaining what you have. It gives you a metabolism boost, keeps you
from being hungry, and can actually enhance your practice time & recovery.
What should I eat?
Not all snacks are equal! What to eat depends on what you’re about
to be doing, and what’s available to you. If you go straight to dance
after school, refrigeration is probably not an option; however, this is
fairly easy to work around. Check out the next page for some ideas! At
the very least, consider packing extra nutrition or snack bars (or ideally both!) in your backpack. That way, if you’re ever in a bind, you’ll
have a better solution than fast food or going hungry.
Every snack should include a balance of carbohydrate, fat, and protein.
Can’t Pack a Snack from Home?
Best Fast-Food Choices:
Starbucks—Yogurt Parfait
Panera Bread—Bagel with Peanut Butter
McDonalds—Fruit Cup
Chick Fillet—Chicken Soup
Wendy’s- Small Chili
Dunkin Donuts—Egg white on
Whole Grain English Muffin
Burger King—1% Chocolate Milk
You probably won’t find a healthful
snack in your school vending machine!
A little planning at home will give you
much better alternatives.
PRE & POST WORKOUT SNACKS —FEIS FOOD
PAGE 11
During-Workout Snacks
During competition, avoid high-fat foods, and
focus on high-carbohydrate, with some
protein. This will provide energy without
making you feel too full.
Packaged Cheese Stick (1)
Apple, medium (1)
Substitutions: pear
Sports Bar
(Be sure to check the label)
Trail Mix containing nuts,
chocolate chips, dried fruit
(1/2 cup)
Post-Workout Snacks
After you’re done, re-fuel by choosing snacks
that contain a mix of fat, carbs, and protein. At
least 50g of Carbohydrate will ensure that your
body’s stores of glycogen are replenished!
Yogurt (1 cup)
Granola (1/4 cup)
Berries or other fruit
Rice Cakes (2)
Banana (1/2)
Peanut Butter (1TBS)
Whole-grain bagel with
Cream Cheese
Hummus (1/4 cup)
Whole-Wheat Pita Bread
Cereal (1 serving)
1 or 2% Milk (1 cup)
Remember also to drink plenty of water!
THE COMPLETE IRISH DANCER
PAGE 10
Notes on Hydration:



Active children lose 2 or more quarts daily—this needs to be replenished continuously
Most Children & adolescents believe they’re drinking enough,
when in fact they’re already dehydrated. Don’t wait until you’re
thirsty to drink!
Consider carrying a water bottle with you in your backpack at
school, so that you have a means of staying hydrated all day.
Sports Drink Recipe:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 1/2 cups cold water
From “Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition
Guidebook”
In a quart pitcher, dissolve the sugar and salt in
the hot water. Add the remaining ingredients
and the cold water. The drink contains about
50 calories and 110 mg of sodium per 8
ounces, approximately the same as for most
sports drinks.
NUTRITION & ATHLETIC S
PAGE 9
Sports
Drinks
The University of Connecticut’s department of Kinesiology published a recent
study on children at sports summer camps showing that children rarely drink
enough fluids to support their activity level. Most of the kids studied were
already dehydrated when they arrived at practice, and then became more-so,
despite the fact that they believed they were drinking enough. When your
child is competing or is training intensely, it is critical to take fluid intake
seriously.
Water loss in kids is magnified due to their small size, despite the fact that
they sweat less, on average, than adults. To combat this, children need to be
drinking as much as possible. Sports drinks can be a tasty alternative to
water (especially for those who dislike the taste), and are a necessity when
practice lasts more than an hour (approximately the time it takes to
significantly deplete the body’s glycogen stores). Choose varieties that are
lower in simple sugars to avoid cavities and blood-glucose level spikes, and
consider diluting the drink with water for the same purpose. Limit availability
when not competing or training, when such drinks are unnecessary.
Pre-Workout Snacks
A snack is a smart way to boost your workout,
especially if meal times are far apart. Include 3045g Carbohydrate and a bit of protein. Try to
avoid eating directly before exercising; aim to
eat your snack 30 min—1hour before training.
Multivitamins
What’s the deal—do I need one?
Sports Bar
(be sure to check the label)
Whole Wheat Crackers
Substitutions: Slice of bread
Peanut Butter (1-2 TBS)
Chocolate Milk
(Ovaltine or Nesquick for kids)
Drink fluids throughout the Day
to avoid dehydration later on.
Before your event, drink ~20z of fluid
Stores like GNC which market supplements will
tell you: absolutely. But the purpose to any supplement is to provide the
nutrients you aren’t getting from food. If you are eating a varied and
nutritionally appropriate diet, a multivitamin is usually unnecessary.
For children & adolescents who have specific food allergies or aversions,
however, a vitamin may be appropriate and beneficial. Vegetarians, those
with lactose or gluten-intolerance (or other food-limiting medical conditions),
as well as picky eaters should consider multi-vitamins to support their needs.
When selecting a vitamin, be sure to choose one that Is appropriate to age
(read labels carefully!) to avoid potentially hazardous over-dose. Store the
bottle out-of-reach of younger children.