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You deserve to perform your best...and the path to success starts with breakfast! 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.