Performance Nutrition

A Dancer’s Guide On How To Eat To Compete

Your alarm goes off early in the morning. You get up, shower, do your hair and makeup, and head to The 360 Convention. You get there early to warm yourself up and classes start with a bang! You want to dance your heart out all day in class but after the first class or two, you find that your brain and your body are slowing down. It’s getting harder to execute the moves and remember the choreography. By the end of classes, you are physically and mentally exhausted but your day isn’t over. You throw on your fake eyelashes and red lipstick and are ready for The 360 Competition. You perform your solo and group numbers but it’s not nearly your best. By awards, you are feeling sick and worn out and unsure how you will get up tomorrow for more classes.

Does this sound familiar? When I was competing, this was me every competition weekend. I was running on empty. I was so concentrated on the event that I completely forgot to fuel my own body. Dancers are notorious for eating half a protein bar and an energy drink for some quick energy and then heading back out on the dance floor. I am here to tell you that this is not sustainable. Would you expect an Olympic swimmer or NFL football player to skip meals before a meet or a game? No! Dancers shouldn’t either. 

I am a Nutritionist and Certified Sports Nutrition Coach that specializes in performance nutrition for the artistic athlete. 

Here are some quick tips on how to fuel your competition days:

Pre-Competition Nutrition

When planning your meals for long dance days, you must plan on ‘fueling for the work required’. Food is fuel for your body. Even before you start dancing you should be intentionally replacing the calories that you know you will burn during the day. 

We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and that applies even more to dancers. Skipping breakfast can leave you feeling sluggish and under-energized to dance that day. By eating a breakfast that includes protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats you are setting yourself up for a successful start to your dancing day. 

Protein helps your body repair its muscles and keeps your body feeling full. 

Carbohydrates are used by your body for quick energy that goes directly to your brain and muscles. 

Healthy fats give your body long-lasting energy and help your body create hormones while helping control inflammation. 

Pre-Competition Breakfast Ideas

  • Greek Yogurt, Granola, and Blueberries

  • Hard Boiled Eggs, Whole Wheat Toast with Peanut Butter

  • Oatmeal with Apples and Walnuts

Snacks During The Day

If you are dancing more than 3 to 4 hours a day, you need to add snack time into your schedule. Try to incorporate these nutrition breaks every 2 to 2.5 hours. Snacks during a long dance day should be mostly easy-to-digest carbohydrates with minimal amounts of protein, fat, and fiber. Great dance bag snacks are individually packaged and will stay good for long amounts of time in your bag. 

Dance Bag Snacks

  • Pretzels

  • Goldfish

  • Gummie Bears

  • Granola Bars

Hydrate To Stay Great

You need to make sure that while you are dancing (and sweating) you are drinking plenty of water to replenish the water your body has lost. Try a sports drink after classes where you really sweat to replenish your electrolytes. Electrolytes are important in regulating your nerve and muscle function. 

Sports Drinks To Boost Performance

  • Vitamin Water

  • Gatorade

  • Smart Water 

Post-Competition Recovery Nutrition

Recovery Nutrition helps the body repair and recover from high loads of stress that have been put on the body required by the physical nature of dance. Recovery nutrition can aid in injury prevention, regular periods for women, and relieve excessive soreness. Proper nutrition for recovery includes enough protein to rebuild muscles by creating a positive protein balance, adequate carbohydrate intake the replenish energy stores in the liver and muscles, and enough fat to promote a healthy hormone balance and provide lasting energy. 

Recovery Nutrition Meals

  • Grilled Chicken Salad with a Whole Grain Roll

  • Grilled Salmon, Brown Rice, and Steamed Broccoli

  • Cheese Burger with a Whole Wheat Bun and Sweet Potato Fries

Putting It All Together

Imagine the day we described at the very beginning of this blog but instead use the proper nutrition we just discussed. The day would be completely different! In class, your brain and muscles would be working at their highest level. During the competition, by fueling your body properly, your arms and legs won’t feel heavy and you will be able to take that nuanced training from the studio to the stage. 

At The 360, we offer Eat To Compete and Body Positivity classes to educate and encourage dancers, dance teachers, and dance parents to think about how they are fueling their bodies for optimal performance. If you want more information on how your dancers can fuel their bodies for their next performance, sign up for our mailing list and receive a free handout on the Top 5 Dos and Don’ts for Dance Nutrition. 

Jessica Ice