Dancing, moving one’s body, performing and creating art with movement requires discipline, practice, and heart. But most importantly, dancing requires whole body health.
Nutrition is at the core of whole body health, yet its importance is often overlooked in the world of dance. In order to shine some light on the link between nutrition and a dancer’s overall wellness, performance and career, we sat down with Jenny Accettura, RD, MSc. of Centre Stage Nutrition.
Jenny’s nearly two decades long competitive dance career led her to the world of nutrition. Her experiences drove her desire to learn more about how dancers are fueling their bodies and her mission soon became to help dancers fuel properly so that they may have healthy, sustainable, and happy careers as performing artists.
SO WHAT IS PROPER FUEL FOR PERFORMANCE?
A dancer's food fueling is incredibly individualized to the dancer, how often they dance, for how long, and at what intensity they perform. However, there are fundamental components to proper fuel for performance that remain constant for all dancers.
Maximizing meals and being in a state of constant hydration is fundamental to proper fueling for all dancers alike. In order to maximize their meals, Jenny recommends striking a balance to include proteins, carbs, fiber, fat and many colors. And to keep -- and stick to -- a consistent schedule for hydration.
It’s important to optimize the body for dance, both before and after. For example, focusing on a higher carb intake before dancing helps provide the body with more energy. And providing the body with protein and more carbs after dancing helps the muscles build and repair to maintain a strong body.
Because at the end of the day, in order to have a successful, sustainable career as a dancer, proper fueling is key.
WHY PROPER FUELING MATTERS
It’s no secret that many dancers are not eating enough to maintain whole body health and properly fuel their bodies for performance. This can have devastating impacts, both on a dancer’s overall health as well as their careers.
Improper fueling can lead to:
Energy deficiency
Bone health issues
Hormonal changes causing menstruation to stop and estrogen levels to drop
An unhealthy physical and mental relationship with food
Proper fueling helps with bone maintenance, injury prevention, and most importantly makes a dancer stronger.
According to Jenny, the key to nutrition for dancers is to think of it not as restrictions to a dancer’s diet, but more about how proper fueling can make a dancer stronger.
It’s not a one-time thing, either, proper nutrition. It needs to be consistent. Even retired dancers should be focused on rebuilding their relationship with food. Creating a healthy relationship with food and identifying what proper fueling looks like for you can lead to a longer, stronger career with less injuries.
COMBINE PROPER FUELING WITH PHYSICAL THERAPY
Nutrition is one part of a whole body health approach to dance. Physical therapy -- caring for your body both preventatively and reactively -- is the other.
To maintain a body that can support a healthy, strong career, take a preventive approach that combines nutrition and proper fueling with injury prevention and treatment.
Be proactive in your approach and seek out these services early on to set yourself up for success. At the end of the day, a body in good condition will heal itself. Even the best programs and training are nothing without proper fueling.
TIPS FOR GETTING BACK TO PERFORMANCE SHAPE
The world has begun to return to some degree of normal -- theaters are reopening, performances are being scheduled, and the arts are coming back to life.
Yet dancers right now are in a deconditioned state due to dancing in small spaces with various flooring, unable to dance around their peers for quite some time.
To get back to performance shape, Jenny suggests that dancers take the time they need for recovery. It’s important for dancers to not push themselves too hard as they ease back into performance shape.
Proper fueling before and after dance, along with physical therapy, can help keep the body strong as dancers return to the stage.
Be sure to have a recovery process in plan not only for nutrition, but also for sleep, self care, and whole body care in order to maximize training and performance.
REDEFINE WHOLE BODY HEALTH
Building strength and properly fueling your body requires energy -- food -- rather than restrictions. So how can a dancer redefine whole body health?
Think of it as adding, rather than subtracting, Jenny says. A dancer can add a lot of fun, nutritious foods to their diet to help performance and maintain health. Beet juice as well as caffeine, for example, can help performance. Omega3s and antioxidants can help with recovery and muscle soreness. There’s plenty of fun food to add to a balanced fuel plan. It comes down to creating strength rather than applying restrictions.
The power of food and proper fuelings impact on a dancer's body throughout the day cannot be understated.
If you’re ready to learn more about proper fueling, contact Jenny Accettura of Centre Stage Nutrition. And if you’re ready to create a whole body approach to your dance career and are interested in learning more about how Physical Therapy can help lead to less injuries and build strength, schedule a time to speak with Melissa Buffer of Buffer Trenouth Physical Therapy.