Food Facts
Why is Eating Important for Dancers?
Constant rehearsal and performance takes a toll on muscles joints and bones. Dancing is
physically vigorous and requires a great deal of focus and stamina. Constant
rehearsal and performance takes a toll on muscles, joints and bones. In order
for dancers to perform at their best, it is very important that they are well
fueled. A balance of nutrients will not only improve energy, concentration and
focus, but also will also assist in injury and fatigue prevention and promote
longevity within the dance industry
(Dance Uk)
Calories
A calorie is simply a measure of energy. In scientific terms energy means 'ability to do work', whether it is energy from the breakdown of food, or energy produced from electricity, heat, light or other sources. We need energy to carry out a vast number of day to day activities, many of which are unaware our bodies are performing. Energy from food is used to:
- Maintain a steady body temperature
- Fight infections, maintaining a steady immune system
- Feed the brain (most important organ)
- Allow the lungs to take up oxygen whilst breathing
- DANCE!
Retrieving Energy From Food
Once food enters the stomach the process of digestion commences. Digestive enzymes are minute substances made by the body to break down the food we eat. As food travels through the stomach, the small intestine and large intestine, the body releases enzymes to break down nutrients within the meal. Once this process is complete, the many different nutrients are transported through the intestine wall and into the blood.
Carbohydrates
After digestion, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose. Glucose is then taken up by our cells and stored as glycogen and converted to energy when it is needed. A dancers diet should typically be 55-60% carbohydrate. During intense training and rehearsal, carbohydrate should be increased to make up 65% of all calories consumed. The reason is that carbohydrate is the major energy source in muscles. Ingested carbohydrate is broken down into simple sugars (glucose) in the digestive tract then stored in muscle in the form of glycogen, the primary fuel for energy production. Dancers who do not ingest sufficient carbohydrate in their diet will compromise their ability to train because of low muscle glycogen levels. They may feel more fatigued during classes and rehearsals. To ensure consuming the right amount of carbohydrates, base each meal and snack around a source of carbohydrate (aim to fill a third of your plate with a carbohydrate-rich food such as rice, pasta, potatoes, couscous)
The Importance of Carbohydrates
For a dancer, carbohydrate is not only a source of energy. It also has a very important role as a nutrient, because it:
- helps to burn fat when exercising
- prevents the body from using protein from muscle
- provides a host of B vitamins that boost metabolism
- prevents fatigue and heavy, tired muscles
- prevents injury caused by exhausted muscles and vulnerable joints, ligaments and bones
Why Does Carbohydrate Help to Burn Fat?
If we eat sufficient amounts of carbohydrate before dancing, glycogen levels are topped up, and out muscles then use glycogen and fat for energy. If we have not eaten enough carbohydrate, the body runs low on glycogen, and it finds it much harder to burn fat. Muscles will be forced to use another source of energy - Protein.
Unlike the situation with fat and carbohydrates, we do not have extra stores of protein. Although small amounts of protein are used for energy during exercise, three times more protein is used when glycogen levels are low. Losing muscle not only results in loss of strength and stamina, but also reduces the metabolic rate. Far more calories are needed to maintain muscle than to maintain far, therefore if we have less muscle, we need fewer calories.
Preparation For Exercise
To be fully prepared for a dance class or performance, making sure that muscle glycogen levels are topped up is incredibly important. That means basing a meal on a carbohydrate. The following meal and snack ideas are good sources of carbohydrate and are naturally low in fat.:
- Wholegrain cereal (e.g. Weetabix, bran or wheat flakes, muesli)
- Porridge with a handful of raisins
- Sandwich/bagel/pitta/roll/wrap filled with sliced chicken, fish, egg or quorn (using low fat cream cheese instead of butter)
- Jacket potato with beans/tuna and tomato sauce/chicken/cream or cottage cheese
- Pasta in tomato sauce and grated low fat cheese and vegetables
- Prawn/chicken/tofu/quorn stir-fry with vegetables and noodles or rice (with low fat dressing or sauce)
Fat
Fat from the diet provides structure for all cell membranes, comprises the insulating layer around nerves, forms the base of many hormones, is needed for the absorption of fat soluble vitamins, and is an important fuel for muscles.
The estimated grams of fat in the diet are about 1.2 gm per kilogram of body weight. Because ingestion of high amounts of saturated fats is associated with chronic disease, the recommended amount of saturated fat in the diet should be less than 10%. Muscle and adipose (fat) tissue store fat in the form of triglycerides. During exercise, triglycerides are broken down into fatty acids which are metabolized to produce energy for muscle contraction. Fatty acids are used as an energy source in the muscle for endurance activities such as during a long rehearsal where the body is continuously exercising for over 20 minutes at a time.
Why Do We Need Fats in Our Diets
Here are just a few ways in which fat contributes to the running of the body. It:
- Promotes flexible joints
- Encourages good muscle tone
- Supplies energy for working muscles
- Provides an important structure/scaffold for the brain
- Helps the body absorb vitamins and antioxidants
- Helps to make vital hormones
- Contributes to a healthy immune system
- Maintains healthy skin and hair
The two types of fat in the diet are termed SATURATED and UNSATURATED. Unsaturated fats are divided into two groups, MONOUNSATURATED AND POLYUNSATURATED, and both are considered healthy choices. Saturated fats should be limited within the diet.
A diet too low in fat can have serious health consequences and ultimately can impair performance. The best sources of fat comes from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated sources including oils (olive, canola, sunflower), nuts (almonds, walnuts, macadamia, pecans), avocado, fatty fish (salmon, tuna, sardines) and olives.
The good sources of fats are crucial if a dancer wants to succeed as a performer. It is the type of fat we eat that is particularly important, as each has a different purpose. 'Good' fats and 'bad' fats are terms often used to distinguish between fats that are important and fats that should be consumed in small quantities.
Why Should I Watch The Amount of Fat I Have In My Diet?
Dietary fat is the most energy dense of the three main nutrients. It has over twice the number of calories per gram as protein and carbohydrate do. Its not necessarily the case that fat in the diet turns to fat within the body. Excessive amounts of any of the three main nutrients can lead to fat being stored in the body. Quite simply, extra calories are stored as fat, as that is how the body saves the energy it doesn't need straight away.
Problems With a Low Fat Diet
Very low diets can lead to nutritional deficiencies and imbalances. The detrimental effects associated with such diets include:
- Dull, flaky skin (e.g. eczema)
- Cold extremities (fingers and toes) as body is trying to preserve heat
- Hormone imbalance, loss of menstruation
- Lowered immune system
- Greater risk of injury
- Slower recovery from injury
- Risk of brittle bones
Protein
We can compare the structure of protein that of carbohydrate. Rather than being made up of lots of small molecules, protein is made up of a long chain of AMINO ACIDS.
During digestion, protein is broken down into amino acids by digestive enzymes. Amino acids supplied through the diet are then reassembled into various proteins, depending on what the body needs.
It has been well documented that dancers require more dietary protein than the general population does. Not only do dancers have a greater percentage of lean muscle that needs to be maintained, but dancing increases the speed with which your muscle is broken down and rebuilt. Your individual protein requirements depend on the type of training you undertake, how intense it is and what you are aiming to achieve.
Adequate protein ingestion is essential for all dancers who are training. For those dancers who are not building muscle, protein is needed to repair the breakdown of muscle fibers that are stressed by constant use. Protein is also used as an auxiliary fuel, and it is important for synthesizing the many enzymes necessary for metabolism. The estimated protein need is 1.4-1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
Examples of High Protein Foods
- Fish
- Poultry
- Red meat
- Eggs
- Dairy products
- Soya Products
Importance of Consuming Protein After Exersize
During a class or performance, your muscles work incredibly hard not only to support the movement of the skeletal bones during challenging dance sequences, but also to protect your bones from injury and continually improve your technique, skill and poise.
Therefore the best time to refuel tired muscles is within 2 hours after training. By combining protein and carbohydrate in a meal or snack after training, you will be promoting good muscle definition and tone, whilst keeping muscle glycogen levels at an optimal level.
Is Too Much Protein Harmful?
Eating more protein than you need to will not offer any benefit in health or performance. Additional protein cannot be converted into muscle or increase stamina or strength. Your body is able to use a certain amount of protein each day to build and maintain muscles.
Previous thinking assumed that excess protein was damaging to the liver and kidneys. It was also thought that too much protein caused the body to excrete large amounts of calcium, an important mineral necessary for strong bones. In healthy people, however, this theory has not been demonstrated, and therefore eating too much protein is unlikely to be harmful.
Micro-nutrients
While carbohydrate, protein and fat are referred top as MACRO-NUTRIENTS, vitamins and minerals are classified as MICRO-NUTRIENTS as only very small amounts are needed in comparison to macro-nutrients.
Vitamins and minerals are found in minute quantities in the foods we eat. Yet despite there size, they are imperative to the dancer. Without them, the body's chemistry would just not work.
Imagine a tap shoe without a metal tap, classical ballet without a tutu, a performance without a curtain or a costume without the shimmering crystals. That is how vitals this food group is to a performer.
Vitamins & Minerals Important For the Dancer
Vitamin C -
Found in:
- All fruits and vegetables (especially citrus fruits, tomatoes, broccoli and sweet and white potatoes e.g.)
Found in:
- Potatoes
- Bananas
- lentils
- Wholemeal bread
Is a mineral found in every blood cell. Iron helps the body make red blood cells, which transports oxygen to working muscles. Dancers who arr more likely to be iron defficient include those experiencing heavy periods, dancers who restrict their calorie intake, or thoses avoiding read meat.
Found in:
- Liver
- Red Meat
- Beans
- Nuts
- Dried Fruits
- Wholegrain
- Leafy Vegetables (kale, spinach, watercress)
Teeth and bones contain the most calcium, with the rest found in nerve cells, body tissues and blood. Calcium helps muscles, including the heart, to contract and relex during dance and supersize, and reduces the risk of developing OSTEOPOROSIS (thinning bones). Osteoporosis is alarmingly common in dancers and can hinder a promising career.
Found in:
- Milk
- Yoghurt
- Cheese
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- nuts
- sardines
Zinc helps the body produce new enzymes and cells, helps metabolise carbohydrates, fat and proteins within food and also play a vital role in maintaining a healthy immune system and healing wounds. Zinc is important for the working of many of the body's systems and is particularly helpful for healthy skin and resistance to infection.
Found in:
- Meat
- Shellfish
- Beans and Lentils
- Nuts and Seeds
- Wholegrain Cereals
