You are what you eat

Dance Magazine, June, 2004 by Suzanne Martin

EVER BEEN TOLD to lose weight of you'll lose your job? I recently got a teary call from a dancer who felt under that pressure. When I talked to the company's artistic director, he was crestfallen, explaining that all he had said was that the dancer's weight "might" become a problem. I met with the dancer and gave her a nutritional pep talk. There were no surprises in my advice, but I've found that sometimes even the most experienced professionals need to hear it again. It all boils down to one question for dancers--what should I eat?

A decade ago the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) defined some of the greatest nutritional risks for female athletes: eating disorders, loss of periods (amennorhea), and thinning of the bones (osteoporosis). Dr. Richard Gibbs, supervising physician for the San Francisco Ballet, claims that "too thin is bad," and that dancers, especially young pre-professionals, need to focus on developing a reasonable dancer's body without compromising their health. Eating a balanced diet--yes, really--can give a dancer the strength she needs for a rigorous schedule of class and rehearsal, and also keep off excess weight.

So, what's a healthy dance diet? First of all, you need to think about when you eat as well as what you eat; your metabolism requires different kinds of fuel at different times. Here's a list of recommendations for dancers that Priscilla Clarkson, Associate Dean in the Department of Exercise Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has compiled in the Journal of Dance Medicine and Science (Vol.2, No. 1, 1998).

Eat enough calories to prevent you from getting dizzy, cranky, or tired when you're working. Remember, food affects mood. Think ahead and plan to bring along what you need for those long days of class, rehearsal, and performance.

Eat a good breakfast, which includes whole grains, orange juice, fruit, and milk or a milk substitute. The unfortunately all-too-true joke is that the traditional dancer's breakfast is cigarettes and a Coke. Studies in exercise physiology show that people metabolize fat when they wake up in the morning. This is a sign that your body needs to eat at this time in order to keep up. If you're in a rush or you feel you can't eat solid food that early, try drinking your breakfast. Liquid meals, like Ensure, Carnation Instant Breakfast, and smoothies, are easily available.

Include more protein in your diet. Very active people, including dancers and athletes, need more than other adults. Start figuring out how you can get some protein in every meal.

Remember to stay hydrated; drink at least one full glass of water when you get up in the morning, and carry a water bottle with you.

Eat at least five fruits of vegetables per day, plus whole grains (like bran, for instance, which you can get from eating certain breads or cereals). Avoid sweets, even if they give you a quick rush. Simple sugars such as candy and sodas will give you a quick energy high and then drop you flat in mood and strength.

Break up your meals into six snacks per day, rather than trying to eat one big meal at the end of the day and get it all in then. Your blood sugar needs to remain constant for the brain to function, and that means having something about every three hours.

Dancers are what they eat. Take care of your body. Like going to class and focusing hard, it's part of your job. Avoid being like comedian Bill Cosby, who says he is what he ate, and now he's afraid.

Suzanne Martin is principal physical therapist for Smuin Ballet in San Francisco. She also has her own practice in physical therapy and Pilates.