4 answers
London
Student
Lehi, Utah
3
Questions
Updated
1831 views
How do college gymnasts make it look easy?
I want to become a college gymnast when I'm older but I don't eat the food that I need to become strong. What can I do to make me want to eat more?
4 answers
Aisha Taylor
Mortgage Closing Specialist
518
Answers
Detroit, Michigan
Updated
Aisha’s Answer
Hi London, it's great that you have this goal! College gymnasts make it look easy because they've trained for years, but it all starts with what you eat. Let me help you with your nutrition.
Why You Need to Eat
Your body needs fuel, just like a car. Gymnasts need food to:
- Build and repair muscles
- Have energy for training
- Stay focused and strong
- Avoid injuries
Without good nutrition, you won't have the strength or endurance to improve.
Making Eating Easier
Start Small
- You don't need to change everything at once
- Add one new healthy food you like each week
- Choose foods you enjoy that are also nutritious
Make It Appealing
- Get involved in meal prep; you're more likely to eat what you make
- Try different flavors and textures
- Smoothies can be easier to consume if solid food is a challenge
Connect It to Your Goal
- Think of each meal as fuel for your gymnastics dream
- Notice how you feel during practice after eating well compared to not eating well
- You'll see the difference quickly
Talk to Someone
- If eating feels hard or stressful, talk to a parent, coach, or school counselor
- They can help figure out what's difficult and find solutions
The Bottom Line
College gymnasts succeed because they work hard, including eating right. You can do it!
Why You Need to Eat
Your body needs fuel, just like a car. Gymnasts need food to:
- Build and repair muscles
- Have energy for training
- Stay focused and strong
- Avoid injuries
Without good nutrition, you won't have the strength or endurance to improve.
Making Eating Easier
Start Small
- You don't need to change everything at once
- Add one new healthy food you like each week
- Choose foods you enjoy that are also nutritious
Make It Appealing
- Get involved in meal prep; you're more likely to eat what you make
- Try different flavors and textures
- Smoothies can be easier to consume if solid food is a challenge
Connect It to Your Goal
- Think of each meal as fuel for your gymnastics dream
- Notice how you feel during practice after eating well compared to not eating well
- You'll see the difference quickly
Talk to Someone
- If eating feels hard or stressful, talk to a parent, coach, or school counselor
- They can help figure out what's difficult and find solutions
The Bottom Line
College gymnasts succeed because they work hard, including eating right. You can do it!
Thank you so much for the advice.
London
Shannon Zulauf
Risk & Independence
66
Answers
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Updated
Shannon’s Answer
This is such a great question, and I love that you’re thinking about what it really takes to become a college gymnast.
First, college gymnasts make it look easy because of years of consistent training, repetition, strength development, and learning proper technique. What you see in competition is the result of thousands of hours of practice. They didn’t wake up one day strong — they built it slowly over time.
Strength in gymnastics comes from Progressive strength training, Skill repetition, Core stability, Recovery, And yes — proper fueling.
Nutrition is important, but it’s not about “eating more just to eat more.” It’s about fueling your body so it can train, recover, and grow stronger. If you’re struggling with wanting to eat more, that’s something to approach gently. Instead of forcing yourself, you can:
- Focus on eating consistently throughout the day rather than large meals
- Choose foods you enjoy that also provide energy
- Think of food as fuel for performance, not just calories
- Talk to a coach or sports dietitian if you can — they can help you create a plan that supports your goals safely
Also remember: strength isn’t built overnight. Muscles grow from training and recovery working together. If you’re consistently practicing, building strength in safe ways, and fueling appropriately, your body will adapt over time.
And one more important thing — taking care of your mental relationship with food is just as important as your physical training. If eating feels stressful or overwhelming, that’s worth talking about with a trusted adult or healthcare provider.
College gymnasts look strong and confident because they’ve learned how to train smart, fuel properly, and trust the process. You can absolutely work toward that — one step at a time.
First, college gymnasts make it look easy because of years of consistent training, repetition, strength development, and learning proper technique. What you see in competition is the result of thousands of hours of practice. They didn’t wake up one day strong — they built it slowly over time.
Strength in gymnastics comes from Progressive strength training, Skill repetition, Core stability, Recovery, And yes — proper fueling.
Nutrition is important, but it’s not about “eating more just to eat more.” It’s about fueling your body so it can train, recover, and grow stronger. If you’re struggling with wanting to eat more, that’s something to approach gently. Instead of forcing yourself, you can:
- Focus on eating consistently throughout the day rather than large meals
- Choose foods you enjoy that also provide energy
- Think of food as fuel for performance, not just calories
- Talk to a coach or sports dietitian if you can — they can help you create a plan that supports your goals safely
Also remember: strength isn’t built overnight. Muscles grow from training and recovery working together. If you’re consistently practicing, building strength in safe ways, and fueling appropriately, your body will adapt over time.
And one more important thing — taking care of your mental relationship with food is just as important as your physical training. If eating feels stressful or overwhelming, that’s worth talking about with a trusted adult or healthcare provider.
College gymnasts look strong and confident because they’ve learned how to train smart, fuel properly, and trust the process. You can absolutely work toward that — one step at a time.
Steward "Tony" Pacheco
Minister, USMC Vet, John C. Maxwell Cert. Coach, Trainer, Speaker, Teacher, Straight Shooter
209
Answers
Kyle, Texas
Updated
Steward "Tony"’s Answer
Train, Train Train even when you do not want to. Looking at it as easy and performing it easily are two different things.
Many will tell you that practice makes perfect but I totally disagree with that statement as it is misleading. Only perfect practice makes perfect. College athletes must be perfect to get on the team and stay on the team as well. Oh! by the way, if your doing the perfect practice as you should be, you’ll eat what you need to eat because of obvious hunger and because your perfect practice requires perfect nourishment too.
It take much hardship to reach easy but the reward is one many never get to enjoy.
Many will tell you that practice makes perfect but I totally disagree with that statement as it is misleading. Only perfect practice makes perfect. College athletes must be perfect to get on the team and stay on the team as well. Oh! by the way, if your doing the perfect practice as you should be, you’ll eat what you need to eat because of obvious hunger and because your perfect practice requires perfect nourishment too.
It take much hardship to reach easy but the reward is one many never get to enjoy.
Thank you for the advice, Steward "Tony".
London
Anna Lutsenko
Dance teacher
1
Answer
Immenstadt, BY
Updated
Anna’s Answer
Hello, dear! Very good and important question.
Nutrition is very important, it’s a basic for all kinds of activities in life.
Also, you need to imagine - what you eat today will become your tissues, bones, cells etc. in the future. You need enough nutrients in a balanced way, which means your diet should include a good balance of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and fiber.
There is also the concept of food energy. Some foods may contain a high amount of protein, for example, but because they are highly processed, frozen, or excessively heat-treated, they lack energy — or what Eastern medicine refers to as qi. That’s why it’s important for food to contain this life energy as well.
Also, even good-quality food may not be well absorbed if there are issues with digestion. For example, if there is inflammation in the gut, it becomes difficult for food and its nutrients to be properly absorbed.
That’s why the main recommendations would be the following.
First, drink warm water regularly — ideally even boiled water. Getting enough water in general is very important, especially if you lead an active lifestyle.
Second, eat simple, cooked food that you enjoy. Ideally, it should include proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and fiber.
Third, try not to drink liquids during meals. Instead, drink what you like — water, tea, juice — between meals, for example about an hour after eating.
Fourth, aim to have a clear eating schedule: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Ideally, breakfast before 9 a.m., lunch around 1 p.m., and dinner around 5–6 p.m. Possibly a bit later — of course, everything should be adapted to your own schedule.
And probably the last, but very, very important point — have fun and connect eating with joy.
It’s really nice to sit down and eat warm food, to give it time, because this is your body and you are taking care of it. This is a very clear and understandable language for the body — when you care for it in this way. Simply feeding it on time with nourishing food that you enjoy.
If you’re not used to this kind of food or don’t really like it yet, you could try finding friends who already eat this way and eat together with them, or explore what you could replace things with. Good information really helps here — understanding why this is beneficial makes it much easier.
All the best!
Nutrition is very important, it’s a basic for all kinds of activities in life.
Also, you need to imagine - what you eat today will become your tissues, bones, cells etc. in the future. You need enough nutrients in a balanced way, which means your diet should include a good balance of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and fiber.
There is also the concept of food energy. Some foods may contain a high amount of protein, for example, but because they are highly processed, frozen, or excessively heat-treated, they lack energy — or what Eastern medicine refers to as qi. That’s why it’s important for food to contain this life energy as well.
Also, even good-quality food may not be well absorbed if there are issues with digestion. For example, if there is inflammation in the gut, it becomes difficult for food and its nutrients to be properly absorbed.
That’s why the main recommendations would be the following.
First, drink warm water regularly — ideally even boiled water. Getting enough water in general is very important, especially if you lead an active lifestyle.
Second, eat simple, cooked food that you enjoy. Ideally, it should include proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and fiber.
Third, try not to drink liquids during meals. Instead, drink what you like — water, tea, juice — between meals, for example about an hour after eating.
Fourth, aim to have a clear eating schedule: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Ideally, breakfast before 9 a.m., lunch around 1 p.m., and dinner around 5–6 p.m. Possibly a bit later — of course, everything should be adapted to your own schedule.
And probably the last, but very, very important point — have fun and connect eating with joy.
It’s really nice to sit down and eat warm food, to give it time, because this is your body and you are taking care of it. This is a very clear and understandable language for the body — when you care for it in this way. Simply feeding it on time with nourishing food that you enjoy.
If you’re not used to this kind of food or don’t really like it yet, you could try finding friends who already eat this way and eat together with them, or explore what you could replace things with. Good information really helps here — understanding why this is beneficial makes it much easier.
All the best!
I appreciate this, thank you for the advice.
London
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