Dancers like to eat and cook. Some eat more than others for the energy they need for
dancing on pointe or off pointe. Some dancers are thin, fat, slim, skinny, you name it, they are all
there
in the dance studio. You've seen them if you have been to several dance studios around the
country.
Whatever shape you are in now, eating the "wrong, too much, not enough" foods does not give
you, the dancer, the energy you need to dance. Haven't you heard a dancer say, "oh, I'm so tired I
don't have any enery left to continue this dance class, my routine, my solo dance etc."
What are the right foods to eat you ask? Difficult question to answer because ALL dancers
require
different amounts of energy at any given moment during the day, rehearsal, or performance on stage.
There are rehearsal days and a performance that same evening. ENERGY REQUIRED! Or, rehearsals all
day long for 5-6 hours and no performance in the evening. DIFFERENT ENERGY REQUIRED! To eat or
dance? That is the question YOU have to decide. Think for a moment.
Calories are the energy content of food. How many calories do we need each day? The Department
of Health recommends that men should take in around 2500 calories per day amd women around
1940. (Where they came up with those numbers is as good a guess as yours.) Keep in mind these
are averages and some people will need more and some less - it depends how active you are.
It has been known for marathon runners to consume 4-6000 calories while training before
their run. And if the average person needs only 1940 - 2500 calories per day, the ACTIVE
dancer may need 3-4000 calories per day!
Dancers are very ACTIVE! Some facts: dancers achieve peak performance by eating a variety
of foods; dancers gain most from the amount of carbohydrates stored in the body; Fat also
provides body fuel; dancing may increase the dancer's need of protein.
With all this physical dancing during rehearsals and performing you will find yourself a bit
thirsty, maybe a lot thirsty, so thirsty that you want to drink just about anything cold, or your
favorite drink. No matter what you do, WATER is a critical nutrient for ACTIVE dancers!
It is necessay for the digestion of food, for the transport of food to the tissues (very
important for the dancer's energy) for the elimination of body wastes, for the circulation
of body fluids (blood and lymph) and for regulating body temperature.
Research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint
pain for up to 80% of sufferers. Well, dancers occasionally do have aches and pains so water
may help them. When plain water in the body is at its peak, blood viscosity, joint cartilage,
blood capillaries, digestion all help achieve peak performance of the dancer!
Drinking water is FREE; you can drink more than 4000 glasses of tap water for the price
of a six-pack of soda.
Thirst is your best indicator. If you lose 1% to 2% of body water, you will know if you
are thirsty. If you are sweating and dancers do perspire (animals sweat) and can't get a drink, your
body will begin to squeeze water from its own tissues, including the brain and the skin. And that's
why you may get a headache and why your skin can look ragged and dry. Dehydration can
cause muscle cramping and fatique.
So make sure you drink plenty of WATER!
More on THE ENERGY YOU NEED AS A DANCER IS THROUGH HEALTHY EATING HABITS on www.ballet-feetfirst.com/Pointeshoe
-Nutrition.html
