All-Star Worlds/ Level 5 Diet.

[IzzyFierce]

I didnt see a thread about this, so I figured it was ok to start one.
This is my first year on a serious level 5 team and my coach has us conditioning and working as hard as we should be, and I want to make sure that my friends and I are doing as much as we can outside of the gym to stay in shape and to be as competition ready as we can be.
Whats the best diet for a serious athlete? What kind of foods should we eat to stay in shape and what kind of foods should we stay away from? Should we condition more outside of practice as well? etc etc etc.
Thanks so much :3

 

[Mamarazzi]

From a "Mom" point-of-view, eat a balanced diet! Stay away from sodas, sugar, candy, etc., fast food, processed food.
I've found myself saying this to a lot of cheerleaders lately - If you don't treat your body right, it won't do what you ask it to do. Feed your body everything it needs! And drink milk!

 

[auscheerflyer]

Everything Mamarazzi said is perfect. If you are going to be a serious athlete don't think of it as a 'diet' (or you will just focus on all the foods you shouldn't eat) but think of it more as a lifestyle. The more fresh produce and healthy food you eat, the better your body will perform, the more junk you eat the worse you will feel.

You may also find you get hungrier if you are training more often which is normal, but make smart choices will filling low GI food and take snacks like nuts or fruit to training.

I also highly recommend taking protein after training - whether in a protein shake or just something like grilled chicken or tuna, because it will help your muscles to grow and repair themselves more quickly. Taking a magnesium supplement will also help your muscles be less sore if you are training more often, and it helps with flexibility too
Good luck!

 

[0riginal]

Ditto to what everyone said! Definitely try to cut out the most sugars that you can, but know that it's okay to eat donuts and have a coke every now and then. I can't remember where I saw it, but even Kiara Nowlin said she doesn't really diet, she just trains really hard.

Personally, I think diets are scary haha. What I would focus on is simply making your own food instead of fast food, microwave food, or just heating up one of those dinners. Also, if you eat four smaller meals throughout the day, it will boost your metabolism. Everyone is different though so find what works good for you!

 

[megaroo714]

Dear Cheer Abletics | Page 5 | Fierce Board - We Talk Cheerleading

this thread should help with strength .. i just started doing these workouts and i am already starting to form abs !

 

[Mamarazzi]

Dear Cheer Abletics | Page 5 | Fierce Board - We Talk Cheerleading

this thread should help with strength .. i just started doing these workouts and i am already starting to form abs !

My cps are doing these workouts daily and they seem to work really well!

 

[megaroo714]

My cps are doing these workouts daily and they seem to work really well!

They really do work! i love them even though i feel like im gonna die when i get to six but its working lol

 

[kristenthegreat]

Also take a good multivitamin!! Try as we might, the quantities of some nutrients are REALLY difficult to get without an added boost. Plus, it does great stuff for your hair/skin/nails. I've found it helps balance my body out when I'm having a hard time eating right.

I heard recently that large quantities of high fructose corn syrup (that stuff that's in EVERYTHING processed and some stuff that isn't), actually inhibits the body's ability to retain and recall information. How about them apples?

 

[EWalsh1029]

Exactly what everyone else has said on here; don't diet, just make healthier eating habits. It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change. You should have protein, dairy, veggies, fiber and healthy fats.

My eating habits now consist of:
Oatmeal, Eggs, Almonds/Walnuts, Cheese Sticks, Yogurt w/ Fruit, Chicken, Tuna, Lean Steak, Ground Turkey, Almond Butter, Vegetables, Brown Rice, Garden Salads, Steamed Greens & Protein Shakes.

I stay away from:
White Bread
Soda
Artificial Sugars
Chinese Food (Sodium!!!)
Fast Food

This is not what I live off of, and I am in now way a dietitian but these are the staples to my meals, and since I've started making meals around these staples I have lost a little bit of weight, gained muscle and my endurance has increased tremendously.
It is okay to indulge yourself once a week and eat that donut or cheeseburger you have been craving, I take one day a week myself and make it my "free" day. It works out really well for me and I think it is also a way of helping you change your eating styles. Plus, its improbable to think that you're never going to eat a donut/ice cream/chinese food etc. ever again.

For exercise I mainly:
Run (I try to get 1-3 miles a day 4 days a week)
Weight training (bicep curls, tricep dips, lifts, etc.)
Squats & Crunches ( Legs & Core strength = success in cheerleading IMO)
Misc. things such as burpees, planks, frog jumps.

 

[Hi-Phlyer21]

From a "Mom" point-of-view, eat a balanced diet! Stay away from sodas, sugar, candy, etc., fast food, processed food.
I've found myself saying this to a lot of cheerleaders lately - If you don't treat your body right, it won't do what you ask it to do. Feed your body everything it needs! And drink milk!

AND ORANGE JUICE!! I love orange juice and and orange after, like, a heavy work out helps the body to repair itself.

 

[IzzyFierce]

Thanks everyone! I will start tomorrow ;]
I do exercise everyday (I have 2 hours of practice sunday-thursday, and then Fridays and Saturdays I am starting to do open tumbling at a gymnastics gym to get my full down solid)
My diet right now is very iffy :/ I usually dont eat lunch or breakfast, and dinner is usually something like Chik-fil-a or Japanese food after practice. I'll start eating better foods asap . :3

 

[rockymountainthigh]

Greek yogurt and more greek yogurt! So much protein and so much yumminess all in a little container

 

[Aussiekat]

auscheerflyer You're a smart cookie, I hate the word diet because it has such bad connotations. I didn't know about magnesium supplements though, I do take fish oil every night and that has done wonders for my joints and muscle recovery.

 

[F!ERCE]

Keeping a food diary will really help you tell if you're eating well!

I use My Fitness Pal (a smartphone app) and it helps me make sure I get enough (good) fat, protein and carbs for a day. It tracks various vitamins and minerals, as well. It will also make you very aware of what you're really consuming and helps you make better eating habits. You can personalize it so that it recommends the right amount of nutrients for your activity level, age, weight, etc.

It's not a specific food to eat obviously, but if you are worried about eating and keeping yourself healthy, this will help you This is also good because once you stop cheering, you will likely need to re-evaluate your eating habits as you'll likely be exercising less, and this app can help ya out with that, too.

 

[auscheerflyer]

BowCat my physio got me onto magnesium a few months back and I now SWEAR by it! It is used to help relax muscles so it is great for general health to help you relax and sleep, but for training I've found it has made a big difference to my flexibility gains since starting to take it.
I recommend getting prescribed magnesium from a health care professional though, because the tablets off the shelf are usually very low level. Fish oil is also a great supplement.
I use MyFitnessPal too - I love that app!