"What should she eat before the meet?" is the #1 question I get from parents every comp season, and my answer is always the same: it depends on what time her session is. An 8 a.m. session, a 1 p.m. session and a 6 p.m. session are three completely different fueling days. A lot of the mid-meet meltdowns we see (the crash in warm-ups, the stomach ache on beam, the gymnast with nothing left by her last event) come from treating all three the same.

In this episode:
→ Why meet day is so different from a normal practice day, and why it exposes a week of underfueling
→ Rule #1: nothing new on meet day
→ Early sessions: why skipping breakfast backfires, and how to practice early-morning fueling before the first meet
→ Midday sessions: the "brunch at 10, compete at noon" trap and why the 4th event is when it falls apart
→ Evening sessions: why I worry about these the most, and the myth of feeling light and floaty
→ Why meet-day fueling can't fix weeks of underfueling
→ 3 things to do before her first meet

Timestamps
00:42 Why meet day is different from practice day
01:12 What I see as a judge when a gymnast is underfueled
02:16 Rule #1: nothing new on meet day
03:00 Early sessions and skipping breakfast
04:35 Practice your meet-morning routine before the first meet
05:16 Midday sessions and the 4th-event crash
06:25 Evening sessions and the "feel light" myth
07:34 Meet day can't fix weeks of underfueling
08:22 Your homework before the first meet
09:14 How we can help

Links & Resources
Listen: Episode 77: Gymnast Nervous Stomach and Competition Nutrition
Listen: Episode 186: Why Gymnasts Say They Want to Feel Light When Competing
Listen: Episode 187: What to Do When Your Gymnast Refuses to Eat Before a Competition
Free: Is Your Gymnast Underfueled!? masterclass
Read it: Meet Day Fueling for Gymnasts (blog post)
Work with us: The Balanced Gymnast® Program (Level 5-10 + Elite), which includes early access to our Fueling for Comp Season workshop. Prices go up $200 on November 19, so enroll now to lock in the current rate.
Boys: Men's gymnastics nutrition program
Instagram: @the.gymnast.nutritionist

Routine Ready (Nov 15th): Join here: $17 earlybird pricing through Nov 8th (and YES there will be a replay)