Power Your Performance: 4 Nutrition Tips Every Gymnast Needs This Summer

Summer training is here, and with it comes longer practices, higher intensity workouts, and a big shift in your daily routine. 

From strength and conditioning to learning new skills, your body is working hard — and if you’re not fueling it properly, you’re going to feel it.

Your body is going to feel exhausted! Not to mention, you’re likely practicing at a completely different time of day than you’re used to and at a much different intensity and type of training (more cardio and endurance, LOTS of conditioning…).

Whether you’re jumping into early morning workouts, staying up later than usual, or bouncing between practice and summer fun, what you do outside the gym is just as important as what happens on the mat. If you want to stay strong, energized, and injury-free this summer, your nutrition, hydration, and recovery strategies need to keep up.

Remember, it’s not only the drills, conditioning sessions, and endless tumbling passes that impact your performance this summer and set you up for success for next season, but also what you do when you’re not at the gym. 

This includes your sleep habits, how you’re fueling and hydrating, and how you are recovering and spending your time outside of the gym.

Whether you’re heading into double training sessions, dealing with early morning practices, or trying to juggle practice with summer fun, how you fuel your body directly impacts how you perform, recover, and grow. 

And summer brings unique challenges — the heat, the shift in routine, and the social changes that can throw off your eating and hydration habits.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the essential nutrition and recovery strategies gymnasts need to stay energized, strong, and injury-free this summer.

4 Nutrition Tips Every Gymnast Needs This Summer

1. Hydration: Stay Hydrated Always!

Hydration is KEY during the summer months. You’ll be practicing more, likely earlier in the morning (with less time to hydrate before practice), training in warmer temperatures (even if you’re inside), and spending more free time outside in the hot summer sun. All of these activities can quickly lead to dehydration you if you’re not careful or conscious!

Summer heat and sweat increase your body’s fluid needs significantly. Even if you train in an air-conditioned gym, your hydration requirements still rise due to higher temperatures, humidity, and increased training intensity.

Why hydration matters for gymnasts:

• Supports muscle function and coordination

• Prevents fatigue, cramps, and dizziness

• Aids digestion and nutrient absorption

• Promotes mental clarity and focus

During the summer months, you are likely to be sweating quite a bit more due to the high temperatures. It is crucial to hydrate with not only water, but with electrolyte and sports beverages or salty snacks as well to help replace electrolytes like sodium and potassium.

Hydration goals: try to aim for these!

• Daily: At least ½ your body weight in ounces of water

• Before practice: 12–24 oz, ideally across the 1–2 hours prior

• During practice: 8–16 oz per hour, with added electrolytes if needed

• After practice: 16–24 oz within the hour.

How to stay hydrated:

• Start early: Begin hydrating as soon as you wake up

• Drink throughout the day - not just during practice

• Use electrolyte drinks (like Propel or coconut water) before and after practice to replenish electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and other minerals, and sports drinks (like Gatorade or Powerade) during longer or intense sessions to replenish carbohydrates and electrolytes.

• Include hydrating foods like watermelon, cucumbers, oranges, and berries throughout meals and snacks

Some of my favorite beverages to feel hydrated and energized include (but are not limited to):

• Gatorade or Powerade (Regular Gatorade for workouts when you need extra carbohydrates (aka sugar) or Zero outside of a workout when you are able to incorporate meals and snacks with carbohydrates)

• Propel, Body Armor, Liquid IV

• 100% Fruit Juice 

• Milk (extremely hydrating because it is packed with electrolytes - bonus that it has protein and calcium to help build strong bones too!)

• Chocolate Milk (Great to drink after a practice because of the additional carbohydrates!)

Don’t wait until you feel thirsty — that’s already a sign of dehydration. Make hydration a habit, not an afterthought.

2. Fuel Frequently: Meals and Snacks Matter

With a more intense training load and longer days, your body needs more energy and nutrients — not less. But summer’s less structured schedule can make it easy to skip meals or delay eating.

Why consistent fueling matters:

• Replenishes glycogen (your body’s stored energy)

• Supports muscle growth and repair

• Prevents fatigue and burnout

• Regulates hormones and metabolism

How often should gymnasts eat?

Athletes should aim to eat something every 2–3 hours — meals and snacks combined. Summer training doesn’t always allow for consistent or “traditional” meal times, but that doesn’t mean you should neglect your fueling habits that you worked so hard to establish during the season! You may just need to readjust and shift the timing of meals and snacks to find what works best for you and your training schedule.

Focusing on carbohydrates before practice will give you the energy you need to make it through a long practice, as well as “topping off your fuel tank” with salty snacks, fruit chews, or a sports drink every 60-90 minutes during longer training sessions. 

Sample summer fueling schedule:

Time             What to Eat

7:00 AM Breakfast before early practice: bagel + peanut butter + banana, a glass of milk

10:00 AM Snack during practice: sports drink, dried fruit, pretzels

12:30 PM Recovery meal: rice bowl with chicken, veggies, avocado

3:00 PM Snack: yogurt + granola + fruit

6:00 PM Dinner: pasta with meat sauce, salad, garlic bread

8:30 PM Bedtime snack: cereal + milk, tart cherry juice

Even if you’re not super hungry, try small, carb-focused snacks before practice to give your body the energy it needs. Something is always better than nothing.

Pro tip: Build your meals and snacks using the Performance Plate:

A baseline performance plate that works best for most gymnasts includes:

• ⅓ plate carbs (rice, pasta, bread, fruit)

• ⅓ plate protein (chicken, tofu, eggs, Greek yogurt)

• ⅓ plate fruits + veggies (colour, salads, roasted veggies)

• 1-3T fats (avocado, nuts, olive oil)

• Something to drink

3. Prioritize Sleep and Recovery

Training hard means recovery must be just as intentional as your practices. And that starts with sleep - the most powerful, free recovery tool you have. It may feel impossible to prioritize sleep in the summer when you’re able to stay up late, hanging out or having sleepovers with friends, the days are so much longer, and you’re taking family vacations. It’s important to remember that the body does most of its recovery while you’re sleeping! 

Why sleep is essential:

• Helps repair muscles and joints

• Regulates appetite and mood

• Supports immune function and injury prevention

• Boosts focus, memory, and coordination

Sleep goals for gymnasts:

• Ages 6–12: 9–12 hours per night

• Ages 13–18: 8–10 hours per night

• Adults: 7–9 hours per night

Tips for quality sleep:

• Stick to a routine, even in summer — try to go to bed and wake up at consistent times

• Unplug from screens at least an hour before bed

• Eat enough throughout the day so you don’t wake up hungry in the night

• Try relaxation strategies: light stretching, a warm bath, or journaling before bed

• Consider tart cherry juice - rich in natural melatonin and antioxidants that support restful sleep and reduce inflammation

Without proper sleep, even the best fueling plan will fall short.

By prioritizing sleep, you will have a lower risk of injury due to allowing for adequate recovery and repair time of your muscles and joints. Sleep is often an overlooked and undervalued part of an athlete’s performance and training plan, so make sure you are putting a bigger emphasis on it this summer to help recover in time for your next practice. 

4. Balance Nutrition With Summer Fun

Summer should be fun - and that includes enjoying your favorite foods, social events, and family time. The key is finding a flexible approach to nutrition that supports performance without being overly rigid.

Strategies for balanced summer eating:

• Bring "emergency" snacks with you when you're out and about so you don’t go hours without eating (and then feel hangry)

• Eat even if others aren’t — your training demands are unique and so are your fueling needs

• Incorporate summer foods into balanced meals: grilled proteins, delicious summer salads, fresh seasonal fruits and veggies can all fit into a performance plate

• Don’t skip meals to “make up” for a big dinner or event — that can (and will) backfire

Remember: food is fuel and also a part of enjoyment and connection. Both can coexist

Your summer success as a gymnast doesn’t come from practice alone - it’s built through a combination of training, nutrition, recovery, and mindset.

By prioritizing hydration, fueling frequently, and making sleep a non-negotiable part of your recovery plan, you’ll feel stronger, recover faster, and be ready to handle everything this season throws your way.

Don’t wait until mid-summer burnout kicks in. Start fueling with purpose now - because your best training starts with what happens outside the gym.

Looking for more support with summer nutrition?

Every gymnast is unique, and individualized nutrition guidance can make a significant difference in your performance and overall well-being. If your goal this off season is to get better, stronger, and faster in the gym so the 2026 competition season is better than 2025, fueling your body can help with that and learning from a Registered Dietitian can help you develop the best strategy for you to recover and feel your best in (and out of) the gym!

If you and your gymnast are looking to learn the ins and outs of fueling as a high-caliber athlete and make fueling a priority this summer, I put together this exclusive bundle in a way is going to help you and your gymnast absolutely CRUSH IT this summer

Inside The Summer Training Bundle, You'll Get: 3 1-on-1 Summer Check In Calls:

1️⃣ A personalized nutrition assessment before the start of your summer training schedule so you can optimize the meals and snacks you're already eating and build a strong foundation as you head into your new routine (to be used in May or June)​

1️⃣ 1-on-1 coaching session mid-summer to help you troubleshoot and fine-tune your summer fueling plan AND strategize for any upcoming performance camps (to be used in June or July)

1️⃣ 1-on-1 coaching session at the end of the summer to help you adjust your fueling routine as you head back to school (to be used in July or August)

AND

As an added bonus, you'll get access to ALL the amazing essential gymnast fueling information inside The Fueled Gymnast Academy 🤯

That's right! You'll also get access to

• 10 Jam packed learning modules

• Worksheet pages to help you take the essential information you learn in both the modules and our personalized sessions and implement it in a way that works best for you

• Fueling guides, fact sheets, information, and handouts packed with information essential to keeping gymnasts healthy, happy, and high performing

• Family friendly recipes, meal and snack ideas, and fueling inspiration

AND MORE!

This is the PERFECT opportunity for you and your gymnast to learn the ins and outs of fueling as a high level athlete and build a strong foundation that you'll be able to build on for years to come!

Get The Summer Training Bundle