Your gymnast's brain needs energy, too.

Kerry Bair joins Ali to explain the connection between fueling, brain function, emotions, confidence, and gymnastics performance. They discuss why gymnasts may struggle more with mental blocks or skills later in practice when they haven't had enough food throughout the day.

You'll hear how school schedules can create barriers to fueling, including skipped breakfasts, limited snack opportunities, long gaps between meals, and social pressure around what gymnasts eat.

Kerry also shares one of the most common issues she sees: gymnasts not eating breakfast. Instead of expecting a complete breakfast immediately, she recommends starting with something small and consistent, then gradually building from there.

The goal isn't perfection. It's giving your gymnast's body and brain the energy they need to learn, train, recover, and perform.

00:00 – Meet Kerry Bair, The Gymnast RD
01:52 – Why nutrition matters for gymnasts
02:30 – The connection between nutrition and mental blocks
03:16 – How much energy a gymnast's body needs
05:00 – Why the brain needs energy to function
06:03 – How low energy can affect mood, focus, confidence, and fear
07:19 – Why mental strategies are harder to access when the brain is low on energy
08:00 – Why returning to school can increase energy demands
09:44 – How Kerry evaluates a gymnast's daily fueling
10:56 – “But I'm eating healthy!”
11:28 – Why healthy doesn't always mean adequate for a gymnast
13:00 – Social media, food expectations, and judgment
14:00 – School lunch and the challenges of fueling during the day
15:38 – The breakfast problem
18:24 – The biggest consistent nutrition issue Kerry sees
18:40 – Why breakfast can be difficult for gymnasts
20:00 – Starting small and building the habit
22:28 – Five-minute breakfasts and grab-and-go options
23:34 – Why small steps work better than an all-or-nothing approach
25:41 – How to work with The Gymnast RD
27:25 – Final thoughts

🏅 Learn more about working with Gymnastics Mindset Academy

Get Free Resources: Help your gymnast dismantle her perfectionist mindset. Access our free mental block resources at gymnasticsmindsetacademy.com/mental-blocks.

💻 Explore our private coaching, boot camps, and mindset programs designed to help gymnasts overcome fear, mental blocks, perfectionism, and performance anxiety.

🥣 Looking for nutrition support? Learn more about Kerry Bair in The Gymnast RD, a hybrid program combining nutrition education, challenges, goal setting, worksheets, and one-on-one support for gymnasts and their families.

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