Has someone recommended taking protein shakes or creatine? Have you been wondering whether it is useful for dancers? Well here is the low-down.
Firstly, the majority of dancers are able to meet their nutrition, performance, strength and aesthetic goals by getting all their nutrition from food. I would always recommend a vitamin D supplement and perhaps an A-Z multivitamin but over and above that, sports foods, sports drinks and supplements can be expensive and often no better than food alternatives for most dancers. Protein rich whole foods have high biological value which means our bodies can use it more efficiently, they also contain other important nutrients (including zinc, iron, calcium and essential fatty acids). It also keeps you feeling fuller for longer than having it in a drink form.
However protein or mixed macronutrient shakes can also have their place. They can be a useful addition to a balanced diet, note the word addition. If you don’t give your body the range of nutrients it needs from food then it will be like putting a sticking plaster on a broken leg, absolutely useless! The best way to optimise your health and performance is to make sure the fundamentals are in place, check out my infographic on diet quality for a few practical ideas which can improve overall health and therefore also improve performance. I get it, it isn’t as sexy as the marketing out there for some of these supplements… but trust me, getting these fundamentals in place will have the biggest impact on your health and performance.
Once you’ve got that in place if you are still thinking that protein shakes or mixed macronutrient shakes are something you want to try take a look at the infographic below to see some of the similarities and differences to help you choose what will work for you. Please make sure any supplements you use have been tested by informed sport (see the logo on the infographic) it means they are not contaminated and are quality assured which is important as the supplement industry is not regulated!
So when might these drinks be useful?
- If you have really high nutritional needs and are struggling to get enough nutrition from food alone
- When you have a busy rehearsal or performance schedule and need something on the go
- Pre-performance – if you find that a drink is easier to digest than solid food
- Post-performance – to support recovery
I’d say choosing a product that also contains carbohydrates is typically going to be better to support recovery than protein alone as it will also replenish glycogen stores. Honestly carbs are really underestimated alongside protein for recovery and it could be the game changer you are looking for!
And creatine… you’ll have to take a look at the Infographic to decide if it is something you want to try. Again make sure it has the informed sport logo for quality assurance.
Hope this has been helpful!
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My Dance Dietitian 