Olympic Gymnasts

Olympic Gymnasts

Every four years athletes from around the world gather for the Olympic Games. Olympic gymnasts go through years of training to qualify for their country’s Olympic team. Gymnasts have developed training regimen that now include getting the right exercise as well as having a proper diet. Competitors must be mentally tough and ready for their events. Recent stories about gymnastics competitors have revealed that many who succeed prefer, and are encouraged, to eat a proper diet. Some coaches and teams have harped on their athletes to lose weight with little guidance. Now it can be identified that low-carb diets are great for gymnasts. They do not require large stores of carbohydrates that endurance-minded athletes need. Gymnasts need at most short bursts of energy to perform their spectacular feats. The longest event, the floor exercise, only lasts around 80 seconds so those carbohydrates are not needed as much as the protein. Olympic gymnasts need to be mindful of a proper diet for their health as well as the fact that they idols for many children around the world.

Olympic Gymnasts With Reported Eating Disorders

If the proper diet is not maintained a person may develop an eating disorder. This can lead to many physical and psychological problems. One of the most noted cases is that of Christy Henrich who battled and eventually died from anorexia nervosa. Her case was brought on by the elite gymnastics culture that was dominated by women termed as ‘pixies’ or underweight, prepubescent girls. Henrich’s coaches also caused trouble by remarking on her body type in a negative manner. A couple other gymnasts who came forward with eating disorders were Kathy Johnson and Cathy Rigby. It is important for an athlete to not give in to the pressure of their culture and think about their health before they make negative choices. It is also important that someone close to them help them to admit that they have a problem. The case of Christy Henrich could have ended less tragically if the disease was caught earlier.

2004 Olympic Gymnasts

A 2004 Olympic gymnast that proved that age does not matter is Mohini Bhardwaj who made the US Olympic team at the age of 25. She was competing for a spot with girls almost half her age and succeeded. Her teammates included Courtney McCool and Carly Patterson, both very well recognized names to those in the US. A search of other team sites will give names and stories of other countries Olympic competitors.