Dancers & Helpful Supplements!

1. 
   

   Welcome back, dancers! It has been a minute. Hopefully, you're on your way with a bit more well rounded diet, keeping you going through all those rehearsals.

   
   

   We've discussed vitamins and minerals that may be beneficial to add into your daily routine. Now, I'd like to touch a bit more on other supplements that may pose great benefits to your performance and/or recovery!

   
   

   Just a friendly reminder, not all supplements/ergogenic aids out there are created equally, actually do what they claim and are wallet friendly!

   
   If you wanted a bit more of the nitty gritty on supplements, check back to the other post I made about them HERE!

   
   

   Caffeine--> Performance Supplementation

   
   

   Caffeine is natural! Outside of coffee and some teas, it can be found in dark chocolate.1,2. It can give you a mood boost, a spike of energy and focus and help you feel a bit less fatigued after a looooong across the floor or adagio series! I'd just be mindful of how much you're pouring and if you can't stand black coffee (I love it, personally), I'd suggest adding a bit of almond milk or something lighter in calories that won't make you feel too full. It is safe to have daily, but aim for ~3-6 mg/kg of your bodyweight (a cup or two!), because sometimes higher doses don't have the benefits you want, plus, there are a few negative risks of too much all the time (in simple terms: not working how you want it to, increased anxiety, more tiredness due to sleeplessness, etc!).1,2..
   

   
   

   Whey Protein --> Performance AND Recovery Supplementation!

   What it is, how does it work, why rec, how much/often, concerns/notes?

   We've been over how delightful protein powder can be. Check back to the OG post on protein right abouuuuut Here! . Supplementing with protein can help to reduce muscle damage, increase muscle protein synthesis and keep that lean body mass you work so hard to attain, right where it is or even more defined! Keeping your recommended protein ingestion going consistently will help with your overall performance and recovery, but we can dig a bit deeper to further enhance that with timing. ((Happy muscles = happy body = happy dancer!)) Before rehearsal/gym/performance, be sure to have a good ole carb with a protein source (if you're in a bind for time, this can be a powder!) such as egg whites, chicken, etc (depending on time of day and your mood), about 30 minutes to up to 2 hours before.1,3. Remember, 1.4-2.0 g/kg is good! A good rule of thumb when looking at the profiles on these supplements is 20-40 g protein a serving, in a non proprietary blend you'll be able to see the leucine content too, hopefully its 3-6 g!4. Aim to get your protein (whether it's from food or whey) every 3-4 hours spread out across your day, however, we understand that sometimes that is hard to do! In addition to my recommendation of protein powder AFTER your whole food sources, I suggest it as an easy way to get nutrients in on the go!

   
   

   
   

   Energy Drinks and/Or Pre-Workout Powders --> Performance !

   For my guys and gals hitting the weight room in addition to hours in the studio, I sometimes recommend a pre-workout or energy drink for a boost rather than just some coffee and/or caffeine alone! In addition to just some anhydrous caffeine, pre tends to contain a few other nutrients such as amino acids that will help reduce a bit of muscle damage and/or delay the soreness,   buffer the pH in your muscles (beta alanine!),boost your concentration/focus and vasodialators your blood vessels to get that PUMP!1,4.. PLEASE PLEASE keep in mind it's not ideal to have a few cups of coffee and a preworkout that is over 300 mg caffeine in the same day!4. That's putting you plenty over the limit of what your daily intake should be, potentially putting you at risk for adverse effects such as fastened heart rate and  the inability to sleep at night, not to mention you'll have to taper that much more.4 (Tapering: reducing the amount so it remains more effective). This same deal applies to energy drinks- you may see Red Bulls, Bang, Monsters, etc. They tend to cause more bloat feelings due to the fizzy bubbles in it, so be mindful if you drink those! 
   

   
   

   In conclusion, these are supplements that have strong supporting evidence to support not only their efficacy, but their safety in their appropriate dosages alongside a well balanced diet and training program (including your rest!!). Dancers without any type of caffeine would be....well...unique to say the least! Let's be real, we all know we thrive on it. Protein powders are slightly less common in the dance world, but let's make it a thing. Also, DRINK YOUR WATER!!!! 
   
   Go on and dance! :) 

   
   

   References

   1.  1. Essentials of Exercise & Sport Nutrition: Science to Practice by Richard B. Kreider.

   2. Goldstein, E.R., Ziegenfuss, T., Kalman, D. et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: caffeine and performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 7, 5 (2010) doi:10.1186/1550-2783-7-53.Jäger, R., Kerksick, C.M., Campbell, B.I. et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 14, 20 (2017) doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0177-84.Campbell, B., Wilborn, C., La Bounty, P. et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: energy drinks. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 10, 1 (2013) doi:10.1186/1550-2783-10-1