Adjusting Food Intake for the Off-Season

Rest is essential for recovery and healing. It is a recommended to take a couple weeks off after a summer intensive. Adjustments in food intake should be made during these rest periods.  Typically, one week is not enough time for your metabolic rate to decrease or for lean mass to dissipate significantly. However, durations longer than one week can result in loss of muscle mass and fat gain if you're not supplementing with resistance training and/or adjusting calorie intake. Plan to make small, simple changes to account for the reduced calorie expenditure when you're not dancing. Be careful not to overcompensate with extreme calorie restriction.This is counterproductive and can cause muscle loss, illness, and injury when you begin training again.

What adjustments should be made to diet during the off-season?

• Continue to practice healthy nutrition habits as recommended during training.
• Slightly reduce portions of meals and snack sizes. Approximately 250 fewer calories per day are needed if your goal is to maintain your weight during your break. A larger reduction in calorie intake can lead to loss of muscle mass and should be avoided.
• Be aware of hidden and unhealthy fat in foods like salami, biscuits, pastries, sausage, and other processed meats. Some of these convenience foods that you might eat while training for hours a day become a serious problem when you are sedentary.
• Increase the proportion of vegetables in your meal and slightly reduce the starch or protein portions. Do NOT cut out entire food groups.
• Consume at least 2 cups of fruits and 2½ cups of vegetables a day.
• Don't skip meals and avoid fad diets (e.g., Paleo, detoxes, juicing).
• ​Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water each day. Have no more than 2 to 3 cups of caffeinated drinks a day. Be aware of calories from alcoholic beverages.

​Cross-Training During Off-Season
Rather than restricting calories during vacation or off-season, consider cross-training with cardio and resistance training. Low-impact, moderate-intensity cardio such as swimming or fast walking are excellent options to allow for extra calorie burning and promote muscle retention. Walking at ~3.8 to 4 miles per hour (3 to 4 miles/day) or swimming for 30 minutes at a moderate intensity are good options. Add light resistance training with weights, Pilates, or yoga while on a break from dance in order to maintain flexibility and promote muscle gain.
Enjoy your summer and remember that you deserve a break!