Gracie Gold opens up about body standards

[TwinnerA]

As for Gracie, I follow her on Instagram and I have noticed she posted on her stories her working out at Barwis Methods Training Facility last Wednesday night, then at Life Time Fitness last Thursday night and this past Monday night. On Monday, you could see the machine where she was either running or cycling for 40 minutes and had gone 11 miles. The girl is working at getting her fitness back that's for sure!

 

[mrrice]

As for Gracie, I follow her on Instagram and I have noticed she posted on her stories her working out at Barwis Methods Training Facility last Wednesday night, then at Life Time Fitness last Thursday night and this past Monday night. On Monday, you could see the machine where she was either running or cycling for 40 minutes and had gone 11 miles. The girl is working at getting her fitness back that's for sure!

Good for her. At this point, that's all she can do. Once she's back in shape, her jumps will soon follow. If she is going to compete against the top skaters, she's going to need back loaded 3/3's and that takes stamina. She looked exhausted during her summer shows and I think the travel and performances took a toll on her physically and mentally. I have a soft spot for Gracie and I really hope she stays motivated throughout the season.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

The article quotes Yuna's former coach and is specific about the science, antioxidants to help reduce lactic acid, etc. to address the question everyone is wrangling over in this thread. How can she perform if she's only taking in 60 percent of recommended daily calories? I thought to include a quote, but there's a strict warning against quoting any part of the article, which is short; just click on the link above.

It's probably important to note that, while Yuna and others are able to perform at a high level with a limited caloric intake, most top women in the last 20 years have struggled with serious joint and/or back issues. Obviously, much of this is due to the rigor of training triple jumps and difficult spins, but you have to wonder whether the skaters are eating enough to heal their bodies and prevent injuries.

 

[Celine]

As for Gracie, I follow her on Instagram and I have noticed she posted on her stories her working out at Barwis Methods Training Facility last Wednesday night, then at Life Time Fitness last Thursday night and this past Monday night. On Monday, you could see the machine where she was either running or cycling for 40 minutes and had gone 11 miles. The girl is working at getting her fitness back that's for sure!

Really hope she's getting good guidance on her fitness regimen and that she can stay healthy.

 

[gourry]

About Yuna's 1200 calories article, I think there could be some incorrect information. The part that she watched what she ate very carefully seems right because I saw Yuna herself saying that in other interview, but the number 1200 seems incorrect.
I see it's written in 2009 and interviewed coach Shin. IIRC, coach Shin coached Yuna when she was a novice level skater(and around 2013). So, maybe the number she remembered was from Yuna's novice year? Since 2007 Yuna trained in Canada and I don't see her reporting her daily diet to her childhood coach to be honest.
The only time I was a bit concerned about her weight was the summer of 2007 when she looked really really lean. A little too lean. That was when she was going through puberty and body change I think, and during that time maybe she did very strict diet to control her body change. But also around that time, Yuna wrote on her blog that she did so much running that summer that it was like a hell. So maybe it was the training, not diet. Or both.
Before Sochi, Yuna said it was more difficult to gain weight and muscle so she had to eat lots of pork. So I really don't think it's likely that she did 1200 calories intake when she was a senior skater.

 

[Cryssania]

As for Gracie, I follow her on Instagram and I have noticed she posted on her stories her working out at Barwis Methods Training Facility last Wednesday night, then at Life Time Fitness last Thursday night and this past Monday night. On Monday, you could see the machine where she was either running or cycling for 40 minutes and had gone 11 miles. The girl is working at getting her fitness back that's for sure!

glad to hear that she's working out, but highly doubtful that she'd been running because if she ran 11 miles in 40 minutes, she's entirely in the wrong sport... justsayin...

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

glad to hear that she's working out, but highly doubtful that she'd been running because if she ran 11 miles in 40 minutes, she's entirely in the wrong sport... justsayin...

She was on the stationary bike.

 

[skylark]

About Yuna's 1200 calories article, I think there could be some incorrect information. The part that she watched what she ate very carefully seems right because I saw Yuna herself saying that in other interview, but the number 1200 seems incorrect.
I see it's written in 2009 and interviewed coach Shin. IIRC, coach Shin coached Yuna when she was a novice level skater(and around 2013). So, maybe the number she remembered was from Yuna's novice year? Since 2007 Yuna trained in Canada and I don't see her reporting her daily diet to her childhood coach to be honest.
The only time I was a bit concerned about her weight was the summer of 2007 when she looked really really lean. A little too lean. That was when she was going through puberty and body change I think, and during that time maybe she did very strict diet to control her body change. But also around that time, Yuna wrote on her blog that she did so much running that summer that it was like a hell. So maybe it was the training, not diet. Or both.
Before Sochi, Yuna said it was more difficult to gain weight and muscle so she had to eat lots of pork. So I really don't think it's likely that she did 1200 calories intake when she was a senior skater.

Thank you for this much more complete picture. This seems much more likely.

 

[plushyfan]

I'm not trying to start a culture war, but I'm fascinated.... I read an interview of Eteri T. awhile back where she was quoted as saying that Julia L. found it too hard to stay on the necessary diet ... and we're talking 2013-14, when I'm guessing Julia's body was trying to go through puberty. Eteri said, "I'm sorry about that, but I can't help it." It sounded to me like that's what Eteri required from her students. And if that's the case (and what Katia Gordeeva said in her book is another piece of evidence), then the Russian figure skating school of thought is just not the same as the American/Canadian/ currently mainstream school of thought.

This is so obvious.Very different what the Russians think about weight of skaters, gymnasts, rhythmic gymnasts. For example before the American's dominancy when the Russians and the Romaninans were the bests in gymnastics they have another type of body. And they are different even today. They really believe the light weight helps the gymnasts and of course the skaters, too.
But as I showed a video about the Russian rhythmic gymnasts in another thread the light weight prevents injuries.
And about the cultural differencies because of I interested in the Russian FS, skaters and Russia in general I have seen the Russian girls, and women are very thin, very pretty in the great cities. I can say this without violating any other nation because we, Hungarians are one of the most overweight nations.

edit: mrrice remembered me the dancers..look at the Russian ballet dancers..they are really incredible thin but not every American dancer. For ex Misty Copeland..

 

[mrrice]

This is so obvious.Very different what the Russians think about weight of skaters, gymnasts, rhythmic gymnasts. For example before the American's dominancy when the Russians and the Romaninans were the bests in gymnastics they have another type of body. And they are different even today. They really believe the light weight helps the gymnasts and of course the skaters, too.
But as I showed a video about the Russian rhythmic gymnasts in another thread the light weight is prevents injuries.
And about the cultural differencies because of I interested in the Russian FS, skaters and Russia in general I have seen the Russian girls, and women are very thin, very pretty in the great cities. I can say this without violating any other nation because we, Hungarians are one of the most overweight nations.

From my experience. It was much more about the Russian diet. We did not eat a lot of carbs while we were there and ALL the dancers were thin. I'm 5' 9" and I think I weighed about 150/155 and I was easily the heaviest dancer. I remember eating a LOT of soups. I liked Borscht.....which is made from beets, and we'd top it with horseradish. I remember eating dried salmon on toast, and having soft boiled eggs and coffee for breakfast. I didn't gain weight until we got to Canada....Poutine.....Canadian Bacon, and a relationship were my downfall...That and the donut shop....Tim Hortons.

 

[bevybean]

This is incorrect information. People on low carb diets are sometimes put there so that they do get their memories back, are less forgetful and have better concentration, there are also studies done where Neurosurgeons have placed epilepsy patients on keto or low carb diets to suppress seizures, memory loss and such.

I'm going to assume there is more detailed science going on here in terms of which carbs, etc. I got my information from a very reliable source, so I'm not willing to completely concede the point. BUT, I will assume that you had a reliable source as well. Plus, I've known experts to disagree on nutritional issues. Safe to say it's complicated.

Plus, I fell into the trap of my own pet peeve here. (not that it necessarily changes your statement) I was talking about Starch not Carbs. Carbs are split into 2 categories: Fiber and starch. Most people who say they are on a low carb diet like Atkins are really on a low starch diet. And, of course, there are differences in starches too --whole grains vs. not whole grain bread vs potatoes vs peas.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

I'm going to assume there is more detailed science going on here in terms of which carbs, etc. I got my information from a very reliable source, so I'm not willing to completely concede the point. BUT, I will assume that you had a reliable source as well. Plus, I've known experts to disagree on nutritional issues. Safe to say it's complicated.

Plus, I fell into the trap of my own pet peeve here. (not that it necessarily changes your statement) I was talking about Starch not Carbs. Carbs are split into 2 categories: Fiber and starch. Most people who say they are on a low carb diet like Atkins are really on a low starch diet. And, of course, there are differences in starches too --whole grains vs. not whole grain bread vs potatoes vs peas.

It's all carbs (which include starches) that are taken in the diet for people with seizure control. Only <20% is allowed overall.
YMMV.

 

[Ender]

About Yuna's 1200 calories article, I think there could be some incorrect information. The part that she watched what she ate very carefully seems right because I saw Yuna herself saying that in other interview, but the number 1200 seems incorrect.
I see it's written in 2009 and interviewed coach Shin. IIRC, coach Shin coached Yuna when she was a novice level skater(and around 2013). So, maybe the number she remembered was from Yuna's novice year? Since 2007 Yuna trained in Canada and I don't see her reporting her daily diet to her childhood coach to be honest.
The only time I was a bit concerned about her weight was the summer of 2007 when she looked really really lean. A little too lean. That was when she was going through puberty and body change I think, and during that time maybe she did very strict diet to control her body change. But also around that time, Yuna wrote on her blog that she did so much running that summer that it was like a hell. So maybe it was the training, not diet. Or both.
Before Sochi, Yuna said it was more difficult to gain weight and muscle so she had to eat lots of pork. So I really don't think it's likely that she did 1200 calories intake when she was a senior skater.

Yes, I think 1200 calories for small girls might be not over the top (I honestly don't know how much girls under puberty eat per day), but for athletes who have to maintain their muscles I don't think it's enough. And many athletes eat a lot of foods that don't give you fat and develop muscles. It's not correct to think they don't eat much.

 

[bevybean]

It's all carbs (which include starches) that are taken in the diet for people with seizure control. Only <20% is allowed overall.
YMMV.

I was curious, so I did some research. And, as always when looking up nutrition information, it is hard to find a neutral source since a lot of people have "agendas" to push. (e.g. One article I found was written by a nutritionist who is vegan, so of course she concluded that a diet with no animal products was optimal.) But here is what I found out.

The normal first in line energy source for the Brain is Glucose derived from carbohydrates. Ketones are considered a secondary source when there is no glucose. It takes the body 2 weeks to adjust to the switch to ketones if the change is made abruptly. During those 2 weeks it is common to experience "brain fog" (loss of memory, low concentration, etc.) After your body has switched over completely brain function goes back to normal or even improves. Results do vary. Also even when used for epilepsy it does work 100% of the time. They are still unclear as to why it helps with seizure control. One popular theory is a change in brain chemistry, but nothing is proven yet.

Benefits of Ketosis:
Seizure control in epilepsy
Possible mood control/stablizing
Possible improved brain function (One study done comparing weight loss diets --high carb vs. low carb-- show improved brain function in both groups and was thought to be due to the weight loss itself.)

Risks of ketosis:
If your body over does the ketosis it will poison the blood and kill you. (I'm guessing that is why it is "low" carbs and not "no" carbs.)
Can result in muscle loss -- this seems to vary a lot
No long term research yet. Especially concerning the long term effects on the whole body, not just the brain. (e.g. many low carb diets are also high in fat which could lead to heart disease.)

Another general note: Most of the studies did not look at exercise as a factor. Exercise has alone has been proven to increase brain function in both healthy people and those with brain issues like dementia and cerebal pulsy.

In conclusion: We are both right. Even the scientist haven't figured out if one brain fuel is better than the other.

 

[Alex D]

This is so obvious.Very different what the Russians think about weight of skaters, gymnasts, rhythmic gymnasts. For example before the American's dominancy when the Russians and the Romaninans were the bests in gymnastics they have another type of body. And they are different even today. They really believe the light weight helps the gymnasts and of course the skaters, too.
But as I showed a video about the Russian rhythmic gymnasts in another thread the light weight prevents injuries.
And about the cultural differencies because of I interested in the Russian FS, skaters and Russia in general I have seen the Russian girls, and women are very thin, very pretty in the great cities. I can say this without violating any other nation because we, Hungarians are one of the most overweight nations.

edit: mrrice remembered me the dancers..look at the Russian ballet dancers..they are really incredible thin but not every American dancer. For ex Misty Copeland..

It is important to note I think, that in the East of Europe, a much more classical approach is taught in schools, while in NA it´s a lot about athletics. You could say that one style is very subtle, while the other is in your face.

Therefore, the typical body type of athletes, will be different.

 

[nimi]

I was curious, so I did some research. (...) After your body has switched over completely brain function goes back to normal or even improves. Results do vary. Also even when used for epilepsy it does work 100% of the time.

This is interesting, but I'm a bit confused about the last sentence here. Did you mean "it doesn't work 100% of the time"?

In conclusion: We are both right. Even the scientist haven't figured out if one brain fuel is better than the other.

Also, brains are complex, bodies are different and biology is messy. What works for some % of people might not work for others simply because diversity within human populations is a thing (and that's not getting into how this biological diversity then interacts with a variety of environmental factors etc...)

 

[mrrice]

It is important to note I think, that in the East of Europe, a much more classical approach is taught in schools, while in NA it´s a lot about athletics. You could say that one style is very subtle, while the other is in your face.

Therefore, the typical body type of athletes, will be different.

I completely agree with this. Though Russia is the only country I spent a decent amount of time in, I was amazed when we'd travel and perform for schools, festivals, and amusement parks, how interested the young people were in seeing us perform. I toured waaay back in the 80's and early 90's and there was a definite difference between the audiences in Russia as opposed to the US which is where we had just come from. Our first stop was St Petersburg......We all just stared at the beauty of that city. For some reason, I wasn't expecting to see so many Blondes. My Ballet teacher had jet black hair and for some reason, I was expecting the dancers to look like her. We walked into the studio and the first thing I thought was......I need to be ready to keep up with these dancers. There were very serious and it might have been because we were from the US but, they were amazing.

If there is one thing I would wish for skating fans, it would be to have the opportunity to travel and see how countries train their skaters. That's why I've become obsessed with watching Plushy's Academy on this site. I think it's great to see the similarities and the differences between teaching styles. I've worked with choreographers who never get on stage. They sit in the House-Audience and scream. Watching Plushy teach has been amazing. He, and his team of coaches are very experienced and the fact they can demonstrate the correct techniques is a rare bonus!

 

[Alex D]

I completely agree with this. Though Russia is the only country I spent a decent amount of time in, I was amazed when we'd travel and perform for schools, festivals, and amusement parks, how interested the young people were in seeing us perform. I toured waaay back in the 80's and early 90's and there was a definite difference between the audiences in Russia as opposed to the US which is where we had just come from. Our first stop was St Petersburg......We all just stared at the beauty of that city. For some reason, I wasn't expecting to see so many Blondes. My Ballet teacher had jet black hair and for some reason, I was expecting the dancers to look like her. We walked into the studio and the first thing I thought was......I need to be ready to keep up with these dancers. There were very serious and it might have been because we were from the US but, they were amazing.

If there is one thing I would wish for skating fans, it would be to have the opportunity to travel and see how countries train their skaters. That's why I've become obsessed with watching Plushy's Academy on this site. I think it's great to see the similarities and the differences between teaching styles. I've worked with choreographers who never get on stage. They sit in the House-Audience and scream. Watching Plushy teach has been amazing. He, and his team of coaches are very experienced and the fact they can demonstrate the correct techniques is a rare bonus!

Yes, those inside views are golden and make you really appreciate the competitions more and it helps to understand why things are so different.

Back in the days, my GF - a gymnast, she was part of a mostly "Russian" group of athletes and I spend a lot of time there, waiting for her to finish, so we could go home. The coach was a Russian and they also had camps in Moscow at times, at times I went with them and it has taught me a lot about sacrifices for these young athletes.

But most impressive was, how the coaches put so much details into the athletes programs, at times they kept doing a five seconds pattern for hours until it was right. A lot about posture, grace, elegance, straight legs... What you can do with a simple peace of rope or a chair, it´s been very entertaining to say the least.

While the coaches were a bit tough at times and sometimes a tear rolled down the chin, they put in as much passion and effort like the Gymnasts themselves. The structure, a full day scheduled, strong diets... ya it was quite something.

Then at competitions, you also got a glimpse of other nations and how they do things, but the best was that everyone seemed to be friend with everyone. I love watching coaches to be honest, it just helps to understand things very well.

I bet Plushy is doing great, he always had that special attitude on ice and will surely teach said to his students.

 

[Seren]

The notion that light weight prevents injuries is not true. Fitness combined with a healthy diet prevents injuries- and often this results in the leaner body type that gives the advantage in sports like skating. A light weight achieved in an unhealthy way is a perfect set up for injuries. Particularly stress fractures in sports like skating and gymnastics. Skating will always favor leanness- it's physics, but just being a lighter weight does not prevent injury.

I am not pulling this information out of nowhere, I have a degree in human physiology and a doctorate in physical therapy. I also almost ran myself into a stress fracture when I was 20 thanks to female athlete triad (undereating, amenorrhea, and bone density loss), all in the pursuit of maintaining what my stupid brain considered "thinness".

 

[bevybean]

This is interesting, but I'm a bit confused about the last sentence here. Did you mean "it doesn't work 100% of the time"?


Also, brains are complex, bodies are different and biology is messy. What works for some % of people might not work for others simply because diversity within human populations is a thing (and that's not getting into how this biological diversity then interacts with a variety of environmental factors etc...)

Yes. I meant "doesn't"