Cheerleading Nutrition: Eating Enough, REDs, Warning Signs and Supplements

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School ends at 3:15 and all-star practice starts at 5:00, across town. In between there’s homework, the drive, and maybe a granola bar. Practice runs until 8:30: tumbling, stunting, two full-outs, conditioning. Then there’s the uniform, cropped at the midriff, and a flyer who has heard, one too many times, that lighter is better. That’s where cheerleading nutrition really happens. This page puts it honestly: why eating enough is the first rule, what Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) is, eating-disorder warning signs and where to get help, what a cheerleader’s plate looks like, and the few supplements worth a look (third-party tested only). It’s general information, not personal advice.

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Energy availability: the rule that comes first

Energy availability is what’s left from the food you eat after paying for training: the energy the body has for growing, healing, hormones and bones. When it runs low for long enough, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) calls the result Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). Its 2023 consensus statement describes REDs as a syndrome of health and performance problems in both female and male athletes, caused by low energy availability. It can happen on purpose (dieting to lose weight) or by accident (long practices, no time to eat, not realizing how much cheer burns). The effects reach the menstrual cycle, bones, metabolism, iron status, immunity, mental health and performance, including strength, power and concentration, the things a flyer and her bases rely on.

Cheer research points the same way. In a small study of 19 college cheerleaders who logged their food and wore heart rate monitors, every one had low energy availability on practice days, and about half reported menstrual problems. In a survey of 268 female cheerleaders from all-star, school and college teams, about 1 in 3 (34%) showed eating-disorder risk on a standard questionnaire. College cheerleaders scored higher than all-star athletes, and when asked about uniforms, athletes wanted to be smallest in the midriff top. The authors concluded that cheerleaders are at risk at any level.

The IOC’s prevention experts recommend education and de-emphasizing body weight and leanness, especially for young and developing athletes; the 2023 consensus says body composition should be measured in athletes under 18 only for medical reasons. For cheer teams that means: no team weigh-ins, no weight requirements for flyers, no comments on bodies, and uniform choices that athletes are comfortable in. Strong, well-fueled flyers and bases are safer flyers and bases.

Warning signs to take seriously

Signs of low energy availability or REDs (talk to a doctor): missed or stopped periods (the IOC’s clinical tool treats no first period by age 15, or three or more missed cycles in a row, as key indicators), stress fractures or bone stress injuries, constant tiredness, frequent illness, unplanned weight loss, dizziness, and skills or strength going backward despite hard training. Missing periods is common in aesthetic sports, but it isn’t normal and it isn’t a sign of fitness.

Eating-disorder warning signs. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) says eating disorders are serious illnesses that can affect people of all ages, sexes and body weights, and that even people who look healthy can be ill. Signs it describes include very restricted eating, an intense fear of gaining weight, a distorted body image, eating in secret, purging (vomiting or laxatives) and excessive exercise. On a cheer team that can look like skipping meals before competitions, constant talk about weight or “good and bad” foods, extra workouts after practice, diet pills or laxatives (the uniform study found more use of these among college cheerleaders), baggy clothes outside the gym, dizziness or fainting, and mood changes around food. NIMH stresses that eating disorders can be treated successfully and that early help matters.

Where to get help. Start with your family doctor or pediatrician, who can connect you with a mental health professional and a registered dietitian. In the U.S., the ANAD Eating Disorders Helpline is free at 1-888-375-7767 (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Central). If someone is in crisis or thinking about self-harm, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). For a medical emergency such as fainting, chest pain or confusion, call 911. Coaches and parents: speak privately and kindly, focus on health and how the athlete feels rather than weight, and bring in a professional.

What cheerleaders should eat

The 2016 joint position of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Dietitians of Canada sets the basics for athletes: carbohydrate matched to training (about 3–5 g per kilogram a day for lighter, skill-based training, more on longer or harder days) and protein around 1.2–2.0 g/kg a day, spread across the day. For cheerleaders that means:

• Three meals and planned snacks, never “saving up” for practice. A snack between school and practice is not optional on a three-hour night.
• Carbohydrate at every meal (rice, pasta, bread, oats, potatoes, fruit) for tumbling power. The IOC flags low carbohydrate availability as a growing part of the REDs picture.
• Protein every time you eat (eggs, dairy, meat, fish, beans, tofu) for strength and repair, especially for bases.
• Calcium and vitamin D for bones. The NIH recommends 1,300 mg of calcium a day for ages 9 to 18 (1,000 mg for most adults) and 600 IU (15 mcg) of vitamin D. Milk, yogurt, cheese, fortified plant milks and calcium-set tofu help.
• Water through the day, more on hot sideline nights.

Competition-day fueling is on our game day and competition day page, and post-practice eating on cheerleading recovery.

Supplements for cheerleaders: honestly, few

The IOC’s consensus on dietary supplements (2018) and the ACSM position agree: food first, supplements only for a specific reason. For young athletes, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says caffeinated energy drinks have no place in children’s and teens’ diets, and advises against creatine for athletes under 18. Weight-loss supplements, “fat burners,” diet pills, laxatives and detox teas have no place in cheer at any age. What can make sense, mostly for older athletes:

• Protein powder: a convenience when there’s no real meal after practice, not a need.
• A basic multivitamin: a safety net for picky or limited diets, ideally one without iron unless a doctor recommends it (too much iron can be harmful).
• Electrolytes: for hot outdoor games and summer camps, though water and salty food cover most needs.

Why third-party testing matters

Supplements can contain things that aren’t on the label; one widely cited study found undeclared prohormones in about 15% of 634 products from 13 countries. Athletes in drug-tested programs are responsible for whatever is in their body, and anyone can be harmed by hidden stimulants. Programs like NSF Certified for Sport and Informed Sport screen products for banned substances. They lower the risk without removing it, and they don’t prove a product works.

Our picks (third-party tested)

Product	In one serving	Certification	About (Oct 2026)	Per serving
Klean Multivitamin	2 tablets; 1,000 IU vitamin D; no iron listed	NSF Certified for Sport	$46 / 30 servings	about $1.53
Thorne Whey Protein Isolate	21 g protein	NSF Certified for Sport	$65 / 30 scoops	about $2.17
Nuun Sport	300 mg sodium, 1 g sugar	Informed Choice	$21 / 4 tubes (40 tablets)	about $0.53

Why these: each is on a sport-testing list, none contains stimulants, and none is a weight-loss product. The Klean Multivitamin lists no iron, a plus if you haven’t been tested. Thorne Whey is a simple shake when dinner is hours after practice. Nuun Sport is a low-sugar tablet for hot sidelines. Follow the label. Full comparisons: best multivitamin for athletes, best protein powder for athletes and best electrolyte powders.

Check the Klean Multivitamin price on Amazon

Talk to a professional. Before starting any supplement, check with your doctor or a registered sports dietitian, especially for cheerleaders under 18 and anyone who is pregnant, takes medication or has a medical condition. This page is general information, not medical advice.

Back to the cheerleading hub, or see cheerleading injuries and training. Comparing sports? See soccer nutrition.

Cheerleading nutrition questions

What is RED-S (REDs) in cheerleading?

Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport is the IOC’s name for the health and performance problems that come from not eating enough for the training you do. It affects female and male athletes and can show up as missed periods, stress fractures, fatigue, frequent illness and lost strength. One study found all the college cheerleaders it followed were low on energy on practice days.

Do flyers need to be a certain weight?

No. Safe stunting depends on technique, strength and body control from the whole group. The IOC recommends de-emphasizing body weight, especially for young athletes, and dieting to fly raises the risk of REDs and eating disorders.

How do I know if a teammate has an eating disorder?

Watch for restricted eating, fear of weight gain, secret eating, purging, diet pills or laxatives, extra exercise and constant focus on body shape. Tell a trusted adult. Parents and coaches should talk privately and kindly and involve a doctor. The ANAD helpline (1-888-375-7767) offers free support; in a crisis call or text 988.

What should a cheerleader eat before practice?

A real snack 1–2 hours before, built on carbohydrate with a little protein: a sandwich, yogurt and fruit, crackers and cheese, or a bagel with peanut butter. Long practices on an empty stomach are a common cause of fatigue and dizziness.

Should cheerleaders take supplements?

Most don’t need them. Food comes first, and weight-loss products have no place in the sport. The AAP advises against creatine and energy drinks for young athletes. Older cheerleaders who use protein or a multivitamin should pick a third-party tested product and check with a doctor or dietitian.