Figure Skating Nutrition: Energy, REDs, Eating Disorders, Bones and Supplements

This article contains affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Learn more.

It’s 5 a.m., the car is warming up in the dark, and breakfast is “something later”. Practice, school, another session, conditioning, and somewhere in there a granola bar. Then there’s the other pressure: a judged sport, a costume that shows everything, partners who lift, and comments about bodies that skaters hear more often than they should. Figure skating nutrition is about getting enough fuel into a long, early day, and about protecting skaters from the culture of eating too little. This page covers energy availability and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) as the International Olympic Committee describes it, eating-disorder warning signs and where to get help, bone health, and the few supplements worth a look, all third-party tested. It’s general information, not personal advice.

Prices change often. The prices below are what we saw at the maker or a major retailer in October 2026; check the current price before you buy.

Energy availability comes first

Energy availability is the energy left from food after paying for training: what the body has for growing, healing, hormones and bones. When it stays too low, 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. Low energy availability can be deliberate (dieting for weight or looks) or accidental (training more without eating more, or just no time to eat). Its effects reach the menstrual cycle, bones, metabolism, iron status, immunity, mental health and performance, and the IOC highlights low carbohydrate intake as a growing part of the problem.

Figure skating has the risk factors. In a classic study of elite skaters at U.S. training camps, average energy intakes (about 1,545 calories a day for women and 2,329 for men) were below recommended levels. Among young Swedish competitive skaters, more skipped meals per week went along with more injuries, and a 2025 systematic review listed skipped meals and REDs indicators among skating’s injury risk factors. In a 2025 survey of senior British championship skaters, 44% reported having been diagnosed with a nutritional deficiency at some point.

The IOC’s prevention experts recommend education and de-emphasizing body weight and leanness, especially for young and developing athletes, and the 2023 consensus says body composition should be measured in athletes under 18 only for medical reasons. In plain words for clubs, coaches and parents: no weigh-ins at the rink, no comments on bodies, and no “you’d jump higher if you were lighter”. Fuel the work.

Eating disorders: the warning signs and where to get help

Skating is considered a high-risk sport for eating disorders, and the numbers back that up. In a 2026 study of 57 adolescent and young adult skaters (ages 13 to 25), 35% screened positive for an eating disorder or disordered eating. More than half had received comments about their weight or shape, and those comments were linked to a positive screen. Fewer than 16% had heard of REDs or the female athlete triad. Boys and men are affected too; pairs and dance partners can feel weight pressure from both sides of a lift.

Signs of low energy availability or REDs (see 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, and performance that stalls despite hard training. Missing periods is not a sign of fitness.

Eating-disorder warning signs. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) says eating disorders are serious illnesses that affect people of all ages, sexes and body weights, and that even people who look healthy can have one. Signs it describes include very restricted eating, intense fear of gaining weight, a distorted body image, eating in secret, purging (vomiting or laxatives) and excessive exercise. At the rink that can look like skipped meals and snacks, constant talk about weight or “good and bad” foods, extra workouts after practice, layers of clothes to hide the body, dizziness or fainting on the ice, 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. If you’re a coach, parent or teammate, voice concern privately and kindly, talk about health rather than weight, and bring in a professional.

Daily eating for skaters

The 2016 joint position of the American College of Sports Medicine, 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 long or hard days) and protein around 1.2–2.0 g/kg a day, spread across the day. For a skater’s schedule:

• Something before early ice: a banana, toast with peanut butter or a glass of milk. Skating fasted at dawn is a common habit that leaves skaters running on empty.
• A real breakfast after early ice and a recovery snack or meal after every session. More in figure skating recovery.
• Carbohydrate at every meal (rice, pasta, bread, oats, potatoes, fruit): it’s the fuel for jumps and long sessions, not the enemy.
• Protein each time you eat (eggs, dairy, meat, fish, beans, tofu) for repair and growth.
• Water through the day; cold rinks hide thirst.

Competition-day meals are on the competition day page.

Bone health: build it while you can

Jumping loads the skeleton, and that’s good for bone. In nationally ranked adolescent skaters, singles skaters had higher bone density in the legs and pelvis than ice dancers, and a study of elite skaters found the landing leg had denser and stronger bone than the take-off leg. But the same study found arm bone density below normal (around the 27th percentile on average), and energy deficiency works against bone everywhere; stress fractures are the most common overuse injury in female singles skaters. The teen years are when most bone is built. 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 for ages 1 to 70. Indoor athletes who train before sunrise may get little sun, and the British survey’s authors suggested screening skaters for vitamin D and iron deficiency. Milk, yogurt, cheese, fortified plant milks, calcium-set tofu and leafy greens help. Ask your doctor about a blood test before adding supplements, especially iron, since too much iron can be harmful.

Supplements for skaters: honestly, few

The IOC’s 2018 consensus on dietary supplements and the ACSM position agree: food first, and supplements only for a specific reason. For young skaters, the American Academy of Pediatrics 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 teas and laxatives have no place in skating at any age. What can make sense, mostly for older skaters:

• Protein powder: a convenience for the drive from the rink to school, not a need.
• A basic multivitamin: a safety net for limited diets, ideally without iron unless a doctor recommends it.
• Vitamin D or calcium: only if a doctor finds you need it.
• Electrolytes: rarely needed in a cold rink; useful for summer camps and travel days.

Why third-party testing matters

Supplements can contain substances that aren’t on the label; one widely cited study found undeclared prohormones in about 15% of 634 products from 13 countries. Under anti-doping “strict liability” rules, a positive test is the athlete’s responsibility, and national-team and international skaters can be tested. 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 includes vitamin D and lists no iron, a plus if you haven’t been tested. Thorne Whey is a simple shake when breakfast has to happen in the car. Nuun Sport is a low-sugar tablet for hot summer camps. 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 skaters 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 figure skating hub, or see figure skating injuries (stress fractures and bone) and training. Comparing sports? See gymnastics nutrition and soccer nutrition.

Figure skating nutrition questions

What is RED-S (REDs) in figure skating?

Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport is the IOC’s name for the health and performance problems caused by not eating enough for the training you do. It affects female and male skaters and can show up as missed periods, stress fractures, fatigue, frequent illness and stalled progress.

Are eating disorders common in figure skating?

Skating is a high-risk sport. In a 2026 study, 35% of adolescent and young adult skaters screened positive for an eating disorder or disordered eating, and comments about weight or shape were linked to a positive screen. Help is available: start with a doctor, or call the ANAD helpline at 1-888-375-7767.

Should figure skaters eat before early-morning practice?

Yes. A small, easy snack such as a banana, toast or a glass of milk before early ice, then a real breakfast afterward. Skipped meals have been linked to more injuries in young skaters.

How much calcium and vitamin D does a teen skater need?

The NIH recommends 1,300 mg of calcium a day for ages 9 to 18 and 600 IU of vitamin D. Dairy, fortified plant milks, calcium-set tofu and leafy greens help. Ask a doctor before taking supplements.

Which supplements are safe for figure skaters?

Most skaters don’t need any. Older skaters who use protein powder or a multivitamin should choose a product that is NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport tested and check with a doctor or dietitian. Weight-loss products, fat burners and energy drinks have no place in the sport.