What Do We Know About the Energy Status and Diets of Pre-Professional and Professional Dancers: A Scoping Review

Dancers require adequate nutrition support for growth and development during the pre-professional stage, as well as to fuel classes and rehearsals and to enhance performance for both pre-professional and professional dancers. The aim of this study is to understand the energy status and diet of pre-professional and professional dancers in the genres of ballet, contemporary, musical theatre, and opera.

Electronic databases (n = 9) and grey literature were searched for primary studies with no time limit. Screening and data extraction were completed by two reviewers.

Twelve studies were included for pre-professional (n = 7) and professional (n = 5) dancers. The genres identified were ballet (n = 11) and contemporary (n = 1), with no studies on musical theatre or opera. Studies on pre-professional ballet and contemporary dancers indicated a negative energy balance and low energy availability. Pre-professional ballet dancers had lower energy intakes than professional dancers. Professional dancers had lower BMI and body fat percentages. Macronutrients were mostly reported using the acceptable macronutrient distribution range for carbohydrates (38-56%E), protein (12-17%E), and total fat (26-42%E). Iron and calcium were the main micronutrients of concern.

Accredited sports dietitians are recommended to support pre-professional and professional dancers to optimize their diet for health and performance. Further investigation is needed to quantify and assess dancers' dietary intake using sports nutrition guidelines for reference.