Fasted training sessions and intermittent fasting are creating quite the buzz with the promise of weight loss and performance benefits. And, seemingly everyone is doing it, so what could be the harm? If you’ve ever jumped out of bed for an early morning workout without eating and didn’t grab a banana or bar, then you’ve done a fasted workout. Some athletes consciously forgo eating since they feel better training on an empty stomach, while others claim pre-fueling isn’t high on their priority list.
[Read more…]Three Treadmill Workouts to Outsmart Old Man Winter
If you are like most runners, the cool crisp winter air is a welcomed break from the triple digits we suffered in over the summer. And, not only do we feel better, but cooler temperatures enhance run performance since it’s physiologically easier to run when the body doesn’t have to work hard to maintain its core temperature. But when it comes to running, winter isn’t all a bed of roses. The shorter days, frigid temps and Jack Frost’s ice-covered roads – all wreak havoc on our training schedules and outdoor runs. Luckily these treadmill workouts will let you train indoors.
[Read more…]Gut Health, Inflammation, and How to Improve Your Microbiome
Whether you are a seasoned athlete or fitness enthusiast seeking to attain a work/life balance, at the end of the day, we all strive for health, happiness, and longevity. And to that end, establishing and maintaining healthy habits is a great start. However, we may not realize that some habits repeated over time lead to accumulated inflammation and poor gut health.
[Read more…]Sleep & Athletic Performance – The Impact and How to Improve
Are you skimping on sleep, waking up tired and plodding through your workouts with the well-intended goal of hitting the hay earlier tonight? If so, welcome to the club! A recent blog I wrote, The Secret Recipe to Athletic Performance Enhancement, discusses why blindly following a training plan without first mastering physiological, dietary and lifestyle essentials is ill-advised.
While there are many recovery modalities available to athletes, sleep is the most important and impactful. And, unsurprisingly, it’s the one essential that is most commonly underestimated and compromised by busy people on-the-go. I get it, there’s nothing sexy about sleep; It doesn’t come in a shiny package marketed with endless promises of increased strength and energy, but it should. So, grab your pillow and get comfy while I explain why sleep should be at the forefront of your training plan.
[Read more…]Hydration and Athletic Performance
Recently, I gave a sports nutrition talk to a local triathlon club. As an ice breaker, I started by asking a few basic questions to gauge their knowledge about proper hydration while training. Their answers and misconceptions mirrored those that I have heard from hundreds of athletes over the past three decades. Athletes, specifically runners, when asked about their hydration practices, most frequently respond by saying such things as, “I don’t need to hydrate while running, and will drink after my workout.”
Other athletes have no hydration plan at all, saying such things as “If I become thirsty, I will stop and sip from a water fountain along the route.” While others will make excuses about why they don’t drink while training, including not willing to carry fluids and sport
Trust me, I have heard every excuse why athletes do not hydrate during their workouts.
[Read more…]Stress and Athletic Performance
Unless you are a professional athlete whose daily schedule is simplified around a train, sleep, eat, and repeat cycle, then you along with most athletes walk a fine line between balancing life stress with training stress. Amateur athletes should view their training loads as one part of a healthy, productive, and engaged life. It’s critical to take inventory of your life both in and outside sport to recognize your overall stress environment as it relates to fitness and performance.
The word stress oozes negativity. It’s definition: “A state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.” Athletes incur two types of stress: non-training and training stress. Both affect our body, energy, hormones, performance, mood, etc. Let’s break down the origin of our stress and learn how to mitigate its negative effect on our lives.
[Read more…]The Secret Recipe to Performance Enhancement
The other day I overheard a conversation between two runners discussing training plans and weekly mileage as it related to their performance in an upcoming race. I’m not one to eavesdrop, but the conversation was eerily similar to a discussion I had recently with one of my coached athletes. Both conversations circled around “cutting-edge run workouts alongside becoming leaner to reach optimal race weight.”
Goodness… where do I start debunking? I’ll begin with the foundation–where I started with my athlete. This is a jam-packed topic that seems complicated but is actually quite simple. I’m cutting to the chase, so listen up.
[Read more…]The best macronutrient ratio for athletes and the truth behind calories burned
Athletes come in all shapes and sizes. Just like books, they shouldn’t be judged by their cover. Still, whether it’s to shed a few unwanted pounds or improve performance, striving for leaner body composition is an ongoing process for many athletes. But, how to achieve this ideal physique is like a fork in the road, and the weight loss GPS may guide you on an off-road journey leading to a dead end. Follow the tried and true path, and heed advice from this guide to burning calories and a balanced macronutrient ratio before you get started.
Counting Calories
With the numerous health and fitness apps at our fingertips, such as MyFitnessPal, MyPlate, and Lose It!, counting calories consumed minus calories burned has become an easy and convenient way to fit weight loss into a busy day using a simple math equation. Most assume that if the consumption of 3,500 calories equals one pound of body weight, reducing your intake by 3,500 calories via a combination of eating less and exercising more will result in one pound of weight loss, right? No, it’s not quite that simple.
[Read more…]