Just how important is diet and nutrition to performance? It can be the difference between winning and loosing. It can be difference between a quick recovery or a slow recovery marked with colds and infections. It can be the difference between being able to continue to sustain a vibrant competitive body for long time, well into your 80’s.
Performance enhancing supplements are just that supplements. I am talking about drinks, powders and pills that may contain caffeine, beta-alanine, L tyrosine, L glutamine, L cysteine. L arginine, d-ribose and a long list of other ingredients. They may help get you through an event and may even help improve your performance during the event but most have little influence on overall health. As you know I make a great nutritional drink mix and you could literally do a 10 day fast with it and improve your health, however, even Vive is not more powerful than a very good diet.
What would happen if you have an optimal diet that maximizes your bodies real potential and you then add an enhancing supplement like Vive Shake? You will take the next step into sustained, increased performance ability and optimal body function.
Most non-professional athletes don’t think very much about their diet except getting enough protein and or carbs (You may be the 1 in 500 that do care). Many have gone the Keto or Paleo route, which is not my discussion today. This discussion isn’t about macro-nutrients percentages; carbohydrates, fats and protein. I want to talk about the nutrients that fuel our metabolic system, build a powerful body and help the body function on an optimal level.
Most athletes consume the typical America diet rich in processed foods and excessive animal proteins (pizza, burgers, fries, chips, crackers, pastries, fried foods, a lot of restaurant food, wings, dairy, grain fed beef, pork) with an occasional healthy choice. They focus more on protein, and what I call event focused foods, drinks and supplements: drinks with electrolytes and carbs, power bars, and performance enhancers like beta alanine, L tyrosine, L carnotine, L arginine and caffeine. These are fine for the event but do little to really enhance the bodies ability to provide optimal performance over a season. Many of the amateur to semi-pro athletes I encounter have some serious health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and more. Many have problems with colds, respiratory infections and slow recovery. They fuel the body for an event but not for optimal life. Friends, it all about the diet!!
Professionals tend to understand the difference diet makes. They have learned that nutrition is important to performance. It can mean hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars of additional income. Look at Tom Brady’s diet and routine. Many pro athletes have even gone Vegan or Vegeterian because of its tremendous anti-inflammatory and health building benefits. I am not saying you must go vegan to be a healthy athlete. I am saying you need to make a conscious effort to eat the most unprocessed, most nutritious and most anti-inflammatory foods possible.
A few of the many pro athletes that understand the influence of a plant based diet. What do they eat?
- Carl Lewis, Olympic Gold Medalist
- Lizzie Armistead, Pro Cyclist
- Mark Cavendish, Pro Cyclist
- Levi Leipheimer, Pro Cyclist
- Prince Felder, Pro baseball,
- Venus Williams, Tennis,
- Serena Williams, Tennis
- Robert Parish, NBA
- Tom Brady, NFL Quarterback
- David Carter NFL Lineman
- Patrik Baboumain, Profesional body builder, strongman
- Scott Jurek, Ultramarathoner (ran 165.7 miles in 24 hours)
- Tony Gonzales, NFL Tight end
- Bill Pearl, Mr Universe (body builder)
- Hannah Teter, Snowboarder, Olympic Medalist
It takes a lot of different vitamins and minerals to create clean energy, repair and build tissues, keep immune function high and keep every organ functioning at peak capacity under the rigorous demands of athletic performance. It takes a lot anti-oxidants to reduce the damage from oxidation created by the metabolic system. These powerful nutrients do not come from processed foods and the typical American diet. The best and most powerful nutrients and anti-oxidants come from plants!!
I had the opportunity to work at a cycling event 4 years ago. As many riders from the 80 mile mountainous ride were coming in, one serious cyclist from Colorado came to our booth and said “I need calories, please anything”. Obviously, we hooked him up with a Viveshake. He chugged it and then another half of one 10 minutes later. He explained that 15 miles back he had bonked (depleted water, glucose and glycogen stores causing extreme muscle weakness) coming up the last hill. Can bonking be prevented or delayed nutritionally? Yes absolutely! So what caused him to bonk? To little sugar, too much sugar from a gel, not enough vitamins and minerals to create energy? Not enough water or B vitamins to release fat stores for energy? It could be any of them and all of them.
You cannot overcome a nutritionally poor diet with supplements. However you can supplement a nutritionally rich diet and increase performance potential. Refined and processed foods are nutrient thieves. They deplete your body of more nutrients than they provide.
Link to nutrients important for the energy pathway. https://wallysdailybites.com/2017/11/05/nutrients-required-for-optimal-athletic-performance/
Healthy Wishes,
Wally Bishop C.N.C., I.N.H.C.
www.wellnesswithwally.com
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/70/3/570s.full
http://ucdintegrativemedicine.com/2015/04/working-out-on-a-plant-based-diet/#gs.ZHRvkp4
The contents of the email or written communication are not medical advice and should not be considered as such! This blog is for informational purposes only. Please consult with your physician or health care provider if you have medical issues and before changing your diet or lifestyle or taking herbal or dietary supplements. Never start an exercise program with getting your doctors approval. Never quit taking medications unless advised to do so by your doctor. Only your health care provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs.
