Performance

  • Energy, Gut Health, Performance

    Gut training – What in the world is it?

    On paper there are a lot of things nutritionally that can really help someone. Putting that into practice isn’t always as straightforward though. Everyone responds differently to different things and a little trial and error is usually needed. That being said, if something doesn’t work the first time that doesn’t mean you have to write it off completely. Many athletes experience stomach issues during competitions and/or trainings which obviously isn’t ideal. There isn’t a universal obvious answer for everyone but often it stems from eating something the body hasn’t adapted to or too much overall. Just like you train your muscles when you exercise, gut training can help your gut to handle more.

    What exactly is gut training?

    You can train your gut just like you train your muscles. Gradual gut training could help you add fuel to the tank for better performance.

    Gut training is for the most part exactly what it sounds like. It’s getting the gut to be able to properly absorb and utilize the food and drinks you are consuming. For athletes, especially those doing long endurance events, fueling during competition is essential. Depending on what and how much is consumed can have both positive and negative results. With practice the gut is able to adapt and learn to tolerate more volume and do so efficiently. It’s almost impossible to eat enough to keep up with the energy being burned for most athletes. If able to close that gap though by being able to consume more, perhaps performance can improve too. Just like a car can go further with more gas, so can an athlete with more food/energy. Jumping in with too much too quickly though can result in problems though.

    How to practice gut training

    We’ve all seen or experienced first-hand when something doesn’t sit well and needing a bathroom immediately. Gut training helps the stomach learn how to handle additional nutrition to avoid that. Starting out it’s important to begin with small additions. For some people this could mean simply having a snack before training even starts. Many prefer to feel “light” and that food produces a “heavy” feeling. This is an indicator that the body hasn’t learned yet how to optimally handle food intake at that time.

    Starting small though will start to force the body to learn to digest that food better. Something simple like a basic granola bar or a banana can be a wonderful start. As the body manages that and is feeling good during training, then we can continue to add. The next step would be to try consuming a little something during training as well. During training the body is primarily focused on keeping the muscles going to perform. Digestion typically is taking a bit of a back seat as a result of that. This combination can sometimes make mid-training/competition fueling the hardest part of gut training. If able to build this though, gradually increasing the intake, having more fuel in the body can help to increase endurance and thus performance. Again, it’s important to do this gradually and take things slow.

    Be mindful of when you do this

    Don’t try diving into things right away, especially if it’s during a game or competition! Practice and training sessions are when you should be experimenting with these strategies. This is exactly what practice is for and in case there is a negative response to something, it’s better to occur in practice than in a game. Rule number one is always “No new foods on game day!” When peak performance is needed, you don’t want to add any additional challenges to the body.

    You can train your gut just like you train your muscles. Gradual gut training could help you add fuel to the tank for better performance.

    Should you try it?

    If looking to get the most out of your body I would absolutely recommend gut training. There are times and places for training fasted but that is when specific adaptations are trying to be achieved. Focusing on peak performance here, helping keep the body fueled will always be beneficial. This is particularly true come breakfast time. How many times have you said or heard someone say “I don’t eat breakfast because I’m not hungry.” If you then ask when the last time they ate breakfast regularly they likely couldn’t answer that. Their body has adapted to not expect it and thus not release hunger or digestive hormones in anticipation. On the other hand someone who eats breakfast daily would be starving if they skipped breakfast! Gut training can help with these things but it’s important to go slow and be patient with it.

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Energy, Performance, Wellness

    Mental fatigue could be hurting your physical performance

    The brain uses a whole lot of energy and is going essentially 24/7. We’d run into some really challenges if it wasn’t! This mental fatigue though can really add up and have quite the impact on our bodies in a variety of ways. One of which is the impact on physical performance. The mind-muscle connection is a very real thing and a tired mind could impact that. It’s important to work on finding that balance of mental and physical fatigue for optimal performance.

    What is mental fatigue

    This isn’t a trick question I promise! Mental fatigue is when our brain is doing a lot and gets tired. The exact same thing that happens to muscles when not given adequate rest. With the brain though some of those tasks aren’t as obvious as physical ones involving lifting weights. Our brains are being worked in a wide variety of manners just in our daily living. Some examples include office work, driving, reading, school work, using social media and even playing videogames. All of these things can add up causing fatigue to build up. This feeling is presented as overall feeling tired, “groggy” and slower decision making. Especially during competition you’re going to want to be able to assess the entire field and make accurate/quick decisions. Then once the decision is made it’s important be optimally be able to physically execute that decision.

    We all have a lot going on every day. All of that mental fatigue though could have a negative impact on your physical performance.

    Physical effects of mental fatigue

    One of the most noticeable effects is on how difficult tasks feel. In situations of doing the exact same work, if mentally fatigued those situations feel much more tiring. As a result, when feeling more tired, you aren’t able to train/compete for as long or as well. Definitely not ideal! Currently it appears the effects are most noticeable on endurance performance. The study referenced here looked at how many reps could be lifted of a submaximal weight. While that showed decreased performance and increased fatigue in the mentally fatigued groups, maximal strength doesn’t appear to be as impacted. For single explosive task this may not be a major issue but for games it could have a large effect.

    What to take away from this

    Team sports and most competitions require at least some form of endurance to perform optimally. This indicates that in preparation it would be best to try and limit mentally challenging tasks in the build up. For student athletes this can be a challenge especially around finals week. The best strategy is doing study early and do work ahead of time to avoid cramming around competition. If unable to be avoided, adding in a proper nap could be incredibly helpful as well. That nap could help to reduce some of that mental fatigue before a match. It also may not be a bad idea to try and limit social media in the immediate lead up. So stay focused on the task at hand, relax and go compete.

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Energy, Muscle, Performance, Supplements, Vitamins/ Minerals

    Vitamin D possible impact on strength, speed and testosterone

    Vitamin D has gotten a lot of attention in the past few years. It seemingly has been the ‘cauliflower’ of the vitamin world being involved with almost everything. You have cauliflower rice, pizza, pretzels and everything else. Vitamin D is showing to have some impact on immune system, respiratory system, bone health, strength and much more. Latest research dives into the potential impact on physical performance and testosterone levels.

    What is vitamin D and optimal levels

    Vitamin D has been the flavor of the year for multiple years it seems! Now we are seeing if it can impact speed, strength and testosterone.

    As mentioned vitamin D is involved in a wide variety of functions we continue to learn more about. It is involved with calcium absorption for optimal bone health but that is the tip of the iceberg. Vitamin D receptors have begun to be found on muscle and now the trending question is what does that mean? This is where the currently study is looking at correlations between vitamin D levels and impact on performance and testosterone.

    The first question though is what is an optimal vitamin D level when getting a blood test? Sufficient levels are deemed to have a cutoff at ~30ng/ml. Situations that can increase the risk of being insufficient include if living in less sunny areas and/or spending increased time indoors also limiting that sun exposure. Indoor athletes such as basketball players and gymnasts tend to be at a greater risk of deficiency due to this. Those individuals need to be more mindful of consuming the proper food/supplements to keep those levels elevated.

    Sources of vitamin D

    The main natural sources of vitamin D comes from are fatty fish, egg yolks and sunshine. Unfortunately, many people don’t acquire enough of those foods or get enough sunshine. Especially depending on where you live it can impact access to that sun exposure, increasing the risk of deficiency. As a result, most of us tend to need to utilize a supplement to make up the difference. Vitamins fall into two categories of water-soluble and fat-soluble. This indicates the vitamin needing water or fat to be absorbed respectively. Vitamin D falls into that fat soluble category which means it should be consumed with a meal for optimal absorption.

    Study findings

    Having more data is never a bad thing and that is exactly what this study provides. While there isn’t any major discovery, we at least have a bigger sample size to pull from. The participants in this study were elite track and field athletes both male and female around 18 years old. Correlations were looked at between vitamin D levels with 20-30 meter sprints, jump performance and testosterone levels.

    Starting with the testosterone, this is a very early area of research with much more research needed and coming. This connection stems from vitamin D’s role in overall hormone production. Among these hormones, testosterone is included. There are a few studies that have found a correlation where improving vitamin D deficiency can help regain testosterone levels. Data shown in the referenced study does not appear to show a direct correlation though with higher vitamin D levels and higher testosterone levels.

    Vitamin D has been the flavor of the year for multiple years it seems! Now we are seeing if it can impact speed, strength and testosterone.

    Perhaps the performance tests will show some positive results! Unfortunately, this area also doesn’t have any major correlations found in males or females. Sprint speeds and strength of jumps were all fairly equal and seemingly not impacted by varying vitamin D levels. Improving performance in these areas still seems to be more dependent upon overall proper fueling and training. No super-secret ingredient in this one.

    What to take away from this

    While no specific correlations were found, there are a few things we can still take from this. The biggest thing from my perspective comes from the fact that on average most of the participants were already achieving sufficient levels of vitamin D. Many of the studies previously have shown that a lot of the benefits are noted when improving from insufficient levels. So, this helps to at least reinforce what can occur with sufficient levels. But just because something is sufficient, doesn’t mean it is optimal. Average levels in the study were in the 30s ng/ml but optimal levels may actually be closer to 50. Perhaps increasing these participants levels a bit higher could have resulted in more notable effects.

    Now for the action items! If you have never gotten your vitamin D levels checked, that is step one. If you don’t know where you’re starting from it’s tough to know where you need to go. After getting those levels though, if deficient I highly encourage working on getting those up right away. That can have significant benefits so don’t sleep on that. Upon receipt of the results and you find that you have sufficient but perhaps not quite optimal levels, focusing on some vitamin D rich foods and likely a supplement could be beneficial. Before just blindly taking a supplement though please make sure to check with someone first.

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Body Composition, Performance, Supplements, Weight

    Creatine effects on weight gain and water retention

    Along with caffeine, creatine is one of the most researched supplements of all time. When people first hear creatine though they automatically thing of huge muscular individuals. While it can help to build muscle, it isn’t magically going to turn you into the hulk. It has a lot of benefits to improve performance and overall health but some negatives linger surrounding it. The main one is weight gain. While this mostly comes from water retention, it’s still something to be mindful of.

    What exactly is creatine

    To put it simply, creatine is a very quick source of energy. During physical activity the body uses up a lot of energy, especially at higher intensities. Creatine is able to help replenish those energy stores in a very quick and efficient manner. Unlike some claims out there may try to say creatine is absolutely nothing like steroids. It is one of the most studied supplements out there and has been shown to be incredibly safe. Benefits of creatine surpass what is just discussed here in this article. But for now, let’s dive into the impact on muscle and potential water retention.

    Creatine impact on muscle

    Just taking creatine by itself doesn’t necessarily guarantee building muscle. As mentioned previously, it’s that increase in energy which is what allows for those gains. With quick energy replenishment it can allow for an extra rep and an extra set during workouts. Over time those extra reps add up resulting in greater adaptations and muscle/strength gains. There are a few studies showing potential of creatine on its own to stimulate some muscle building but as of now there isn’t enough to rely solely on that. If wanting to build strength and muscle, there’s no escaping putting in the work in the gym!

    Potential water retention

    Water retention and the resulting weight gain has been one of the biggest complaints of creatine. If only looking at the scale the weight gain can be pretty intimidating and off-putting. This is not fat gain though so that concern can be erased. A relatively quick weight gain from water though can be a negative in sports though. Increasing the weight that one now has to carry while performing has potential to result in a little bit earlier fatigue. The added workload can also potentially increase the risk of cramps popping up if training volume remains consistent. Short term cramps and fatigue in certain situations is not a common thing though! Proper dosage strategies can also help reduce, if not eliminate, the risk of this.

    Optimal creatine usage strategy

    Majority of water retention situations occur when “loading phases” of creatine takes place. This is when larger dosages of creatine is consumed to get the body’s levels up quicker. Like always, patience is a great virtue and can offset these effects. By taking a typically lower dose of just 5 grams per day, this weight gain typically doesn’t occur. The lower dosage dose take a bit longer then for the creatine levels in the body to increase but those levels do get up to the same level. Unless you have a good reason for being in a rush, slow and steady is the way to go.

    Creatine has a ton of benefits but sometimes gets overshadowed by claims of negatives regarding weight gain and water retention.

    Key takeaways

    Creatine is one supplement that I would recommend to just about everyone. Especially for athletes creatine has too much research behind it to ignore. On the opposite hand the negatives are incredibly minimal. With water retention being the main one, as discussed previously even that can be reduced. In a perfect world creatine would be something to begin taking during the offseason to give the body time to adapt. After that, 5g per day every day moving forward will help maintain those levels in the body. Keep that up and your body as well as your performance will be thanking you.

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Energy, Performance, Sleep, Wellness

    Best napping strategies to maximize your performance

    This isn’t the first no will it be the last time I write about the benefits of sleep. Odds are very high that if you are wanting to improve anything, sleep can help. Sleep doesn’t just mean at night when the sun is down though. Sleep also includes when we’re napping. Depending on how you implement napping into your routine, there are a lot of benefits to be had.

    Impact on cognitive and physical performance

    Top to bottom sleep can have a big impact on the body. When sleeping the body is able to recover and repair itself to perform better the next day. This performance includes both mental and physical. Cognitively the benefits include improved ability to focus as well as reaction time. Improved focus is beneficial for anyone regardless the task at hand to be able to be more productive. The added reaction time improvement though can really aid athletes. Being able to focus on what is occurring during a game helps to know where teammates and opponents are a bit better to make better decisions. Then when needing to act upon that, faster reaction times produce better results. Split seconds can be the difference between winning and losing so never discredit that. Physically as well overall strength and recovery is improved with a quick nap beforehand. 

    How long to spend napping

    Knowing that sleep and napping is beneficial, the natural question is how long to nap. Overall the most benefits seem to pop up when napping for 30-60 minutes. Shorter naps seem to not have as much of an effect as sometimes it can even be too short of a time to even actually fall asleep. Longer naps can be interesting though as we start to get into REM and deep sleep cycles. The biggest thing is wanting to avoid waking up in the middle of a cycle. That can result in feeling even worse when you are trying to wake up. If napping for longer than 60 minutes, going a full 120 minutes may be your best option. That will allow for the potential to get a complete sleep cycle in and not wake up in the middle. 

    Everyone loves a good nap! Napping in the proper manner though can help make sure that you maximize the benefits from it.

    After napping grogginess

    As mentioned previously, that grogginess after waking up is never ideal. Especially if poorly timed and you are having to perform very quickly after waking. A good rule of thumb is to allow for at least an hour after napping before your event. For most people that full hour is enough time to rub the sleep out of the eyes and be good to go. The benefits will have fully kicked in to be feeling alert and ready to perform. Some of the research is showing as well that allowing even more time can have better benefits. So if not in a time-crunch, try to give yourself some extra time after waking up before heading out. For example, if having a game at 7:00pm, a 2:00pm nap could be perfect.

    Good night vs. bad night of sleep

    Napping has shown benefits on days after both a good or bad night of sleep. Yet surprisingly a greater amount of benefit has been seen after nights of adequate sleep. Many times, we tend to think that after difficult nights that taking a nap can erase those negatives. Sadly, it may not be that easy. While napping absolutely can help, it’s still incredibly important to do your best to get a solid night of sleep.

    Key takeaways

    Everyone can benefit from a lovely nap! If really looking to maximize your performance, having a 30-60 minute day during the day is the goal. Make sure to give yourself at least 60 minutes afterwards to fully wake back up though. All of this starts with ensuring you had a good night sleep the night before for peak performance. Get yourself to bed at a decent time and take a nap beforehand if possible but if a student please don’t try and use this as an excuse to sleep in class! I don’t want any angry letters from teachers.

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Beet, Energy, Performance, Supplements, Wellness

    Impact of arginine and citrulline on athletic performance

    There’s no sleep for the supplement industry. Arginine and citrulline are relatively popular one’s touted for improving athletic performance. The evidence unfortunately isn’t entirely there to back those claims up. Logically though the potential is there. Yes, I’m saying there’s a chance! Let’s dig into this a bit to see what’s there.

    What is arginine and citrulline?

    Arginine and citrulline are amino acids that aid nitric oxide production. Nitric oxide helps dilate blood vessels to allow better blood flow and oxygen delivery. In the world of sports (and life in general) having adequate oxygen is a very good thing! Having enough oxygen ensure muscles are able to continue contracting and doing everything asked of them. That enhanced blood flow also allows for easier deliver of nutrients to muscles which can aid recovery. One the other end as well it also helps increase efficiency in removing any byproducts that the body needs to clear out. More of the “good” stuff and less of the “bad” stuff.

    Supplements arginine and citrulline are touted for improving athletic performance. The research may not necessarily back that up.

    Sources of arginine and citrulline

    The most effective manner to get arginine and citrulline is through supplementation. It’s not that they aren’t in foods but that the amounts needed are greater than would likely be achieved through food. Both are still helpful for an overall well-rounded diet though. Food wise, arginine can be found in meat, nuts/seeds, dairy and whole grains. Citrulline is found most abundantly in watermelon but also in cantaloupe and cucumbers. All of these foods you likely are already consuming but now have an added reason to continue doing so!

    Impact on performance

    The potential to help increase delivery of oxygen to muscles helps in many ways as mentioned previously. Increasing oxygen availability also allows for more efficient metabolism of nutrients for energy production. This means less lactic acid would be produced and in theory allow for better endurance. Studies looking into these improvements though aren’t conclusive. Most are showing no benefit from arginine and citrulline but also not showing detriments. Right now, the most positive findings appear to be in citrulline taken as 6g of citrulline malate for at least two weeks for possible results.

    Alternative options

    Similar types of effects have been shown in beet juice consumption. Beets are able to provide nitrates directly and thus increase that blood flow more effectively. While there may be other possible pathways that arginine and citrulline could have an impact, beets are the best bet for nitrates and oxygen delivery. Another benefit of beets is that you are able to take it as it is via food or juice. No having to worry about contaminated supplements when opting for food!

    Is it worth it?

    Right now, I would say in short…no. Your money would be better spent elsewhere such as your grocery bill for quality food. That’s not to say more studies may not come out in the future and make me eat my words. As of right now though there isn’t enough evidence to say it’s worth it. Having some beet juice and a bit of watermelon before games would be my recommendation.

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Diets, Energy, Performance, Weight, Wellness

    Energy needs not being met for professional female soccer players

    Any athlete in any sport is going to play better if meeting their energy needs. The way this is done is by simply eating. That is the very first thing that all other nutrition strategies are built off of. Macros, vitamins, minerals are all very important and are all acquired by the same manner. Eating! Unfortunately, a new study dove into things and found many professional female soccer players aren’t meeting their energy needs.

    Energy needs are key for performance

    For your body to do anything at all it requires energy. If asking it to do some intense things it naturally is going to have even greater energy needs. Before worrying about carbs, protein or fat, the energy piece of the puzzle comes first. Far too common though most people, not just athletes, are afraid of eating too much. Whether it be a goal of losing weight, improving body comp or to avoid gaining weight, energy restriction is the end result. There is a time and place for energy restriction but it has become far too common. Chronic restriction and not meeting energy needs can have a lot of negatives. Worse performance being a main one, muscle loss, slower metabolism and increased injury risk are all problems resulting from underfueling.

    Energy needs are high for soccer players and it's not uncommon for professional female soccer players to not be meeting their energy needs.

    Intake vs. energy needs of professional players

    Soccer players burn a lot of energy! I know, ground breaking information right there. On average the female players in this study had daily energy needs of ~2900 calories. Yes, you read that right and it isn’t 2,000 or 1,200 the two common numbers that typically many strive for. If wanting great things from your body you have to give it great fuel. Unfortunately though ~23% were underfueling on training days and ~36% on match days. When tracking food intake, underreporting is very common but the point remains.

    Where is the deficit coming from?

    For match day and training days protein and fat intakes didn’t change much. That is perfectly ok and not a major issue especially regarding the protein. On off days and match days you still need to fuel your muscles so protein intake is fairly steady. Fat is something that can increase on match days though purely to help with calories. Carbs though were the biggest thing as that intake remained steady throughout. For optimal fueling, those are something that should be tapered down a bit on off days and then increased on match days as intensity increases.

    Encourage proper fueling

    The temptations for calorie restriction are real and incredibly prevalent. It’s easier said than done but don’t fall for the trap. Ensuring that your energy needs are provided will turn you into a better athlete. Simple as that. Before concerning yourself with determining how much protein or carbs to have, just start with eating. If you’re currently on eating one meal per day you’re asking the wrong questions. So make sure you’re fueling your body to perform your best and even decrease injury risk.

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Body Composition, Energy, Fasting, Metabolism, Performance, Weight, Wellness

    Fasting before evening workouts have pros/cons to consider

    Every week it seems something new is coming out regarding the effects of fasting. In particular many are looking at the potential combined effects of fasting before exercise. If both fasting and exercise have potential benefits, the two together should be even better right? This seems to be the common thought process but not always the case. Most studies though have looked at the impact of overnight fasting on exercise. A recent one came out looking at the impact on evening workouts for a new perspective.

    Effects of fasting

    Fasting workouts are normally done in the morning after sleeping before breakfast but doing so in the evening also has pros/cons to consider.

    Most people experiment with fasting for one of two common reasons. One is weight loss and the other is improving metabolic health and adaptations. Weight loss comes from being in a caloric deficit and is true for any diet one may be following. It makes sense then that if reducing the time available to eat that overall less calories will be consumed. Pairing that with some extra physical activity to burn more calories, more weight is lost. Can’t argue with that side of things.

    The metabolic adaptations are aimed at increasing the body’s ability to burn fat. Without eating anything (carbs in particular) the body is still needing energy from somewhere. To get that energy and keep functioning, fat is what gets utilized more. By forcing the body to use fat, it becomes better at that process. Just like when we practice something, the more we do it the better we get. So, if the body is using more fat and we are consuming less calories, the weight being lost should be coming mostly from fat. Then adding in some exercise on top of that may accelerate all of these things theoretically.

    Exercise while fasting

    In theory all signs point to a greater energy deficit for more weight loss and increased fat usage. But the exercise piece of this is going to be a bit of a struggle. As most of us have experienced firsthand, when hungry we usually aren’t feeling the best. This can result in a worse training session due to decreased performance. While more fat may proportionally be getting burned in that workout, less overall energy is likely being used meaning less overall fat burned.

    In the latest study this was shown in males and females that when asked to give peak performance, they came up short when fasted. Even when given an all you can eat buffet afterwards though, a bit more food was consumed in the fasted group but it didn’t offset the amount from skipping a meal earlier. So overall a caloric deficit was still the result. Interestingly though this increased intake post-exercise was only seen in males. Females ate equal amounts in both groups and resulted in even greater caloric deficit as a result.

    Is this a good strategy?

    The infamous response is, it depends. In the short term it can help with some weight loss and fat loss. This comes at a cost though where you aren’t getting the most out of your workouts. Especially for athletes looking to improve performance, this can be a big problem. It also can make it tougher to recover properly. The body needs energy and in particular protein to repair itself after those hard trainings. If in a constant deficit and not getting enough protein you’re going to feel more sore and performing worse. Rough combination there. Whether considering fasted exercise in the morning or evening like this study, there are trade-offs that need to be considered.

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Injury, Performance, safety, Wellness, Youth

    Specializing in one sport may not be the best for young runners

    It’s becoming increasingly common for kids to start specializing in just one sport. Not only is this happening more overall but it’s happening at an even younger age as well. Logically this makes sense as the more you practice the better you get. So understandably if you start sooner and practice longer you would likely be better. In the world of sports and athletes though this could have some physical implications needing to be considered.

    Specializing in running

    There are different fun runs and events seemingly every week now. Ranging from the Turkey Trots to Shamrock Shake 5k runs families always have something to participate in. With these events it’s great to see young kids joining in on the runs as well! This is a great way to encourage physical activity in youth and get them interested in running. Certainly, better things than watching Netflix all day! For some kids who really enjoy it though may want to start running competitively. If wanting to do so, that’s great but be mindful if that becomes their only form of activity.

    Specializing in one sport is becoming increasingly common especially amongst youth athletes but some caution may be needed with this.

    Running is great physical activity and does wonders for the cardiovascular system! Running though involves a very repetitive movement done in just a single linear path. There may be some hills or slight turns but it’s generally the same actions and stress on the body. For overall wellness and strength of the entire body it’s best to mix things up a little bit. Participating in various sports that involve more changes in direction and different stress loads on the body will help to become more well-rounded an athlete and also decrease injury risk. Younger athletes in particular can really benefit from this.

    Youth athlete specialization

    Adolescents are going through a lot of changes physically. Particularly, it’s at a young age when bones do their most strengthening and development. Participating in different activities and exposing the body to different stressors sends the signal to those muscles/bones that they need to be strong to withstand those stressors. For an athlete who may only be running, they are getting just one stimulus. This can potentially increase the risk of injury later on, particularly stress fractures. Mixing things up with participation in other sports as well can help decrease this risk. Sports such as basketball or soccer which involve a lot of change of direction can provide that different stimulus to help strengthen bones even more.

    Decrease future injury risk in youth athletes

    Specializing in one sport can certainly be ok! If that particular athlete in particular athlete really enjoys one sport that is ok to prioritize it. That doesn’t mean it has to be the only form of activity that they have though. Playing different sports and proper strength training all can help keep the body healthy with less risk of injury. Pair that up with ensuring they are eating enough with some good calcium sources will have them built for success. 

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Diets, Energy, Ketone, Macronutrients, Performance, Supplements

    Supplemental ketones impact on performance in rugby players

    Ketones are generally associated with ketogenic diets. These diets are very low in carbohydrates and are set up to have the body run primarily on fat as its fuel source. Running on fat results in the production of ketones as part of the process. Ketones have been found to provide a wide variety of potential benefits and has gained a lot of attention as a result. Now there are even supplements to help in theory provide those benefits without needing to follow a low carb diet itself. Always looking for an edge, athletes are getting curious as well to see its potential impact on performance.

    What are ketones used for

    One of the biggest misunderstandings with ketones is their impact on fat loss. While ketones are produced in greater amounts in low carb diets when the body is burning more fat, ketones themselves do not directly cause greater fat loss. Some people take ketones in hopes of improved body comp through increased fat loss but are typically left disappointed. Put simply, ketones primarily serve as an additional energy source for the body to use. While the body is utilizing those though, it impacts the metabolism and utilization of other nutrients.

    Impact on carbs, fat and lactate

    Carbs and fat are generally the two primary sources of energy that the body pulls from. During more intense exercise/activities, carbs become increasingly relied upon for that energy. That carb utilization during intense situations is also what produces lactate in the body. If too much lactate is produced and/or too much carbohydrate and it’s stored form glycogen are used, fatigue starts to set in. Preserving that carb/glycogen usage is an area of great interest due to the potential to theoretically allow for longer duration of training and greater performance.

    Ketones may have the potential to do just that. When the body is prioritizing ketones for energy, that means those glycogen stores are able to be preserved. That extra fuel tank could then be available for later in the game/competition to use while the opponents may be getting more fatigued. Ketones are also able to provide energy in a manner that doesn’t produce lactate. These two things are the main areas of interest for ketones during physical activity. While it sounds great in theory, does it actually translate to performance? 

    Performance effects with ketones

    In a recent study, professional rugby players but that to the test. Rugby is a sport that has a strong endurance/cardio component as well as intervals of high intensity anaerobic activities. They compared performance in a rugby style simulation when consuming a carbohydrate beverage versus a ketone beverage of equal calories. For 15-meter sprints and explosive strength tests, there wasn’t any noticeable difference between the two groups. Differences were noticed though with intermittent repeat drills of high intensity lasting ~15 seconds in total each time. Those with the ketone supplement completed the drill a split second quicker (15.53 vs. 15.86 seconds) on average. While a split second may not seem like a lot, at an elite level it can have a significant impact. Because of that, ketones are an area to continue keeping an eye on.

    Ketones used to be only available by ketogenic diets but now can be supplemented and may benefit performance shown recently in rugby players.

    If and when to try ketones

    Rule number one is no new foods/supplements on game day! You always want to test new things during practice and off days. Doing so allows for you to see how your body reacts without risking a poor performance during competition. Some people do experience upset stomachs when taking ketones so you will want to make sure you don’t fall into that category yourself. You know your body better than anyone so listen to it and see how you feel and respond. As with all supplements though, especially if an athlete who gets random performance drug tests, make sure it’s a third party tested product. If unsure please don’t hesitate to reach out to me as I’m more than happy to help check for you.

    Study referenced: click here

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