recovery

  • Diets, Energy, Inflammation, Macronutrients, Recovery, Wellness

    Add some avocado to your life

    The idea of “super foods” gets thrown around a lot. Along the way many foods tend to cycle in and out of the label and avocado is one of them. Avocados have become incredibly popular but the reasonings as to why depends on why you ask. Some sing its praises due to its low carb content. Other’s love it for the great nutrients it contains. Then there are some that are hesitant about them due to their fat content. With such differing opinions and thoughts, it can be confusing to know what to think about this mysterious fruit.

    Avocado hype and the positives

    There is a lot to love about avocados which is what sparked the referenced study in the first place. They are a nutrient powerhouse that contain some vitamins that the majority of people struggle to get enough of. In particular, vitamin E and magnesium. The nutrients help to fight off inflammation in the body and aids melatonin production for sleep respectively.

    Keeping the good times rolling, avocados are also a solid source of fiber and potassium. Fiber is great at keeping a health gut microbiome which cannot be emphasize enough how important that is. The gut is one of the body’s first lines of defense to keep the bad stuff out and let the good stuff in. This ensures no inflammatory items are allowed in while the beneficial nutrients are, to keep the body in a fantastic state. Potassium wise avocados actually contain more potassium than bananas. Adequate potassium intake ensures optimal muscle contractions while also aiding blood pressure levels.

    Avocado is a great source of a variety of nutrients. There can be confusion about high fat foods but you can rest assured about avocado!

    Isn’t all the fat in avocado worrisome?

    This is a myth that has been around seemingly since the dawn of time. Eating fat is not bad! Your body requires fat and is needed for optimal nutrient absorption and hormone production. Without those things you’re going to have a bad time. It’s a good thing that avocados can fill that need for you then as avocado is one of the few fruits that is mostly made up of fat.

    The type of fat in avocados is particularly what makes them so popular by many people. Avocados are very high in unsaturated fats. Compared to saturated fats, unsaturated fats have been linked with better overall health benefits. They’ve been shown to help decrease inflammation in the body and aid in cholesterol improvements. These cardiovascular effects were the focal point of the recent study done. With the nutrients and unsaturated fat content of avocados it was expected to be clear cut benefits being seen.

    While the benefits weren’t as significant as one may expect, there were still some positive trends. HDL levels were shown to increase which is helpful at decreasing the risk of cardiovascular issues arising. In addition to that, oxidized LDL levels were decreased indicating overall stress in the body was decreased. Looking at potential impact on weight as well there wasn’t any indication that increase avocado consumption resulted in increased weight gain. Just reinforcing the fact that eating fat does not make one fat. Overall, there’s a lot of benefit coming from those avocados.

    Ways to incorporate more avocados

    Cauliflower is still the champion of being able to be converted into just about anything! Avocado though can still make some guest appearances. One of my favorite ways to mix them in is in smoothies. They don’t provide much of a flavor that would overpower anything and can add a wonderful creaminess to the smoothie. If wanting to get a bit wild though, there are avocado brownies and avocado ice cream which Tom Brady has been known to dabble with. All of these are great but sometimes too just plain avocado with a little salt on its own is perfect enough! With so many options, make sure you are trying to add a few into your rotation as well.

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Carbs, Injury, Recovery, Wellness

    Dental health impact of energy drinks and sports drinks

    It may come as a surprise but dental health is an issue for many athletes. At Olympic games, dental care is one of the most common requests. There are a variety of factors that impact this which need to be kept in mind for athletes, in particular energy drinks and sports drinks. Peak performance requires peak nutrition which is difficult to achieve with dental health issues.

    Prevalence of dental health issues

    Dental health may not come to mind first when thinking of performance but an unexpected procedure can have a big impact on a game/tournament.

    Globally, dental health is a big issue amongst many athletes. For some it has to do with lack of access to dentists for regular checkups which is a major issue. Without a check-up it’s too easy for a minor issue to become something much bigger. At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games there were as many as 1600 dental treatments requested which had to be taken care of. Going to the dentist on a regular weekday is bad enough but imagine doing so in such an environment. Having to compete in the biggest moment of one’s life while having a sore mouth on top of it all. Competing your best requires feeling your best and dental health falls right in that category.

    Negative dental health contributing factors

    For active individuals there is a constant messaging of needing more and more carbs. Yes, carbs can be beneficial in the proper situation but sometimes the message gets confused. Sometimes this gets interpreted to thinking carbs need to be consumed 24/7 with drinks and food. With new sports nutrition products everywhere, this has become incredibly easy to do. Between energy drinks and sports drinks as well as gels, gummies and bars, carbs are easy to find.

    Constantly being exposed to high carb containing foods can be hard on teeth though. Typically, cavities get thought of around Halloween time due to kids eating all that candy. This same situation can become present with sports products but isn’t viewed the same way. Without keeping this in mind and making sure to properly clean and take care of one’s teeth, that constant exposure can lead to cavities and other issues as well.

    Increasing the risk of those issues is the fact that athletes are pushing their bodies to their limits in training. That effort impacts the immune system already and hurts the ability to fight off inflammation. While focusing on handling the stress of training, it can’t address the stress going on in the mouth. It’s the perfect storm and leaving the mouth very susceptible to potential issues. 

    Try to be proactive

    As mentioned previously, it’s tough to focus on the task at hand with a sore mouth! Being proactive as opposed to reactive is always the way to go and dental health is no exception. There’s never a good time for potential dental surgeries but if able to get ahead of things they can be prevented. If not prevented then at least addressed in more ideal times and situations. Nothing is worse than going into a major competition and then having to go and have dental surgery which can keep you out for a few days or more.

    As part of regular pre-season screenings, this is why dental checks are now becoming common amongst sports teams. Getting ahead of these things ensures healthy participation the rest of the year. Make sure you are taking care of your dental health as well. Brush regularly and have regular checkups with your dentist. During the day also make sure you aren’t constantly exposing your teeth to sugar as well. Sports drinks are intended to be used in specific situations when actually competing. Not necessarily while sitting on the couch because you enjoy the flavor. Your best ability is availability so keep those pearly whites healthy!

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Collagen, Injury, Muscle, Performance, Recovery, Wellness

    ACL recovery and injury prevention things to keep in mind

    Injuries are unfortunately part of what comes with sports and a common one is ACL injuries. Due to this, ACL recovery and injury prevention are key topics that need to be discussed in sport. Even for those who don’t classify themselves as an “athlete”, healthy ligaments are still very important. Nobody wants to deal with an injury or long recovery time so proper steps need to be taken.

    ACL injury causes

    Most ACL injuries occur in non-contact situations. Contact injuries are easy to see and understand what occurred but these are tougher to decipher. A main contributor seems to be in general a large training load being made without enough recovery time. Continuous training and small micro-tearing of the ACL continues to increase like muscles without rest. Poor day to day repair results in a bit of a ticking time-bomb waiting to go off.

    ACL recovery can be a long process. There are things that can be done though to help speed that up and decrease risk of injuring your ACL.

    ACL recovery starts with prevention

    Managing those small tears after training sessions and other physical activity is key. Monitoring the overall training load and intensity that is done helps ensure the proper rest time is offered in response to it. Tougher and more intense sessions need more rest. Nothing ground breaking there but it just needs to be monitored to know when it should be done. Then it’s actually doing it!

    Sometimes allowing yourself to take time off or having a lighter session is the toughest part. The feeling of needing to constantly push to stay above the competition is so strong. It’s just as much of a mental game that is played. But taking that time is a MUST to continue progressing. The most gains are actually gained on off days.

    Capitalizing on that prevention then is getting enough sleep. Proper sleep decreases the overall stress levels in the body. Stress doesn’t help anything but in particular it can impact your body’s ability to produce the ligament building/strengthening hormones to maximize recovery.

    Another major piece of the puzzle is collagen. Collagen is the main building block for tendons and ligaments. Just like you have protein to help build and repair muscles, collagen works in the same manner for tendons and ligaments. To get the most out of the collagen though you want to make sure that it contains some vitamin C. That helps the body to absorb it more effectively to actually work its magic.

    ACL recovery timeline

    Tendon and ligament injuries tend to take a bit longer to recover from. These areas typically get less blood flow to them which is a major reason for that delayed timeline. Blood is responsible to delivering those great nutrients and the collagen being consumed to the area. Incorporating some knee specific movement when able is important for this right here. That physical movement increases blood flow to the specific area to help aid nutrient delivery.

    ACL recovery strategies

    Finding a quality collagen is a big step and as noted previously it should have vitamin C within it. Two products that I typically recommend are Klean and Vital Proteins. Both of them are third party tested and have vitamin C within their products.

    Once those are acquired, taking them at the proper time is the next piece of the puzzle. The goal is to time it up with any rehab or exercise to take advantage of the increased blood flow. Drinking ~15g of collagen with vitamin C 30-60 minutes beforehand is perfect. That gives time for it to be absorbed and then the physical movement will help get that to the areas in need.

    Even after fully recovered and returned to full activity, continuing to take collagen can be helpful. It will maximize recovery between training sessions to help decrease the microtear buildup. As discussed earlier, recovery between sessions is very important and this will help maximize that. That combined with getting a lovely 8-10 hours of sleep each night and your ligaments are going to be feeling great!

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Brain Health, Inflammation, Recovery, Vitamins/ Minerals, Wellness

    Açaí Berries May Be Part Of Why Hawaii Is So Calm And Relaxed

    One of the best things that I had when my wife and I went to Hawaii were the acai bowls. They were as common over there as ice cream shops are here off the island. If you’ve had the pleasure of traveling to Hawaii you will have noticed the great culture and pace of life. It’s night and day compared to big city living around New York or Los Angeles. Some of this more relaxed, less anxious and overall chill demeaner may be in part due to this focus on acai.

    What is açaí?

    Acai is a berry that is native to Central and South America but has become popular is more places than just that. Super foods is a title that gets thrown around a bit loosely now-a-days but acai would absolutely be worthy of that label. Nutrients within acai are very antioxidant heavy which is able to help decrease inflammation in the body. Macronutrient wise it’s a fairly even split between carbs and unsaturated fats unlike most other fruits. Flavor wise it’s even better!

    Açaí’s impact on anxiety

    Acai berries are great sources of antioxidants to decrease inflammation in the body. This could aid with anxiety and memory benefits.

    Life is full of stressors that can start to take a toll on your body if not careful. In addition to other stress management and counseling strategies, a proper diet can play a big role. The study referenced here was done on rats which is always needed to be interpreted with a grain of salt but some takeaways can still be had. In general rats are physiologically fairly similar to humans and a lot easier to control for study purposes.

    In this study they purposefully put mice in some anxiety inducing situations to see how they respond. When compared to other mice eating a “typical” diet, those with acai were more calm and less anxious. More research naturally needs to be done but if this could help reduce some medication needs for some individuals down the road the research will be worthwhile. Something to keep an eye out for.

    Inflammation and memory benefits with açaí

    Situations of high stress, either physical or psychological, the added antioxidants of acai berries would be very beneficial. Increased inflammation impacts just about every aspect of the body from head to toe. Helping the body combat this with proper sleep, hydration and nutrient rich foods are critical.

    As we learn more about various mental/memory illnesses, inflammation is a factor that continues to come up. While this referenced study is on rats, the principles/concepts are applicable. Unfortunately, when most people get older, the quality of their diet seems to decrease a little bit as well. Absolutely no judgement but it is something to be mindful of and makes someone wonder if a few more antioxidant rich items could help decrease some of those common memory risks.

    Adding açaí into your diet

    The nutrient profile of acai makes it very unique due to the fat content. While not quite to the level of avocados, it’s still noticeably higher in fat. Due to that, acai may not be the best pre-workout for everyone but could be great post-workout or the rest of the day. With a balanced macro-breakdown this can help to keep glucose levels stable and avoid spikes and crashes.

    Acai berries are great sources of antioxidants to decrease inflammation in the body. This could aid with anxiety and memory benefits.

    Making some smoothies with acai thrown in is a great way to add some into your diet. My personal favorite though is going back to the way it was introduced to me in Hawaii. Acai bowls are heaven in a bowl! You can add various toppings such as other fruits, nuts, peanut butter, some honey, dark chocolate or whatever your heart desires. Adding in some of those additional antioxidant rich foods can make this treat even more beneficial. I encourage you to check out your local grocery store to see if they have any (frozen section may be your best bet) and give it a try!

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Heat, Hydration, Performance, Recovery, Wellness

    Hydration with water is great but not always best

    Hydration plays a huge role in every aspect of our lives from performance to general wellbeing. Performance wise the results can be a bit more noticeable and apparent with more immediate feedback. Knowing hydration is important is one thing but practicing proper hydration is another. Grabbing another glass of water is usually the most common action taken but may not always be the best.

    Water’s hydration benefits

    Water is very important and can certainly help with hydration but it isn't always best. Sometimes a little extra is needed.

    Don’t misunderstand, water is still great and should always be on hand! Drinking water throughout the day is a lot more effective at maintaining hydration than trying to chug a whole day’s worth in one hour. Properly drinking water will help you stay energized, aid digestion, improve concentration and help avoid nagging headaches. Spreading it out throughout the day also helps to properly absorb it to ensure it’s being utilized and not just peed out. Situations where quick rehydration is needed or when already dehydrated, other options are likely better.

    Upgrade your hydration from just water

    A couple little tweaks/additions to your water could really help improve hydration effects of your drink. Drinking the proper amount of fluid is the first step, but to get that water from your gut into your body/blood it needs a little help. Electrolytes, carbs and protein help serve as transporters to bring that fluid in. Having those things in your beverage speeds up the rate of getting fluid into the body before it is excreted.

    That is why sports drinks are called “sports” drinks because they help hydrate in those situations where it’s needed most. Athletes and really anyone who exercises, loses a lot of fluid in sweat that needs to be replaced. Incorporating electrolytes and sports drinks at the appropriate times can be key for optimizing performance and decreasing injury risk.

    When is each beverage best to have?

    Water is always number one. That should be on hand by your side every day always. Certain times though do call for increased hydration needs and importance. If in a situation of having two training sessions or two games in a single day, added electrolytes are 100% necessary. You need to rehydrate the fluid that was lost in the first session/game to go into the second one hydrated.

    Training in very hot environments or having very tough/long sessions also warrant an increased focus on electrolytes. There is a lot of sweat that has been lost in those moments that need to be replaced. Maintaining more consistent hydration helps to ensure optimal performance can be achieved, soft tissue injury risk is decreased and that the immune system is able to remain strong as well. All of these things help to ensure getting the most out of training sessions and also staying healthy enough to stay on the field.

    Hydration recommendations

    Overall fluid intake is still the priority. Aim to drink at least half of your body weight (pounds) in ounces of fluid each day. For example, a 160 pound athlete should be drinking at least 80oz of fluid daily.

    As for specific types of things to drink, I’m a big fan of The Right Stuff and LMNT for increased electrolyte consumption. The sodium concentration in these are very high and great for heavy sweaters or situations where rapid hydration is needed. They’re great in hot environments too as discussed earlier.

    Some carb containing traditional sports drinks like PowerAde and Gatorade are helpful when additional carbs are needed. Situations such as during games, higher intensity training sessions or when back-to-back games are played and overall energy needs are higher. These shouldn’t be consumed casually throughout the entire day though.

    Going back to the initial point, drinking enough in general is the key starting point. Get yourself a nice water bottle and keep that next to you each day. Then if needing to top off your hydration, keep a packet of some of those electrolytes handy to throw in that bottle too. Always have to be prepared!

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Energy, Injury, Performance, Recovery, Wellness

    Rest days are important, but when should they be?

    Taking rest day is incredibly important. Rest days are when the body is able to fully repair and strengthen itself from the work you put it through. Unfortunately rest days are sometimes viewed as unnecessary. The mindset of ‘if I’m not training, I’m not improving’ is very common and very strong. What needs to be understood is that a rest day doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a completely “off” day.

    What is a rest day?

    Having a proper rest day is incredibly important. There are a few things to consider though when deciding when to have one.

    A rest day can mean different things to different people/teams. Regardless the specifics of what it is, the goal is the same which is to let the body recover. Proper recovery ensures the body is strong and able to continue training and push harder the next day. Usually, these days involve things such as foam rolling, massage, yoga, mobility movements/stretches and very low impact activities. It isn’t a day to be viewed as sitting around doing nothing. The intensity is low but the intent of the activities themselves is still high.

    Best time for a rest day

    That is a million dollar question right there as there are a lot of variables to consider. The psychological piece is major for a team as you want to ensure after a match that time to decompress is provided. Playing at such a high intensity takes a lot out of you and a lot of recovery needs to take place. But whether that recovery is a full rest day or a lighter training session the next day is the big question. A recent study reviewing rest day scheduling habits of various top soccer clubs throughout the world shows having a rest day two days after a match may be the way to go.

    Recovery timeline impact on injuries

    Having a rest day two days after a match showed significant decreases in injury amongst the players. The situations specifically where this was noted when time between matches was 3 or 7 days. Part of this could be that it helps keep training loads of starters and substitution players equal. The day after a match, starters can have a lighter active recovery day while the subs could have a heavier workload to still get the work in they need. Maintaining that proper balance of total work ensures they are staying fit as well. Being more fit naturally decreases injury risk as was shown in the data collected.

    Rest day considerations

    While that second day appears to be more often than not the way to go, always keep an open mind. Evaluate all the different aspects before locking in the decision. Consider how you and/or the other players are feeling psychologically and what other events may be going on at the same time as well. The main thing though is to ensure that the proper training loads are being achieved while recovery opportunities are still available as well. Maintaining fitness helps minimize injury risk and so too does that rest. Just make sure on those rest days that nutrition and hydration are still being prioritized as well!

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Energy, Performance, Recovery, Sleep, Technology, Wellness

    Wearable technology is not great at estimating calorie needs

    For anyone interested in optimizing their health/performance, wearable technology has likely come up. There are so many different companies out there making different products for just about everything. Athletes in particular have been heavily targeted due to various training, recovery and sleep metrics out there. Having so much information at one’s disposal though makes it very important to know how accurate it is. Additionally, even if accurate what to do with that information is potentially an even bigger question.

    Sleep and training wearable technology

    These are what I’d say are the two most popular types of wearables on the market. Sleep is an area that just about everyone can improve upon and thus everyone wants to know how to be better. It’s also a very ‘easy’ time to try and measure something as the body isn’t moving as much. Measuring resting heart rate, heart rate variability, body temp and time spent in deep sleep are all great. They monitor trends of how the body is responding to various stressors each day to recover.

    During training is when some of the physical stressors are monitored. Whether it’s heart rate increases or using GPS technology to know how far, fast and accelerations/decelerations during a training session you can have a TON of information. To balance overall training load and how hard you are pushing your body, this information can be wonderful. Combining this and sleep recovery can be a great combo to monitor how the body responds to a specific session and knowing if the body is recovered to push things again the next day. It’s a balancing act to continue driving improvement but minimizing injury risk.

    Calculating calories with wearable technology

    Measuring caloric expenditure is where things get very tricky. Most wearables struggle with calculating the metabolic load of different exercises because it’s tough to track. Particularly during collision or resistance training activities this is even tougher. Most wearables rely on heart rate and a bit of GPS to determine energy needs. Looking at weight lifting though you aren’t moving hardly at all. On top of that it’s generally a fairly short duration for each set and your heart rate may not increase too significantly. Unless the wearable is specifically able to detect the force each muscle is generating to lift the respective weight it’s going to struggle calculating that.

    Collision sports are in a similar boat. Forces generated upon impact of hitting something as of now isn’t easily detected by wearables. At least not to my knowledge! These collisions though absolutely generate a big toll on the body and require additional caloric needs to repair. Linemen in American football in particular are prime examples of this. While already typically large individuals, their caloric needs are very high due to the frequent collisions they experience every play. This is in spite of not running or covering much ground typically.

    Be cautious with estimated calories

    Due to everything just mentioned, be careful if looking at the estimated calorie expenditure of your wearable. As the referenced study here shows as well, it very likely is underestimating what you truly need. In this study in particular is came in significantly under! When testing during a rugby preseason, the wearable they used (SenseWear Pro3) underestimated calorie needs by up to 1,000 calories. In-season needs were underestimated by 500 calories. Every piece of wearable technology is going to be a different and more or less accurate but the message is clear that you should be cautious with those numbers.

    Is any wearable technology worth it?

    Like most things…it depends! Ask yourself first what it is you are wanting to achieve and find out and then do a bit of your own research seeing what provides the type of information you’re wanting. Personally I’m a big fan of them. I utilize both Whoop and an Apple Watch but for slightly different reasons for each. The Whoop I have really enjoyed in monitoring my recovery and training loads and works for me. I’m using the Apple Watch honestly more for keeping myself organized but am playing with their fitness and sleep type information as well.

    The most important thing when using these types of technology is to not take the specific numbers to heart. You want to be more mindful of the overall trends. With the calories being a perfect example, we know the exact number being displayed to us is likely wrong. But by looking at the overall trends of our numbers, if the calories are showing to be higher one day it’s likely safe to say you need to eat more! You may have done a bit more movement/exercise that previously and thus need more food. So overall yes, I’m a fan of these things and like the information but stay mindful of what it’s actually telling you. Remember that trends are typically more valuable than single day numbers.

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Energy, Macronutrients, Metabolism, Muscle, Performance, Recovery

    Metabolic differences between slow & steady and high intensity exercise

    Exercise typically comes in two forms; aerobic and anaerobic. Both are beneficial and should be a part of everyone’s exercise and training routine but each has metabolic differences. Put simply, if you want to run for longer do some aerobic work. On the other hand then if you want to be stronger and more explosive do some anaerobic work. Metabolically, though there are some slight differences to keep in mind.

    Metabolic differences – Resistance exercise

    Resistance exercise is a lot more anaerobic. It involves moments of high intensity with some brief periods of rest sprinkled in. This high intensity activity generally depends more on carbs to maintain performance. In the moment and knowing some high intensity work is around the corner, grabbing some pretzels or a banana can be helpful if really getting after it. Hydrating properly before hand is also even more important for these activities. Grab some water to wash the pretzels down and you’ll be good to go.

    There are metabolic differences between resistance training and aerobic training that you need to be mindful of.

    Metabolic differences – Cardio exercise

    Running and more longer duration activities are more aerobic in nature. Slower and more steady state activities tend to rely a bit more on fat for energy in the moment. Overall, though aerobic activities use a bit more variety in energy. You can be casually jogging but then if needing to sprint all of a sudden, some carbs in the body will get tapped into to produce that energy. Having the flexibility to switch between these energy sources is key. Like all activities, when wanting to perform your best the main thing is to simply eat! Focusing on the foods that you know sit well for you and are appealing are great. Having a little bit of carbs can be helpful as well like for the situation mentioned so something like a PB&J sandwich can be great beforehand.

    Post-training response

    The body’s response after the activities is where things get interesting. After exercise, the body does respond with similar reactions to both types of training. Where things differ is in how strong some of those reactions are. Pushing your body through tough exercise naturally causes a stress response in the body. Post-aerobic exercise that stress response immediately appears to be a bit higher but then comes back down quicker compared to resistance exercise. Despite a lower overall stress response, there is a potentially greater amino acid breakdown in aerobic activity.

    What to do in response to differences

    After both types of exercise, the body is screaming for food and nutrients to begin the repair process. That extra stress from high intensity activities may in part be why those types of activities can produce potentially greater fitness results in a shorter time. If having a quick turnaround between high intensity competitions, antioxidant rich foods will be key to bring that down. Fruits can be your best friend!

    Higher amino acid breakdown with aerobic exercise indicates more protein/muscle is being broken down. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that this is something we’d want to address. First line of action is to ensure adequate protein is consumed after these aerobic events. While typically protein gets talked about a lot more with resistance training and weight lifting, it’s just as important with aerobic training. Protein is absolutely important after resistance training too though! Don’t feel as though this means it can be skipped as it’ll be key for muscle building still.

    Now that you know how your body is responding after your workouts make sure you are eating! Have some great protein and some fruit/veggies for optimal recovery. If you’re working hard make sure to eat hard too. (I’ll keep trying to find a better phrase!)

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Allergies, Inflammation, Recovery, Supplements

    Spirulina supplement is becoming popular and may help your immune system

    High intensity training and activities takes a big toll on the body. Falling in that category is the immune system in particular. To help maintain a strong immune system, the idea of taking a spirulina supplement has grown in popularity. Taking spirulina during times of recovery as Zion Williamson reportedly did could be a useful time a swell. Speeding up recovery with a strong immune system is a great strategy and using spirulina is an intriguing addition. Looking into this, a new study tested soccer players during an 8-week tournament preparation with spirulina.

    What is a spirulina supplement?

    Spirulina is a blue-green algae that is jam packed with nutrients. Containing all those nutrients does leave the door open for the potential to provide a lot of benefit in a variety of ways. Practicing vegans tend to use this as an additional source of protein, iron and B12 which they typically struggle to consume enough of. Having a spirulina supplement can help provide those benefits in a more concentrated does as it otherwise can be tough to sometimes incorporate into cooking.

    Spirulina supplement impact on immune system

    Impact on immune system

    During an 8-week build up to a tournament, researchers looked at the immune function of the soccer players. Each day half the players were given spirulina and the other half a placebo. Training sessions and practices were the same throughout. Upon completion of the 8-weeks it did show better levels of immune function markers in the spirulina group. Guaranteeing these benefits of spirulina from one study isn’t possible but it does add to the growing evidence in favor of it. Specifically the evidence showing potential benefits in relation to allergy and asthma responses.

    Is taking a spirulina supplement worth it?

    “Do no harm” is rule number one every time when it comes to taking a supplement. Looking at the research so far it appears there isn’t anything to be worried about which checks that box! Rule number two for athletes especially is ensuring that the supplement has been tested for banned substances. Double-checking that the product is NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Choice Sport certified is crucial. If unsure on how to do that please check their respective websites to look up different supplements or reach out to me directly. Safety first!

    Taking all the information we have so far, it’s tough to definitely say spirulina would be worth it. If wanting to make the investment and are ok with knowing it may not guarantee benefits, it could be worth the try. Consuming a diet full of good fruits and vegetables, proper hydration and good sleep should be first though! Adding in a supplement without first addressing those areas isn’t going to do much. Prioritize food first and then fill in the gaps where needed.

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Inflammation, Muscle, Performance, Recovery, Wellness

    Is cryotherapy recovery worth the chill?

    Interest in cryotherapy recovery has been gaining in popularity for a few years now. Athletes of all levels are lining up to embrace the chill in hopes of improving recovery. At the professional level many teams are building cryo-chambers into their training rooms even. Especially at the elite level, even the slight bit of additional benefit could be all the difference. Climbing into an ice box can be unpleasant for a short time but is it worth it for the potential benefits?

    What is cryotherapy recovery

    Put simply, cryotherapy recovery’s main goal is to cool down the body rapidly. Cooling down the body is putting it mildly! Climbing into a cryo-chamber you will be exposed to temperatures reaching -190 degrees Celsius. As you would expect with that though you will only be in there for about 2-3 minutes. You’re going to be in for a rough time and flirting with frostbite if staying for an extended period of time! Jumping into ice tubs is the original cold therapy strategy used and is still very common. Cost is a major reason for that as some similar benefits can be achieved with only needing a tub of water and some bags of ice. Effeciency is a big benefit of cryotherapy as well as you don’t have to sit in the cold as long.

    Cryotherapy recovery preparation for benefits.

    Potential benefits

    Cryotherapy recovery benefits.

    Exposing oneself to such discomfort wouldn’t be so popular if there weren’t some benefits. Decreased inflammation is one of the biggest draws of cryotherapy recovery. Training and matches/games are big time causes of inflammation on the body. Some inflammation is good and needed to improve performance, but there’s a limit. Like most things, balance is key. Decreasing inflammation contributes also to the ability to help the body’s muscles recover more efficiently. Condensed training and match schedules make quick recovery times incredibly important. Adding cryotherapy recovery in those situations in particular can be incredibly beneficial. The latest study referenced supported this showing decreased markers of both inflammation and muscle damage.

    Start shivering or stay under the blanket?

    Timing up when to hop in a cryotherapy chamber is the important thing. Eliminating too much inflammation too often can inhibit training adaptations similar to when consuming too many antioxidants. After taking that into consideration, adding in cryotherapy recovery into your routine likely isn’t a bad thing. Your biggest challenge though may be finding a place nearby that has a chamber available to use. Popularity continues to rise for it though with more and more places popping up offering it. Grab some hand warmers and a jacket for afterwards but give it a try!

    Study referenced: click here

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