Giving Yourself That Edge…Safely (Guest blog)

It’s no secret that whole foods and drinks are the safest and smartest route to go when fueling for your sport.  The evidence against steroids and other performance enhancing drugs are there and will only continue to mount, yet there will always be the individual that chooses to take that route.  The great thing about food is not only will it protect you from failing a drug test and costing you your scholarship and athletic career, but it also has so many other properties that can enhance your performance and recovery other than just providing the fuel you need to perform. 

More and more research is coming out on beneficial foods that can help an athlete perform better but also recover stronger.  The following is a list of 4 foods, some common, some maybe not, that can help you perform at your peak as well as help you recover. 

Beet root- Most of us consume the sugar from beets quite often (and too much).  It is how we get a majority of our table sugar.  I introduce to you a vegetable that will give you a boost.  Beets should be an athlete’s best friend.  It is a safe and alternative way to expensive and potentially adulterated pre workout supplements.  Beetroot juice, such as Beet Elite, can be taken to improve an athlete’s performance and give them that extra jolt of energy to perform their workout or before competition day.  It is a great source of nitric oxide, which expands your blood vessels to allow more blood carrying oxygen and vital nutrients to your muscles for greater exercise potential.  As opposed to taking a pre workout substance such as NO Explode, you don’t have to deal with a proprietary blend (what does that even mean?) or potential adverse health effects.  Instead, you get a whole food (or juice) that also delivers folate, potassium, vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants.

Tart Cherry Juice- Another juice that can be beneficial to the athlete.  Many times after a workout you will get sore and it may cause you to skip a workout or to not be as effective at your next workout.  Drinking tart cherry juice (maybe add water to help dilute the tartness) has been shown to decrease the pain during exercise and after.  Cherry juice also provides antioxidants that can help decrease inflammation post exercise, which in turn helps us recover more efficiently. 

Chocolate Milk- A great recovery drink that is cheap and tasty. It contains whey and casein which are important for muscle building and therefore, is a great post workout option. Moreover, it contains carbohydrates that help us replenish our glycogen stores (which provide us energy) lost during exercise. Chocolate milk also contains electrolytes that help us replenish what we lost in sweat as well as vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin D and Calcium that assist with bone formation and strength. 

While it is convenient to take supplements to gain the competitive edge, the risk of having adverse health effects and not truly knowing what is in them can cost you your health and your career.  We have everything we need to perform at our best in the foods we consume.  The best thing you can do for your performance is consume a quality diet of whole foods and stay properly hydrated.  Cheers to eating clean and working hard!

 Guest writer: Tommy Jensen is a Registered Dietitian and a personal trainer certified through the American College of Sports Medicine.  He was a collegiate athlete and is working to be an advocate for athletes and adolescents to avoid performance-enhancing supplements.