Key nutritional needs for athletes

Most people are aware that athletes require adequate nutrition in order to keep their bodies in their best shape for training and competition. And while every athlete is an individual and may require specific things to meet their dietary needs based on individual physical characteristics, training and competition schedules, and overall nutritional goals, there are some basic and key elements to...Read more

Periodization: Planned Peaks and Targeted Training

Periodization is a systematic approach to training that involves varying training variables, like volume and intensity, over time. The objective of this planning is for the athlete to reach his or her peak at a specific, pre-determined time, while optimizing recovery to avoid overtraining and injury. A periodized training plan is divided into several subsets of cycles. Macrocycles generally last...Read more

Getting to the Core of Athlete Performance

Core strength and stability training is performed by most if not all competitive athletes these days. In fact it is one of the few training forms that is effective for all sport disciplines. The core is central to all athletic movement, whether it is generated from the area or passes through it. It is the central part of the body that transfers power. If your core is weak or inflexible then this...Read more

Protein – How much does an athlete really need?

Training and nutrition go hand in hand, as muscle growth happens only when exercise and diet are combined. A question that comes up often among athletes and weekend warriors alike is one that centres around protein intake, specifically how much and are supplements necessary? Protein , at its most simple, is a combination of amino acids. Amino acids have specific roles in our bodies and are used...Read more

Sleep and Athletes: Is there a Magic Number?

Although conventional wisdom suggests that athletes need at least eight hours of sleep each night, quantity is not the only parameter that promotes athletic success. Most of us believe that we need a set number of hours of sleep and that seven or eight hours a night is a prerequisite for health and well-being. And indeed sleep, along with water, air and food, is one of our basic physiological...Read more

Get the students moving! Physical activity and the classroom

The link between physical activity and academic achievement has always been an area of research that science has been keen to explore. It's great to know that there is a positive association in sport participation and grade point averages, but that's not the only benefit you can get by joining in the fun. Studies have shown that the mental skills gained through sports have a positive effect on...Read more

How do you get out of a Performance Slump?

Unexplained performance slumps can be extremely frustrating for athletes and can be caused by any number of reasons, physical or mental. Sport psychologists agree that these declines are just par for the course in competitive sport but that doesn't make them any less difficult to overcome. What are the causes? If you've effectively ruled out any kind of physical problem such as over-training ,...Read more

I’ve signed up for an obstacle race – now what?

Many people have the impression that obstacle races are for elite athletes, when in fact many races accommodate all fitness levels. These types of races are great if you want to give yourself an extra challenge but have a little bit of fun and fitness mixed in as well. Obviously obstacle races are meant to test you mentally and physically so it’s good to have a decent baseline of fitness before...Read more

Get yourself pumped up with a great playlist!

Many studies have shown that music provides a welcome distraction from discomfort and is a great mood booster. It encourages a person to move with the beat of each song and has the capacity to increase energy and improve physical performance. This is great news for anyone that may have trouble motivating themselves to exercise since all of the above have great applications for both the...Read more

Hip flexors – why they shouldn’t be overlooked.

Every athlete can benefit from strong hip flexors ; however hip flexor strengthening is very seldom included in athletic training regimens. The hip flexors are the group of muscles that allow you to lift your knees toward your chest or bend forward from the hips. They play an important role in stabilizing the body and having weak, tight or unbalanced muscles in the hip area can negatively affect...Read more