SIRC

Sometimes we forget the basics. In this era of high technology and striving for small increments in performance, the basic aspects of health and recovery are sometimes forgotten.

When working with elite female athletes as a sport scientist, support staff or coach, it is critical to gain an understanding of their dietary practices. Making the assumption that they are fueling their bodies properly for training and competition may not be appropriate. This Canadian research article took a comprehensive analysis of the dietary habits of 33 junior elite female soccer players and presented the findings in a manner that highlights the inadequacies in both macro and micronutrients.

Its a good time for a bit of extra reading. Rather than identifying an article, this time I would like to highlight an entire issue of interest. The British Journal ofSports Medicine recently published an entire issue on “What really limits performance”. Dr. Timothy Noakes acted as a guest editor, and wrote a great piece on the Central Governor Model and the regulation of human exercise performance. There are eight papers that provide great reading and are thought provoking. Recommended reading! 

Expanding on earlier work by these same authors, this article provides the most recent summary of the dietary supplementation practices and perspectives of high performance athletes from across Canada. It is a must-read for all stake-holders in Canadian sports nutrition.

The goal of postexercise nutrient intake is to restore the body’s primary fuel source, to repair muscle damage caused during the training session and to build new muscle tissue. When the training or competition schedule of an athlete demands repeated performance over a short period of time, less than 8 hours between sessions or events, the timing of nutrient intake is crucial.

There has long been debate about which aspects of the athlete “medical” should be included in the health assessment of the athlete, Recently, a group was convened by the IOC Medical Commission to critically evaluate the elements of history, physical examination and tests/ investigations that should be done in the setting of the elite athlete. The resulting Consensus Statement reflects the current international standard by which we should be both screening and monitoring our elite athletes.

Authors: Murley, G.S, Landorf, K.B., and Menz, H.B (2010).

Clinical Biomechanics, 25, 728-736.

Commentary by Allan Wrigley

Vitamin D has many known functions within the body and it is recognized that a high percentage of the population is deficient or maintains suboptimal levels of vitamin D. Research with an athletic population is limited but this review article highlights the importance of vitamin D screening and discusses the impact that suboptimal vitamin D status may have on bone health and sports performance.