From Injury to the Commonwealth Games: How Good Nutrition Healed My Body and Revitalised My Athletic Career
Health Drives Performance - This is an overlooked concept in sport; we get so set on specific performance focused interventions, that we totally forget that the basis of any quality training session, of consistent training and optimal adaptation is health.
Head Nutritionist at Biospan (MBANT, CNHC)
Healing through nutrition: My journey to Commonwealth Games
As an athlete, you know that performance is everything. You train hard, push yourself to the limit, and strive to be the best you can be. But what if I told you that there's one thing that's been overlooked in your quest for greatness? That one thing is health.
You see, when we're so focused on performance, we often forget that the basis of any quality training session, of consistent training, and optimal adaptation is health. If our systems are not working in harmony, dysfunctional or imbalanced, then training, adaptation, or performance will be impacted.
I know this from personal experience. As an athlete turned Nutritional Therapist, I understand more than most the contribution nutrition should be playing in a training program. Unfortunately, the concept of good health being a basis for performance was alien to me as an athlete for a long time, and I paid a high price. I suffered multiple injuries and ultimately cost me my Olympic dream.
But in 2013, after a devastating injury and the loss of my father, I was forced to focus on my health before my sport. I started down the path of Nutritional Therapy and 11 months later, I qualified for my second Commonwealth Games. I got healthy, and my body healed.
Health: The Foundation of Performance
Health Drives Performance - This is an overlooked concept in sport; we get so set on specific performance focused interventions, that we totally forget that the basis of any quality training session, of consistent training and optimal adaptation is health.
If our systems are not working in harmony, dysfunctional or imbalanced then training, adaptation or performance will be impacted.
Your body can heal itself; given the right conditions.
Nutrition is the basis for fundamental health. Digesting and absorbing real food is the only way we get the nutrients we need for our body to work as a balanced system.
Without these nutrients systems start to breakdown. Since our bodies work in a beautifully complex and holistic way, a dysfunction in one area can and will affect function in another- leading to negative impacts on training and performance.
“Normal” symptoms such as hay fever, poor sleep, PMS, or bloating are all signs that somewhere there is an imbalance that will pull resources away from proper recovery or adaptation.
Having the right substrates and micro-nutrients available to properly support recovery, immune function, and hormone production (to name just a few) whilst allowing the body to efficiently clean up all the by-products of a high training load can tangibly improve the quality of and recovery from training.
Think heavier reps, faster runs, reduced fatigue, less muscle soreness, avoiding illness and time off training and better sleep.
This can only improve performance potential, whilst properly nourishing connective tissue health can decrease injury risk and prolong athletic careers. This really is what food can do for us. What we eat can either improve these functions or detract from them. I know which one I want to be doing.
Building a Strong Foundation: The Importance of Good Nutrition for Athletic Performance
As an athlete, you know that performance is everything. But what many athletes fail to realise is that performance is built on a foundation of health. The human body is a gift. Overlooking the impact of nutrition as an athlete means you are building your training on a foundation of sand.
Proper nutrition is essential for optimal training and recovery, and it can also improve overall health and well-being. By focusing on health and making nutrition a priority in your training regime, you can unlock your athletic potential, avoid injuries, and prolong your athletic career. Remember, your body and your performance will thank you for it. So, don't overlook the importance of good nutrition, and start building a solid foundation for your training today.
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