If you read my last blog, it covered the factors that are out of your control related to performance and injury (such as travel, stress, sleep, and past injuries). In this blog, I’m going to piggyback off the last blog and talk about factors that you can certainly control, and once those factors are addressed and controlled, it will only positively impact your overall performance and decrease your risk of injury. These controllable factors include Nutrition/Hydration, Mobility/Stability, Body Composition.
Training and competitions require a large amount of energy. So, whether you’re a runner, someone who lifts, plays sports, whatever it may be… the more you train, the more stress, fatigue and metabolic waste you will leave accumulating in your body. Fuel source of energy comes from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in the body, these are your macronutrients. If you are not consuming a proper amount of these, depending on what your sport/exercise of choice is, recovery is not possible. When recovery is not possible, performance declines as well as increase injury risk.
Hydration is SO critical in not only performance and recovery, but in every aspect of human function. Water is a building block, a solvent for chemical reactions, and transports materials for nutrients and wastes. Water helps maintain blood volume and circulation, helps regulate body temperature, and is a shock absorber for our joints and brain. During exercise, our body uses up a lot of water, so staying hydrated before, during and after exercises helps the body to maintain its functions. If you are properly hydrated it can reduce fatigue, improves endurance, lowers your max heart rate, as well as reduces muscle soreness. Water has also proven to enhance in weight loss, boost moods, boost cognitive performance, as well as protects against disease. Now how much should you drink? A good number to remember is half your body weight in ounces. For example, if you weigh 160 lbs, you divide 160 by 2 which equals 80. If I know I use a 16-ounce water body every day, I take 80 and divide by 16, it will equal 5. So, I should drink 5, 16-ounce water bottles every day. Make sure you take into consideration how much you’re sweating. If you’re exercising and losing a considerable amount of sweat, you should weigh yourself before exercise and after. For every 1 pound lost, you should drink 16 ounces of water.
This is all in your control to make sure you’re properly consuming the right nutrients and water. It’s pretty cut and dry...at the end of the day, no matter how many excuses you can come up with, you are in control of what goes in your mouth, how much, and how often. There are so many books and articles to be able to refer to for further educating yourself. Properly planning your meals, the week ahead, as well as budgeting your expenses so that finances won’t be negatively impacted. It’s the matter of prioritizing your body and goals.
