It is very easy to get caught up in training for your sport and day to day activities and not pay much attention to what you are putting into your body. As a former First Team All-Academic Pac-10 steeplechaser for the UCLA Track & Field Team, I often went through my days without planning meals or giving nutrition much thought at all. As an athlete, putting in countless hours of training with much at stake, it makes sense to maximize your chances of success in all ethical ways.

It is surprising how clear nutritional science is on the benefits of a core nutrition program in both protecting health and maximizing athletic performance, yet it is something that is so under the radar. I did not receive any training on nutrition at UCLA, and looking back, my running career suffered as a result. The good news is that it is relatively easy to take your health to the next level and some of the benefits that people experience are a stronger immune system, increased energy levels, quicker recover and improved brain function. To that point, when I implemented a core nutrition program a few years ago, I noticed it first in races, where I ran personal bests in the marathon and half marathon at age 31 (and then again as a 32 year old) and had better recovery time than when I was a student at UCLA.

Here are six nutritional tips you can utilize to give yourself the “slight edge” over your competition and feel increased strength and vitality along the way.

1. Establish the habit of drinking 10 oz purified water first thing in the morning and steadily throughout the day. Ideally you should shoot for half of your body weight in ounces daily (i.e. if you weigh 150lbs – 75 ounces daily is a great standard).

2. You’ve heard it your whole life and here it is, the #1 health habit you could ever develop; eat six serving of vegetables daily. Why? They are rich in antioxidants which help to prevent oxidative damage (aging) of your cells. You should also regularly include three low-sugar members from the fruit category; avocado, tomato and bell pepper.

3. Consume dark leafy greens, such as spinach, daily. Greens are made of chlorophyll and heal and cleanse your organs while destroying harmful substances. They also promote bodily homeostasis, give you lots of insoluble fiber that rids your body of toxins, and greens are alkaline which promotes healthy cells and improved recovery.

4. Processed carbohydrates are largely to blame for our countries health woes and MUST be minimized. Fast food, instant everything, enriched bleached flour, chips, bagels and baked goods are marketed to us incessantly and are convenient choices. The problem with these high-glycemic “foods” is that they spike your blood sugar levels, do not provide sustainable energy, and leave you hungry for more when your blood sugar rapidly drops back down. Focus on a balance of low-glycemic carbohydrates (such as – whole grains, pasta, greek yogurt, vegetables, fruits), lean sources of protein (organic chicken, grass fed beef, salmon, almonds, vegetables), and healthy fats (fish, avocado, olive oil, nuts) as a foundation of your diet and you will have more sustainable energy throughout your day.

5. Take a pharmaceutical grade, absorbable multi-vitamin, everyday, even if your diet is ideal. Quality supplements help to prevent sickness and disease, fill in the gaps in your diet, minimize oxidative (free radical) damage, and enable you to recover more quickly from workouts.

6. Educate yourself and keep updating your nutritional strategies. You will find it very empowering to know the benefits of your little bit of extra effort and attention. Some great books on the topic are “The pH Miracle,” “Healthy for Life,” and “The Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements.” Two great DVD’s are “Food, Inc.” and “Super Size Me.”

Incorporating even one of these habits into your daily routine will have a tremendous benefit to you in your athletic endeavors and beyond. Incorporating all of them into your active and athletic lifestyle will put your health above and beyond your peers, enable you to maximize your athletic talents and most importantly, will drastically reduce your chances of developing chronic degenerative disease.

You will find that when your health and energy levels improve, your athletic performance and every other area of your life will improve simultaneously. Also, the positive influence that you will have for those in your peer group will have an impact greater than you know. So I challenge you, to give yourself the “slight edge” of optimal nutrition and you will reap the benefits immediately and for the rest of your life.

Sport: Track and Field Positions: High Jump Class: 2010 School: Ramona High School Ramona, CA

Tyler Jordan found his place in the record books after a CIF San Diego section battle in high jump. Jordan beat out Serra’s Deante Kemper and Mount Miguel’s Mitchell Bryant who cleared 6-8 and 6-10 respectively, with an amazing 7ft jump to take first place in the section prelims. Jordan’s mark of 7ft ranks him as the second best high jumper in the state, and ties him for fourth place in the high jump record for the San Diego section.
To view Tyler’s complete SportsForce profile click here – http://www.sportsforceonline.com/athletes/tjordan

Highlight Video and Scouting report courtesy of SportsForce – Home for college Sports Recruiting Videos, Tips, Tools and Premium Services – www.sportsforceonline.com

Sport: Track and Field Event: 100M Hurdles, 300M Hurdles, Long Jump

Class: 2010 School: Vista High School Vista, CA

Coming off of an injury earlier in the season, Vista senior Danielle Littleton has more than made up for lost time. Littleton is a state finalist in the 100M hurdles and won the 100M hurdles (14.4 seconds) and 300M hurdles (45.6 seconds) in her squad’s win over Rancho Buena Vista. Littleton also won the long jump with a distance of 17 feet, ¼ inch. She is committed to UC Riverside.

To view Danielle’s complete SportsForce profile click here – http://www.sportsforceonline.com/athletes/dlittleton

Scouting report courtesy of SportsForce – Home for college Sports Recruiting Videos, Tips, Tools and Premium Services – www.sportsforceonline.com

Are you looking to feel more confident as you look to prepare for college sports and the recruiting process? At SportsForce we hear many different questions, opinions and stories from student-athletes, parents and coaches all the time.

Here are some of the most common college sports recruiting questions our staff receives:

When do college coaches start recruiting?

What are college coaches looking for?

How can we maximize exposure to college recruiters?

What do we need to do and when do we need to do it?

What about the SAT, ACT, financial aid, NCAA Eligibility Center, etc…

Here are two simple and proven ACTION STEPS you can use today to begin taking control of your sports career and college sports goals.

Step 1: Student-athlete assessment

ACTION ITEMS:

1. Ask yourself “What type of college experience am I looking for?”

Attention student-athletes:

You need to reflect on what type of experience you are looking for. Write your thoughts down in a casual format (bullet points are fine) and be able to verbalize what type of college experience you are looking for.

Attention parents:

We recommend parents asking this question and letting your son or daughter answer this question with no undue pressure. See if your student-athlete can describe the type of experience they are looking for.

GOAL = To get a clear idea of what college experience you want as a student-athlete.

2. What are your key college decision factors?

Create a list of all of the key decision factors and give 1 to 5 points for each decision factor (5 being an extremely important decision factor). We recommend doing this on a spreadsheet and then ranking the potential colleges you are interested in by using this system to create an overall point total for each school.

Potential decision factors including: Academics (Majors offered, career development, alumni), Athletics (level of competition, W/L record, tradition), Social environment, Size of school, Public vs. Private, Cost, Location, Coaching Staff, Intuition (gut feeling, emotional connection)

GOAL = To have a proven ranking and college decision making system to know what potential colleges you are really interested in.

To accelerate your education on the college sports preparation and recruiting process I recommend signing up for our FREE SportsForce College Sports Recruiting Guide.

* FREE Sign up click HERE

To get access to more advanced college recruiting tips, strategies and advice visit our website and RESOURCES section.

The SportsForce team, which is comprised of former college and professional athletes and coaches, is relentlessly committed to providing an ongoing education to help you best navigate your journey as a student-athlete, parent or coach.

Article courtesy of SportsForce, Home for professional and affordable College Sports Recruiting Tools, Tips, Online Profiles, Highlight Videos and Premium Services.

www.sportsforceonline.com

info@sportsforceonline.com

858.350.5889

Sport: Baseball Positions: LHP Height: 5’10″ Class: 2010 School: Torrey Pines High School San Diego, CA

Left-handed pitcher, Joey DeNato threw a no-hitter against Fallbrook as part of Torrey Pines three game sweep of the Warriors. DeNato allowed just one walk and struck out 14 batters during the game. It was the second straight shutout for the senior as his record improved to 7-1 for the season. DeNato is also tied for the CIF San Diego Section home run lead this season. He is committed to Indiana.
To view Joey’s complete SportsForce profile click here – http://www.sportsforceonline.com/athletes/jdenato

Scouting report courtesy of SportsForce – Home for college Sports Recruiting Videos, Tips, Tools and Premium Services – www.sportsforceonline.com

Ryan Fobes, a SportsForce athlete and second baseman for Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, CA, has accepted an athletic scholarship to play for the University of Sioux Falls Men’s Baseball team. SportsForce caught up with Ryan and asked him a few questions about his recruiting process and ultimate decision to play for the USF Cougars.

What factors made you decide on the University of Sioux Falls?

Sioux Falls is a tightly knit community and one of those towns where ‘everyone knows everyone’. I think attending a University that you can be up close and personal with is important.

Were there any other schools you were seriously considering?

I was seriously considering attending Whittier College. However, I just didn’t get that feeling where you know it’s going to be the right fit like I did with Sioux Falls.

What are you most looking forward to most about playing for the University of Sioux Falls?

I think the team’s chemistry is what has carried the team to a record breaking season this year, along with coaching. The Cougars have a great young coaching staff, who really know the game of baseball. Coaches who teach you the little things about the game are what make you a better ballplayer.

What advice would you give to other student athletes looking to play in college?

Grades. Grades. Grades. You don’t have to be the best player on the field to get a scholarship. Work ethic in the classroom is just as important as on the field.

Congratulations to Ryan for signing with the University of Sioux Falls! Be sure to visit Ryan’s SportsForce profile (http://www.sportsforceonline.com/athletes/rfobes) or check out his highlight video below.

This post courtesy Rehab United and Justin Robinson, MA,RD,CSSD,CSCS

Introduction

Many athletes and coaches have a misconception of functional training – incorporating the latest and greatest equipment like BOSU balls, balance discs, and kettle bells does not automatically make a program functional. Such pieces of equipment are great tools to use in training, but the design of the workout, not the exercises, make a program functional. Functional training is purposeful training – it involves assessing current needs of an athlete (fitness level, injuries, muscle imbalances, etc) and creating specific strategies to address those needs.

1) Three-Dimensional Training. Every time your foot hits the ground, the muscles in your body are either accelerating (increasing speed of movement) or decelerating (slowing movement) in all three planes of motion (sagittal, frontal, and transverse – see figure below). Training in only one plane (e.g. working on the leg extension machine) will not prepare you for the nature of sport. Keys of Functional Training

2) Training Movements, not the Muscles. Coaches often use the thought process that if running involves the quads, hamstrings, and calves, they should work those muscles to increase strength, thus improving running performance. Name any sport, though, in which you only move an isolated joint . . . darts is the only one that comes to mind and most people train for that by doing the 12-ounce can curl. Multi-joint movements are essential in training since the body moves that way in sport – it is more applicable to consider training movements, such as ankle, knee, and hip extension, rather than each muscle independently. The lunge reach matrix (below) is an example of an exercise that trains these movements in all three planes.

Rehab United Physical Therapy and Sports Performance Center (RU) specializes in a progressive approach to evaluation, rehabilitation, injury prevention and performance training. We also provide massage therapy, ART, orthotic fittings, and nutrition counseling to offer the most comprehensive fitness and wellness program in San Diego. Our licensed Physical Therapists and certified Strength & Conditioning Coaches ensure success by training the body the way it was intended to move and creating strategies that improve movement patterns, not just individual muscles.
Stay tuned for Part II including Transformation and Overload