Most athletes focus on the basics like Macronutrients (fats, proteins, carbohydrates) and hydration. But, many are missing the nutritional secret weapons that could take their performance, recovery, and prevention to the next level.
So, to save you some time and frustration trying to weed through nutrition and supplement labels, read the latest research or your own trial and error here are the top 4 quality nutritional secret weapons I personally recommend.
#1 Micronutrients
Remember, as an athlete your body is like a sports-car, if you want it to function and perform at its peak it requires premium fuel. Micro-nutrients from food like phyto-(plant)chemicals, amino acids, and omega fatty acids are like the Oil for our bodies, and macro-nutrients (carbs, proteins, fats) are the Gasoline.
Our bodies run best when we optimize both!
Unfortunately many athletes are ignoring the oil gauge in their car.
It is recommended to eat 9-13 servings of fruits and veggies per day for the average person and that recommendation jumps up to 13-18 servings for athletes!!
That is
Proven to reduce training induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and improve circulation, immune health and brain function. All performance factors too often ignored in the average athletes career. You can read the
research here.
Juice Plus has a variety of 30 different plants that have been juiced and dried for quick and easy consumption in cap or chew form.
The concerns for athletes become the high level of training that leads to increased oxidative stress on our bodies, and the anti-oxidants in fruits and veggies help combat this- leading to faster recovery and less degradation of our muscles, tissues, and cells. Preventing against injury and helping to heal breakdown faster.
The other benefit to athletes is increased vascularity or circulation- aiding in exercise performance and effects of exercise.
The more intense and greater the volume of our training programs the greater your chances of getting sick more frequently as your body starts to come up against that over-training threshold. So, supporting our immune systems as active people or athletes also becomes important. All of which fruit and veggies do. And Juice Plus is a simple way to increase the intake of fruit and veggie micronutrients on a daily basis.
If you are the parent of an athlete they are eligible to receive a free order of fruits and veggies with any adult order! You can check out that with this link here:
I do still recommend adding in the berries, however they just aren’t included in the free option. But, are the most potent – especially for athletes!
I will always recommend if you can only add in one supplement at a time to start with Juice Plus whole food concentrates- it is the kind of nutrition we all need to support our bodies and most of us just aren’t eating enough fruits and veggies. Period. But, especially as athletes. Micro-nutrition needs to stop being ignored and will pay off both on the field of play and off.
#2 Macronutrients
So, the GAS for our bodies are macros- or the Fat, Protein, and Carbs we need for energy production. I expand on ways to fuel with food for athletes in this
blog post here.
Post Workout Carb & Protein Share in a ratio of 4:1:
Carbs are actually just as important post-workout to help replenish as protein is, if not more so! A protein shake is a good option because you can get it in quickly and easily aiming for within 30-45minutes.
Most of what you see on the market is going to be Whey Protein, and I really don’t recommend it because its quality is usually really low and it can be very pro-inflammatory in the body. Especially irritating the gut.
So, I recommend finding a plant-based one when possible, or even a collagen based one is ok too. Pay most attention to NOT just the carb and protein count (which you want both- so nothing ‘low carb’) but to the actual ingredients- as close to whole food as possible is best. (Avoiding at all costs artificial sweeteners like, Acesulfame Potassium, Aspartame, Splenda, Saccharin. They are damaging to our gut microbiome and linked to cancers, and metabolic disorders.)
I personally prefer the taste and quality of
Juice Plus Complete shakes, and if need be you can include add-ins to increase the macros with nutrient dense foods like frozen fruits, banana, peanut or other nut butters, avocado, coconut oil, or other seeds and nuts (hemp, chia, flax are great options!).
Or, you can do what my husband does is just use two packets of the JP Complete instead of one!
But there are actually some great ones on the market- not all taste that great though, so it can be a lot of trial and error until you find a good tasting quality option. If possible look for one with 1) a nutrition label (not a supplement label) but its not imperative- just helps to know true ingredients and quality and 2) NSF seal for quality assurance.
#3 Omega Fatty Acids
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Recovery. Regular exercise helps promote a healthy inflammation balance in the body. The catch is that strenuous exercise can also cause a temporary spike in inflammation, particularly if you overdo it.[i] Supplementation with omega-3s can be a great way to help with the inflammation caused by training, so you can recover better.[ii],[iii] One study of young women who were just taking up weight training found those who took omega-3s were 33 to 42 percent less sore than those who took a placebo.[iv]
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Maintain Healthy Blood Levels. Supplementation with vegetarian omega vitamins made from algal oil is an easy way to help you maintain healthy blood levels of omega fatty acids.
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Diverse Range of Nutrients. Omegas are essential elements of an athlete’s diet, whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned competitor.
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Work Out, Harder. Several studies have found omegas improve various measures of athletic prowess.[v]
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Stay Well. Your immune system can be temporarily depressed after a long, hard workout or training season, leaving athletes particularly susceptible to immune challenges.
When choosing a healthy way to supplement your omega fatty acid needs, always choose a high-quality, 3rd party approved, and preferably fish-free option.
For my athlete clients, I recommend the Omega Blend by Juice Plus+, a plant-based mix of omega-3, -5, -6, -7, -9 fatty acids containing DHA, EPA, and ALA derived from fruit, algae, and seed oils.
Because the omegas are harvested from algae rather than fish, and the seeds are cold-pressed rather than extracted with chemical solvents, you can feel good knowing Omega Blend is made in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner while avoiding possibly contaminated fish.
Plant-based omegas are a much healthier and more delightful alternative but still reap all of the benefits athletes, or anyone hoping for better health.
#4 Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA)
BCAAs aid in protein synthesis and building muscle and come in at #4 on my list because most athletes can get enough protein in their diets alone, but some may need a little extra and BCAAs are helpful. They can be used pre-workout, during workout, or even sipped throughout the day.
BCAAs play an important role in:
- Synthesis of proteins in general
- Glucose homeostasis (i.e. keeping blood sugar levels constant)
- Direct regulation of muscle protein synthesis (via insulin signaling cascade)
BCAAs’ potential impact on the aforementioned processes depends upon availability and dietary intake.
Adequate consumption of BCAAs may help manage body fat, spare muscle mass, and regulate glucose/insulin balance. I further expand on the topic of BCAA Supplementation in this blog post here.
I like this brand because most of their products have an NSF Sport Certification, but there are some other brands out there that are good too!
In my experience, when we add optimal micronutrient intake to a balanced diet- you can expect a better performing and more sustainably healthy body, especially as athletes. One of the many reasons I recommend products that help us do that, safely, effectively, and conveniently without having to completely overhaul our current diet.
