It is said sport stars die twice, the first time at retirement

The announcement last week that Michael Phelps, the greatest swimmer of all time, was coming out of retirement and aiming to compete in the 2016 Olympics timed quite well with me finishing the autobiography This is Me,  Ian Thorpe’s journey out of retirement in his quest to qualify for the London Olympics, sadly unable to fulfil his dreams. 

I’ve heard the phrase that athletes come out of retirement an average of 1.6 times. I have probably contributed considerably to that statistic, retiring from swimming in 2006, retiring from pentathlon in 2010, retiring again from swimming in 2012 only to take up triathlon. Although I have never competed at the intense international level of Michael Phelps or Ian Thorpe, perhaps there are some similarities in the reasons why athletes come out of retirement whether they are amateur or professional. 

Other top names who have made a return to international sport after making the decision to end their career include Michael Schumacher, Ricky Hatton, Andrew Flintoff and James Cracknell.  So why do so many athletes struggle with retirement and make a return to sport?

Loss of identity - Athletes identify themselves by what they do - take that away and it’s like a major piece of them missing.

Sugar Ray Leonard said that his inability to separate the boxer from the man became all consuming, forcing him to the depths of depression and leading him to make repeated comebacks.

Biological Factors - Athletes who have retired fail to experience the endorphin highs since they no longer complete. They used to have regular doses of serotonin and suddenly that has stopped.  Athletes such as James Cracknell who don’t make a comeback in their former sport, chase adrenalin highs in other sports.

Tunnel Vision - An athlete’s regimented life leaves an athlete at loss with retirement bringing a void where the comfort of training routine once was.  

So how can athletes manage this transition?

There are two main differences between those who successfully manage their retirement and those who don’t. The reason why an athlete retires is important; if they are forced to retire through injury or de-selection the negativity can lead to a period of denial, isolation, anger and depression. The focus is a loss of way of life and not the beginning of a new one, a ‘grieving process’. The Professional Players Federation have found that 16% of the 1200 ex-footballers, rugby union and league players, jockeys and crickets interviewed experienced depression or feelings of despair.  

Those athletes who are better prepared and have plans in place of their retirement with a strong support group have a better acceptance for their decision and therefore manage the transition much more successfully. So how can athletes do this?

• Reduce the athlete’s exclusive identification with their sporting role and get involved in other areas of interest outside of their sporting career.
• Discover other interests or careers beyond their sporting career and begin to prepare for their retirement. Coaches should be encouraged to support their athletes skills outside of their sport
• Begin to take control of their daily routine
• Develop a strong support network of family and friends who can help support you through your retirement.

This is Me is a good example of some of the challenges athletes face in coming out of retirement. Ian Thorpe retired from swimming at the age of 24 after reaching his goals and achieving more than he could have dreamed of in the sport. The media was cited as being one of the main reasons why he quit the sport with the athlete fed up of the paparazzi that surrounded him. However, he loved the sport and ending his career created a void in his life. He missed the training, the competition and ‘swimming’ itself and  four years later, at the age of 28, he decided to return to the sport and attempt to make the London Olympics. 

The book goes on to describe the motivation for his return, how he managed his comeback and the setbacks and challenges he had to face along the way; the media, doping conspiracies and speculations against his sexuality and even though feedback from performances in training indicated he was on track, his performances in the Australian Olympic Trials were unable to secure him a placed at the 2012 Olympic Games. 

If he had made the decision earlier, given himself more than 18 months to prepare, would he have made the team?

Post Marathon Recovery

As the dust settles on the Virgin London Marathon which took place on Sunday, thousands of runners will be taking a well-earned rest after the months of long and hard training needed to met their goal and complete the challenging 26.2 mile distance.

During their training period, many runners will have experienced at least one occasion where they were unable to train due to a cold or flu like symptoms. Like many other endurance athletes, some will have suffered from repeated bouts of infections which caused a real disruption to their training routine and ultimately their performance. Suppressed immunity is common during and following periods of hard training, and athletes often pick up an illness shortly after a marathon or major race. In addition to allowing the mind and muscloskeletal systems to recuperate, the recovery period should aim to boost the immune system.

There are many theories as to why immune defence is weakened following strenuous endurance activity. Athletes with a high training load (more than 11h moderate intensity training per week), experience more than twice as many upper respiratory tract infections compared with those on low-moderate training volumes. So how can athletes help maintain their immune system and prevent the training disturbances caused by bouts of illnesses?

Here are a few starting points:

• Stay hydrated and try to rehydrate effectively as soon as possible post training or competition. This will help maintain saliva production and sustain the release of saliva proteins know to have important antimicrobial properties.
• Ensure sufficient rest - don’t return back to exercise too quickly and maintain light exercise until fully recovered.
• Ensure that you get adequate sleep (at least 7 hours per night) in order to help your body to recover and repair any damage that has occurred.
• Keep away from people suffering with cold or flu where possible, or reduce physical contact.
• Maintain good hygiene e.g. washing hands regularly.
• Promote recovery as much as you can - try to consume a good quality carbohydrate snack within 30mins post exercise. This may mean athletes need to be prepared by packing light snacks to have after training. Sometimes waiting until you get home is too late and can often lead to poor food choices.
• Forward plan to ensure that you have access to foods appropriate to meeting nutrition goals for training. Plan and prepare meals so that when you go grocery shopping you can ensure that your cupboard is full of things you need for healthy meals.
• Choose a wide variety of foods within your diet - each food has a different range of nutrients; the wider the choice and range of your foods, the more different nutrients you will consume.
• Include cereal rich foods such as wholemeal, multi-grain or seeded breads, brown rice or pasta. Athletes who are training for endurance activities need to maintain a high carbohydrate diet to support their energy needs and help their body to recover efficiently.
• Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the day - the more colour the better.

Dear Asafa, ...

Last week it was announced that Jamaican sprinter and former world record holder Asafa Powell, was banned from competition for 18 months after testing positive for Oxiforan, a banned substance.  Powell claimed that the source of the substance was a nutritional supplement, which was given to him by his trainer, and which did not list Oxiforan as an ingredient.

Powel, his lawyer, and his agent, claim that he is innocent.  In this public letter to Asafa, I point out how he isn’t innocent, irrespective of whether or not he intended to cheat.

Dear Mr Powell,

While I may have been the first to cheer you on at a major championship, and hope that you might finally fulfil the potential that your fast times indicated, I have now lost all admiration for you as both an athlete and a person.  You have clearly broken the rules, so, in the words of Kim Collins, ‘man up’ and accept your punishment. 

As a lesson to you for the future (no doubt you’ll be like all the other cheats and won’t go away), and for other athletes who want to take the ‘I didn’t mean to cheat’ route, I just wanted to point out a few things that you should already have known.

1. Strict Liability – An athlete, and only an athlete is responsible for what is found in his or her body.  If you’re going through airport security and a gun is found in your bag, blaming someone else isn’t going to do you much good.  Similarly, you should be vigilant about what is going into your body, and don’t go blaming coaches, trainers, parents, agents, doctors, dogs or baby sitters when a banned substance is found in your body.
2. Nutrition supplements aren’t regulated, and the ingredient list should be taken with a pinch of salt.  The nandrolone scandal, now almost 20 years old, should have been a lesson to athletes that they can’t trust nutrition supplement producers.  We get that you don’t work in a supplement factory (I’m don’t know of any top level athlete that does), but surely you’ve heard other athletes blame positive tests on supplements they were taking?
3. If a supplement claims to be ‘mind-bending’, as Epiphany D1 does, it’s probably not something you should be taking.  Having said that, if the supplement is called Epiphany D1, it’s probably not something you take to make up for not eating your greens.  Other things which the supplement claims to do include enhancing focus, attentiveness, short term and long term memory and vision, speeding up auditory and spatial thought processing, and optimising motor coordination.  On reading these benefits, would the word ‘stimulant’ not immediately pop into your head?  Think again about what the supplement claims to do – surely this is performance enhancement that if not illegal, is immoral.
4. You benefited from a banned substance – there’s no denying that.  You should have to serve some punishment one those grounds alone.
5. Nutritional supplements are generally a waste of money, and if not, they probably contain banned substances that they don’t list.  Try eating a balanced diet, and stop trying to get an unfair advantage.
6. Next time you’re tested, try listing all the supplements and medications you’re taking on the doping form.  If there’s too many to remember, consider point 5 again.
7. Jamaican charm may get you a long way with the ladies, but it won’t get you out of sticky doping situations, nor will pretending to be stupid.

For me, only one question remains: was 18 months long enough?

That is all.

Elizabeth Egan

(for drug free sport)

p.s. This advice is free.  No need to thank me.  Similar advice is available on the WADA website.

Branched Chain Amino Acids

When you type Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) into a search engine, immediately a number of different brands of supplements pop up suggesting their benefits, mainly to the weight training athletes with their immediate claims being that they:

·         Maintain lean tissue
·         Preserve stores of glycogen
·         Prevent tissue breakdown during training

What are BCAA?

Amino Acids are known as the building blocks for skeletal muscles, enzymes, hormones and other proteins which are necessary for the optimum functioning of the body. Of these amino acids there are both essential and non-essential, with essential amino acids being those which must be ingested by the body through the diet. There are eight known amino acids which can be found in dairy, poultry, eggs, beef and pork, and soy protein for a vegetarian source. The essential amino acids valine, leucine and isoleucine are known as BCAA’s and are thought to be metabolized differently to other amino acids by being taken up by the skeletal muscle rather than the liver to contribute to the energy production, this means they can be quickly depleted.

There are many thoughts as to how BCAA’s within the diet or supplementation can help towards athletic performance the main theory is through Central Fatigue.

Central Fatigue Theory- Prolonged exercise lowers BCAA plasma concentration through oxidation of the amino acids with an increase in plasma free fatty acid concentration from fat oxidation. This creates a cascade effect which ultimately leads to an increase in free tryptophan levels in the brain which can be converted into serotonin. Serotonin can have a negative effect on mood and therefore compromise athletic performance through the feeling of fatigue.

There are two theories in which this can happen:

• During the latter stages of prolonged exercise when there is low blood sugar- this stimulates the body to find glucose from non-carbohydrate sources and BCAA are broken down and used as a fuel source. This creates a reduction BCAA/Tryptophan ratio leaving a higher level of tryptophan to enter the brain and convert to serotonin.

• FFA’s are broken down in higher amounts as glycogen depletion and fat oxidation increases. This creates more competition between Tryptophan and FFA’s to free albumin site and can therefore increase the amount of free tryptophan to cross the blood-brain barrier which can be converted to serotonin.

Other benefits include:

Immune Response- May improve serum glutamine levels leading to a lesser incidence of illness following exercise.

Overtraining- During a period of overtraining glutamine stores can be depleted faster than the body can replenish them and therefore over trained athletes typically suffer from low glutamine levels and BCAA could as above help to improve serum glutamine levels. 

It is thought that by supplementing BCAA in the diet, there will be a higher level of BCAA in the blood during prolonged exercise and decrease the amount of serotonin being produced and resulting in less central fatigue.

But does it really work?

The research is still conflicting on the issue of BCAA and the increase aerobic performances however BCAA’s are as mentioned earlier are essential amino acids and should be consumed within the diet. Although there will be a number of supplements claiming to increase BCAA and athletic performance as with all nutrients, the best sources are those that are natural and choosing a wide variety of food types will ensure a good intake of BCAA's as well as  a wide variety of other nutrients as well. 

The best sources will be protein rich foods, and are normally consumed in sufficient quantities in the regular diet and include, lean red meat, poultry, eggs, dairy including milk, cottage cheese and yoghurts. Non-meat sources include soy protein, brown rice, beans, nuts and lentils.

Nutrition: Essential Amino Acids

Protein, made up of amino acids, is essential for growth and repair of all human tissues.  Not all amino acids are equal, however!  Well that's not completely true, but in the first of a series of posts about proteins and amino acids, I explain why some amino acids are more essential in the diet than others. Tomorrow Rachael will look at Branched Chain Amino Acids, a subgroup of essential amino acids.

What are proteins, peptides and amino acids?

Proteins are organic compounds that form a vital component of every living cell.  Proteins protect and provide structure to the body in the form of skin, cartilage, tendons, muscles, callus and hair; regulate catalyze and protect body chemistry in the form of enzymes, antibodies, hormones and globulins, and enable the transport of oxygen and other chemicals in the form of haemoglobin, myoglobin and lipoproteins. Consuming protein regularly is necessary for growth and repair of body cells and tissues, general health, and regulation of homeostasis.  Excess protein is used as a source of energy, or is converted to urea and excreted from the body.

Amino acids are the compounds from which peptides, and proteins are constructed.  Each amino acid consists of amine and carboxylic acid groups, along with a specific side-chain which determines which defines the amino acid.  Amino acids contain nitrogen, oxygen, carbon and hydrogen, though some amino acids contain other elements in their side-chains.  A proteins properties is determined by the amino acids that it contains, and the sequence of amino acids within its structure.  Amino acids are crucial in both their role as protein building blocks, and as intermediates in metabolism.  

What are essential amino acids?

Of the 22 biologically available amino acids, nine must be consumed in the diet.  This does not mean that they are more important human tissues than the other 11, but unlike the non-essential amino acids, they cannot be made from other amino acids, or produced from other substances within the body.  Argining, for example, is crucial in the formation of bone, among other things, but is not essential as it can be produced from citrulline Leucine, important in muscle synthesis, and isoleucine, important in both muscle and haemoglobin synthesis and blood sugar regulation, on the other hand are essential amino acids and must be consumed in the diet.

Where can I find essential amino acids?

As a rule, animal proteins are better sources of essential amino acids than vegetable proteins, though soy is a notably useful plant source of essential amino acids. Eggs and milk are the particularly good, and both contain all nine essential amino acids, along with a number of non-essential and semi-essential ones. Vegetarians and those who can't consume diary products or eggs should ensure that they obtain protein from a variety of sources, including soy.

Eggs are an excellent source of essential amino acids

Combining certain vegetable proteins can ensure that essential amino acids needs are met.  Indigenous staples in a number of developing countries cleverly achieve this in the absence of animal foods.  Examples include Mexican corn and beans, Cajun red beans and rice, and Japanese soybeans and rice. 

The following are the essential amino acids and some of their top food sources*:

Histidine - eggs, soy protein, sesame, peanuts, parmesan

Isoleucine - eggs, soy protein, parmesan, pork, whitefish

Leucine - eggs, soy protein, sesame seeds, parmesan, whitefish

Lysine - eggs, soy protein, parmesan, whitefish

Methionine - eggs, soy protein, sesame seeds, whitefish

Cysteine - eggs, soy protein, sesame seeds, peanuts, mustard seeds 

Phenylalanine - eggs, soy protein, sesame seeds, peanuts, whitefish

Tyrosine - eggs, soy protein, sesame seeds, parmesan

Threonine - eggs, soy protein, sesame seeds, whitefish

Tryptophan - eggs, soy protein, sesame seeds, chia seeds

Valine - eggs, soy protein, sesame seeds, parmesan, beef

*Note the these are the top food based on available protein per 100 grammes, but eating 100 g of sesame seeds or parmesan cheese is a lot more difficult than drinking 100 ml of milk.

How often should protein be consumed?

The body is constantly growing and repairing it tissues, and has a constant demand for amino acids.  Small amounts of protein should be consumed with each meal (this doesn't need to be a steak or chicken breast). The best way to ensure that your essential amino acid needs are always being meet, is to ensure that you eat an egg or drink a glass of milk daily, or that you consume protein from a variety of sources.  Different foods will have different minerals and vitamins, so eating foods from a variety of sources has additional benefits.

Key points

• Eggs or milk should form part of your diet
• Protein should be consumed from a variety of sources

Useful references and resources

• Young VR, Pellett PL (1994). Plant proteins in relation to human protein and amino acid nutrition. The American Journal of clinical Nutrition 59: 1203S-1212S.
• incredibleegg.org

The Basics of Sports Nutrition

Nutrition isn't rocket science; nor should it be.  Food is one of the few things in life that are relevant to everyone.  We start being nourished in the womb, long before we were born, and continue fuelling our bodies (or having our bodies fuelled for us), until we die.  Something as essential and far-reaching as nutrition shouldn't be complicated.  It should be as simple as pulling up at the pumps, putting in the right fuel, and speeding off with ourselves.

Unfortunately, sports nutrition is often portrayed as a series of complicated equations consisting of big words, expensive foods, and all conquering nutritional supplements.  And there's a whole array of misinformation, misinterpretation of information and seemingly contradictory advice out there.  Where did it all go so wrong?

I've been eating for 34 years, and running for almost as long.  I've never had a protein shake in my life, nor have I ever been on a diet.  Food for me is simple, and these are my simple guidelines to good nutrition for athletes:

Variety is the spice of life

The best way to ensure that you are getting all the nutrients that you need is to eat a good variety of foods.  Some foods are high in fibre, while others are high in calcium and zinc.  Plant foods will be higher in water soluble vitamins, than will iron-rich meat produce.  Eating foods from all categories of the food pyramid (fruit and vegetables, cereals and carbohydrate-rich foods, calcium-rich foods, protein-rich foods and healthy fats) is a good start, but foods will even vary in nutritional content within food groups.  Some fruit will be high in vitamin C, while others will be high in vitamin A.  Choosing different coloured fruit and vegetables will help cover all bases, and eating a variety of protein foods will ensure that all essential amino acids are being consumed.

Individuals with food allergies (lactose or wheat intolerance), or who restrict their diet (e.g. vegetarians), need to be extra careful to ensure that their diet otherwise varied.

Fresh is best

The less processed a food is, and the more it looks like itself, the better it is for you. Smoothies are preferable to fruit juices because they retain the fibre-rich skin and pith of the fruit; and a poached fillet of cod is better than a deep fried piece of battered cod. Processed food tends to be low in vitamins and fibre, high in salt, sugar and fat, and may also contain harmful additives such as artificial colours, sweeteners, and trans fats.

Foods with three or less ingredients are likely to be less processed (and less harmful) than those with a long list of ingredients.  Take a look at the ingredient list for Wheetabix compared with that for Coco Pops.  Use by date is also a good indicator.  Natural yoghurt will go off much quicker than the nasty highly sweetened versions that have little probiotic versions, which would quite happily sit in the corner of your fridge for weeks on end.

A good start is half the battle

Breakfast, they say, is the most important meal of the day.  I would argue that all meals are important, and none should be skipped, but getting your day off to the right start is definitely a good thing.  An ideal breakfast for many people would consist of a slow release breakfast cereal – eg Wheetabix , Shredded Wheat or porridge, rather than the high sugar options of Coco Pops or Frosties; toast and some fruit or a smoothie. 

Those who have high protein needs may add some eggs, but there’s no need for a high-fat fry up, which apart from the egg and beans, contains low quality proteins.

Slow release carbohydrates should sustain you through to lunch time, and reduce the desire for a junk food pick-me-up mid morning.  Of course, if you’re training hard, you will probably need a snack before lunch, so plan for this and have healthy options at hand.

Carbohydrates are fuel; proteins are the building blocks

Despite what you might hear in the media, all food groups (even fats) are important.  Carbohydrates have been getting a bashing recently, but carbohydrates are THE single most important fuel source for athletes.  Even simple sugars have their place in the balance diet of the athlete.  We’ll deal with each food group in more detail over coming weeks, but suffice to say, athletes should not be restricting their carbohydrate intake.

Similarly, proteins are needed by all athletes, even those who are not looking to increase their muscle mass.  Body tissues are constantly being broken down and rebuilt, and this process is exacerbated when we train.  Modern diets tend to be high in protein, and most individuals consume more protein that they need.  Many foods which are high in protein are also high in fat (e.g. hard cheese), and despite what you might hear, extra protein can be stored as fat.

The 10 minute window of opportunity

If there is a meal more important than breakfast it’s definitely the post exercise snack.  Food of some description should be consumed within 10 minutes of completing exercise.  A chocolate bar is better than nothing, but as always there are better options.  You are aiming to replenish glycogen stores and blood sugar levels by consuming carbohydrates; enhance muscle repair through the consumption of protein; and prevent illness by consuming vitamins.  A chocolate bar will achieve some, but not all of that.  Post training nutrition will be covered at a later date.

Water is life

Don’t forget the water.  Our bodies cannot survive without water, and dehydration can cause a range of issues including irritability, headaches, poor concentration and injury.  We should be consuming at least 2 litres of fluids every day.  Carry a bottle of water with you at all times, and if you find that you have trouble consuming enough, add a small amount of squash. 

We’re athletes, not dieters

True, athletes tend to be lean, and muscle mass is preferable to fat when trying to float around the track, but no athlete should be restricting their intake of food.  As such, information in the ‘diet’ industry often doesn’t apply to athletes (and I would argue, shouldn't apply to those who are not active either, but that’s a debate for another day).

As I mentioned previously, carbohydrates are the best source of fuel for an athlete.  Sportspeople should not restrict their carbohydrate intake.  Any short-term weight loss that occurs as a result of reduced carbohydrate intake is purely fluid loss (not a good thing), and will leave the muscles less capable of storing glycogen (definitely not good news for an athlete).  Additionally, starving the body will result in reduced metabolism, and may actually result in weight gain. 

Over the years, people have often asked me if I’m on a special diet for my sport.  They almost seem disappointed when I say I’m not.  True, I eat well, but just like my training, I see that as a choice, not a sacrifice.  I like good food, and feel much better after a big plate of pasta and vegetables than I do after a greasy bag of chips.

Enjoy your food!

The Benefits of Sports Massage on General Health and Sports Performance

All sportsmen and sportswomen should consider building a regular Sports Massage into their training routine whether they are injured or not. Sports Massage has a number of physical, physiological and psychological benefits and can help keep the body in better condition, reduce the number of injuries, improve mobility and flexibility and help reduce the likelihood of fatigue.

Sports massage can achieve a number of different benefits depending on the client’s needs; for example someone with tight muscles may be able to improve flexibility after treatment, someone who is stressed may feel more relaxed and someone suffering signs of fatigue may see improved  recovery.

The Physiological Effects of Sports Massage
Utilising natural blood flow, massage can have a significant effect on the micro-circulation through the pressure and movement of the strokes, helping to flush out any muscle waste and stimulate osmosis.  This improves recovery, aids metabolic processes and improves tissue health. Massage also improves the flow of the lymphatic system and therefore helps drainage removing waste from the system, and can strengthen the immune system due to the increase in white blood cells. 

Sports massage can also have a significant effect on the nervous system through stimulating the sensory receptors and either stimulate or soothe nerves depending on the techniques used. Sports Massage can also stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, helping promote relaxation and reduce stress, and can help reduce pain by the release of endorphins.

Due to the effect on the circulation, Sports Massage can improve skin condition due to cell regeneration from the increase in nutrition to the cells. It can help with the removal of waste products through the increased production of sweat and through increased sebum production. Sports Massage can also help improve the skins suppleness and elasticity. 

The Physical Effects on the Body
During the body’s healing process there is the formation of scar tissue. This is normally broken down but sometimes (more common with soft tissue injuries), some can remain. Adhesions can form from this scar tissue and this prevents the fibres ability to glide alongside one another which is needed for them to function.

Massage can help restore the range of motion by helping to release the restrictions by breaking down this scar tissue and helping to free the adhesions. It can also reduce inflammation, and reduce muscle tightness, stiffness and spasms.

Massage can help increase joint mobility by reducing the thickening of the connective tissue and help to release the restrictions. It can also help to free adhesions, break down this scar tissue and reduce inflammation, thereby restoring the range of motion.

By increasing blood circulation and oxygen and nutrient supply to the muscle as well as promoting removal of toxins and waste products, Sports Massage can also reduce muscle fatigue and soreness. 

The Psychological Effects of Sports Massage
Sports Massage can help to reduce stress and anxiety through relaxing both mind and body, promote positive body awareness, improved body image through relaxation and ease emotional trauma through relaxation.

Lifestyle management at altitude

Altitude training is forming an important part of the training programmes of many endurance athletes.  Living at altitude can pose a range of challenges, however, and particular aspects of lifestyle may need additional attention, particularly in relation to preventing overtraining and boredom.

Athletes may become lethargic because of the boredom, and those who fail to embrace the local culture may regret missing out on potentially inspiring and enjoyable experiences.  It would be a shame to fly all the way to South Africa, and never to see and animal in the wild!

Conversely, those to try to fit too much in, fail to recover adequately from training.  Attempting to fill the time between training with some more training will lead to burnout.  You could get addicted to computer games (or sudoko, strib scrabble, or poker for training kit) and delay or skip training as a result.  Spending all day visiting sites and attractions, may result in sore feet, tight muscles and increased risk of injury.

If you fill all your spare time with sleep, and may generally lethargic, or become unable to sleep at night.  You will need more sleep than normal at altitude, and afternoon naps are not only acceptable, but generally recommended.  But oversleeping, or sleeping to kill time may be detrimental to your training.

Spending all your time sunbathing isn’t the answer either.  The sun’s UV rays are stronger at altitude, and you will be more susceptible to sunburn than at sea level. 

You could also dragged into other people’s routine.  Having other people around you is a good thing, but remember that everyone responds to altitude different, and you may need more recovery time than others.  Finally, spending too much time with your friends or training partners can lead you to getting on each other’s nerves.

Of course, these factors may be similar to the challenges that full-time athletes face in their everyday lives.  We will revisit the pros and cons of being a full-time athlete in a future post, but in essence, athletes become full-time athletes when they go away on training camp, and that can have positive and negative aspects. It isn’t all bad of course, but care must be taken to not slip into the many pit falls.

Don't miss out on the opportunities that training abroad can offer

The training camp mentality

Training camps can be a great way of injecting a new impetus into training.  A new environment can be energising and brief, intense spells of training can help athletes reach a new level.  Athletes tend to be more motivated when they are training in a group and have no other distractions.  Training camps are not without their pitfalls, however, and being over motivated can be particularly detrimental when it comes to training stints at altitude.

Taking time to acclimatise to altitude can be the key to a successful training camp.  Too often I hear people saying that they’ve done their hardest ever week of training or hit new ‘personal best’ mileage figures while training at altitude, or tweeted about how much running at altitude has ‘kicked their asses’.  

At sea level, training in a group can help stretch most athletes to achieve their best.  Occasionally trying to keep up with better athletes can sometimes reap results.  Training in a group at altitude, however, is generally a bad thing.  Every athlete respond to altitude differently, and in addition to risking your physical health by working too hard, competing and measuring yourself against others can have detrimental effects on your mental performance. 

Key advice

• Work out your own programme with your coach and follow it
• Monitor your HR, RPE and general wellbeing, and adapt your programme if required
• Remember that less is more.  Just because you’re away on training camp, doesn’t mean that you have to train all the time.  Recovery is part of training too.
• Don’t get dragged into the group mentality
• Avoid going away with training partners that are overly competitive in training

Rest and recovery

We’ve all heard that resting is training too, but nowhere is the sentiment more true than when training at altitude.  Most of the physiological adaptations that occur at altitude, actually happen at rest.  Living at altitude is far more important than training at altitude (unless of course your training to compete at altitude). 

Basic acclimitisation to altitude takes approximately 14 days, though this varies depending on the individual.  During this time resting and training heart rates will be elevated, recovery times between intervals will be significantly increased, and more sleep will be required.  Your body will be working hard to increase EPO secretion, build new red blood cells, and to respond to the acute effects of the lower air pressure and oxygen availability.  Sometimes it’s best to just let the body get on with that.

Key advice

• Reduce overall training volume by 10-20 percent during the first week, and increased gradually over the next three to four weeks.
• Reduce the intensity of interval sessions by 5-10 percent initially, and increased gradually.  Intervals should be shorter than normal, and recovery time between them doubled. 
• Take an additional recovery day between hard workout days.  Use resting HR as an indicator of recovery, and skip any planned workout if the HR is elevated more than normal.
• Remember that there are huge individual variations in response to altitude.  Listen to your own body and don’t measure yourself against others.
• Remember, with altitude training, less is more, particularly during the first two weeks. 

The Grand Canyon makes a great day out when training at altitude in Flagstaff

The boredom factor

Boredom can be an issue when training at altitude, and striking a balance between killing time, relaxing, and embracing the sites and culture of your training environment, can be difficult.  Boredom can lead to depression, so susceptible athletes should take particular care.

If you’re in charge of your own travel plans, choose somewhere that will cater for your entertainment needs.  If you don’t like sitting around all day talking and drinking tea, then Kenya may not be for you.  Choose a big city if you like to have lots to do; and smaller towns if you prefer to be close to nature.

Key advice

• Decide on one or two things that you would really like to do while you’re away, and then decide where those activities will best fit into your training programme.  A safari might be a good way to recover from a long haul flight and adjust to altitude, while a trip to the grand canyon might be a suitable activity for a rest day. 
• Have one worthwhile task to do while you’re away. Catching up with university work, doing an online course, writing blogs or magazine articles, or updating your website are just some of the projects that you could complete.
• Enjoy your mealtimes; it’s not every day that you can take your time eating food.  Dining halls are also a good way to meet new people, and to soak in the culture of your surroundings. 
• Not everyone loves to eat, sleep and breathe their sport.  Find what works for you and plan accordingly.

Chess or draughts can be a great way to pass the time and keep the brain active

Nutrition and staying healthy

Diet is very important when training at altitude, and adjustments may have to be made to ensure that you are getting all the nutrients that you need.  

Since more oxygen is required to break down fat than carbohydrates, 80 percent of calories should be derived from low glycaemic carbohydrates.  Meals should be taken every 4 hr.  Increased carbohydrate utilization may result in glycogen store depletion, so make a conscious effort to replace carbohydrates during and after training.

Reduced nutrient absorption in the gut at altitude results in greater faecal losses.  Maintaining a high proportion of carbohydrate, and ensuring that overall calorie intake is adequate may reduce or offset this faecal loss.  Basal metabolic rate increases for the first 4 days of altitude exposure, particularly in females.  After 4 days metabolic rate begins to return to normal, but remains above sea level values. 

Some individuals may experience reduced appetite.  Small but regular meals, and eating a variety of fresh products, may help.  Apples and grapes in particular have natural chemicals which increase appetite.

 Iron is also very important and depleted iron stores is one of the reasons why some people do not respond to altitude.  Iron is a mineral that is essential in the production of haemoglobin.  Haemoglobin is the part of the red blood cell which attaches to oxygen and transports it around the body.  As the body turns iron stores into additional red blood cells in response to the hypoxic conditions and subsequent increased erythropoietin syntheses, the demand of iron rises, and with it the risk of developing anaemia, even in health runners.

There is risk of immunosuppression, and a subsequent increased risk of upper respiratory tract infections and gastrointestinal infections, at altitude.  It is important that you listen to your body, have adequate vitamins (A, folic acid, B₆, B₁₂, C and E) and minerals (copper, selenium and zinc) in your diet, and replace carbohydrates quickly after exercise.

Because of increased ventilation, increased urinary water loss, and low humidity at altitude, the potential for dehydration is increased.  Caffeine-free fluid intake should be increased by as much as 4 litres per day.  Monitor morning urine colour to ensure that fluid needs are being met, and reduce caffeine consumption.

Dealing with Injury

If you are training at altitude, and get an injury that prevents you from carrying out your normal training, it is best not to panic.  Depending on the severity of your injury, how far you are into your trip, and on the duration of your planned trip, you have a number of options.

The most important thing is that you get treatment for your injury.  If you do not have support personnel with you, cannot find access to a suitable physiotherapist, and do not know what your injury is and how to treat it, you may be best taking complete rest.  If you have a long trip planned, you could look at shortening your trip.

Even if your ability to train is severely hindered by your injury, you will still benefit from sleeping at altitude.  If you would have to rest even if you were at home, you may still be able get some benefit from your trip, and the solitude of altitude may help with adherence to rehab exercises.

Cross-training may be particularly beneficial at altitude and cycling, aquajogging, or even just walking, may be sufficient to raise the heart rate to sea level easy exercise levels in some individuals.

If you are susceptible to injury, or have a recurring injury, ensure that you have access to physiotherapy, and/or medical backup, have access to cross-training facilities if required, and have investigated if the trails are suitable for you.

If all else fails, and if it’s not practical for you to go home early, consider that your injury may be your body telling you to take a break.  Consider if you actually need a holiday.  Make a conscious effort to make the most of the trip, and add in some extra sightseeing, make some new friends, and relax.  Make the most of the hypoxic air!

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My recently published book, Notes from higher grounds, is available through Amazon (click on image below).  It is essentially a travel guide for those looking to arrange a trip to altitude, and covers 15 different venues in detail, but also includes practical advice on how to deal with travel and training at altitude.

Was Jenny Jones really GB’S first Winter Olympic Medallist on snow?

Snowboarder Jenny Jones at this year’s Winter Olympics in Sochi won Great Britain’s first Olympic medal on snow (rather than ice) when she took bronze in the Snowboard Slopestyle.

However, 12-years ago in Salt Lake City Alain Baxter became the first British athlete to win a medal on snow.  The medal was later taken away and awarded to Austria’s Benjamin Raich after Baxter failed a post-race drugs test.  A minute quantity (20 millionths of a gram) of the banned substance methamphetamine was found in the athlete’s urine sample which he claimed was from an over the counter Vicks nasal inhaler.

He was supported by the BOC to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and though CAS agreed with his argument the IOC’s decision was upheld because of the strict liability rule.

Alain Baxter’s error was buying an American version of a nasal inhaler to clear his sinuses.  It had different ingredients to the British version he had used for years, which had been cleared for use by his doctor.  The American version was not checked and contained traces of the banned substance levometamphetamine.

Since the games Alain has told the BBC that it was quite hard to take in when they were saying about it being a historic medal for Britain and he had some explaining to do when the archive pictures of him were shown on television news after Jenny Jones won her medal in Sochi.

“Kerr [my son] saw the pictures of me from Salt Lake City and drugs were mentioned. He started asking me about it and I thought ‘heregoes’.  He knows I won a medal but I nolonger have that medal, and it’s hard to explain why to a seven year old”

Baxter did return to ski racing after serving a ban, and competed at the 2006 Games in Turin where he finished 16^th; he has since retired from competitive racing in 2009. 

So what can athletes learn from this mistake?

What is the Strict Liability Rule?

This is where athletes are 100% responsible for what is ingested into their bodies whether or not the athlete intentionally or unintentionally used a prohibited substance or was otherwise negligent or at fault.

Medication

At some point, an athlete is likely to require medication for an illness or infection to allow them to train or compete and many athletes receive information on what to do through the 100% programme run by UK Anti- Doping (UKAD).

But here are a few pointers:-

1.   Check with your doctor that the medication does not contain a banned substance and that you are able to compete; if it does contain a banned substance is there an alternative medication?
2. Even over the counter medications can contain banned substances so should always be checked
3. Athletes in the UK can check their medication on the Global Drug Reference Online (Global DRO) which provides athletes and support personnel with information about their prohibited status of specific substances-  http://www.globaldro.com
4. Athletes in Ireland can check their medication on- http://www.eirpharm.com/sports/search which provides athletes and support personnel with information about their prohibited status of specific substance.
5. Some medications are banned just in competition, so be specific when you come to check

What happens if you train or compete abroad?

1. Take enough of the prescription with you so you don’t need to buy any abroad
2. If you are in the UK, Canada, United States and Japan check- http://www.globaldro.com
3. If you are in Ireland check- http://www.eirpharm.com/sports/search
4.   If you are in any other country outside of those listed you can check the ingredients listed in the medication

Book Review: The Business of Being an Athlete

The Business of Being an Athlete
Kerri Pottharst
Kez Publishing
2010

When I started supporting high performance student athletes eight years ago, I wished I could find a book or manual that detailed everything that I would have to support them with, and how to go about that.  I'd competed at a relatively high level myself, but lacked the 'world-class' perspective on things.  Luckily as things panned out, I worked with a very mature bunch of athletes, and I could learn on the job.  None of my first cohort of students had quite yet reached the world stage, and their problems (coursework deadlines, not enough hours in the week, money issues) were ones that I could easily relate to; issues such as retirement from sport, Olympic selection (or non-selection as the case might be) and eating disorders didn't arise until later.

The Australians have always led the way in lifestyle and career support for athletes, and it's no coincidence that I happened on this book in a Melbourne bookshop.  It is written by two times Australian Olympic beach volleyball medalist Kerri Pottharst who combines snippets from her own inspiring career with practical advice for high performance athletes of all levels.

Divided into three sections - passion, preparation and belief - the book covers such diverse topics as goal setting, nutrition, dealing with fans and handling competitive nerves.  Within the preparation section are chapters which you won't find in any nutrition or psychology book for athletes.  The author gets to the real nitty-gritty of high performance lifestyle, and deals with communication skills, managing money, keeping records and time management.  There is advice on setting up a website and how to use social media platforms in a professional way.  Good table manners (for all those awards dinners) are even covered.

The Business of Being an Athlete may well be the manual that I sought all those years ago.  It is the ultimate advice book for high performance athletes and a useful guide for support personnel and coaches working with international athletes.  Written in an easy-to-read, non-technical style, it is easy to pick up, pick a page, and be informed and inspired.  It is highly recommended for those working in the area.

Goal Setting - Part II

Last week I blogged about the importance of goal setting in the context of both performance and lifestyle management.  This week I wanted to go into a bit more detail about effective how to set effective goals, and outline some of the different type of goals which can motivate us in different ways.

The acrimony SMART (or SMARTER) is often used in the field of sports psychology to determine what makes up an effective goal, though discrepancies exist in what each of the letters stand for.  Here are just two of the many descriptions that I have come across:

Specific – Target a specific area for improvement.  Non-specific goals can be irrelevant or difficult to define

Measurable – Will you know when you have achieved your goal?

Aspiration or Ambitious – Is the goal stretching?  Easy goals don’t inspire or motivate us.

Realistic – Is the goal achievable?

Time-related – When do you want to achieve the results by?

Evaluated – Check that you are progressing towards your goal and adjust

Re-evaluated – Keep checking that you are progressing towards your goal

Specific – make them as precise and detailed as possible

Measurable – a method by which you can quantify or rate your current position and then determine the amount of improvement required

Accepted – goals need to be shared and negotiated with all others involved

Realistic – the goal is realistic yet challenging

Time phased – date is set for when the goal is to be achieved by

Exciting – goal motivated the individual

Recorded – the goal and progress towards it are recorded

Together these two definitions cover all but one aspect of what makes up a good goal.  I’ll come back to the other in a moment, but I just wanted to highlight the importance of a goal being exciting.  Some of us are excited by challenging goals; some of us are excited by working towards shared goals as part of a team; some of us (particularly those who are extrinsically motivated), are excited by the final outcome and the fame, fortune or reward that achieving the goal will achieve.  Find what excites you, and set your goals accordingly.  Think about how achieving your goals will make you feel.

The final thing that a goal should be is ‘positively phrased.’ This is where goal setting and mental imagery cross over.  The value of positively phrased goals is probably best demonstrated in the following example:

Negatively phrased goal: To not let people pass me in the home straight of an 800m

Positively phrased goal: To stay ahead in the home straight of an 800m

These two goals set about to achieve the very same result, but the athlete with the first goal will imagine himself being passed when he reads his goal, while the second athlete is likely to imagine himself feeling strong and staying ahead of the pack when he rereads his goal.  Very subtle wording adjustments can really help our goals to be more effective.

Types of goals

Not all goals are the same.  In fact there are three main categories of goal; all of which are important.  They are:

Outcome goals – these are goals where the outcome depends on winning or achieving a particular result.  Outcome goals are highly motivational, particularly in the long-term, but sometimes the result is completely beyond the control of the individual.  An athlete might aim to make the Olympic Games.  They might achieve the qualifying time, but still not be selected to compete.  Similarly a team might aim to win a national title.  They might play the game of their lives in the final, but just come up against a better team on the day, or be defeated as a result of incorrect referring decisions.

Performance goals  - these can be very similar to outcome goals, but give a little bit more control back to the athlete.  With performance goals and athlete sets a specific standard which they want to achieve.  For a track athlete that might be to run 4 minutes for the mile; or for a gymnast it might be to achieve a specific score for their floor routine.  Achieving performance goals is usually unaffected by the performance of others, and are highly effective in monitoring progress towards long-term outcome goas.  Athletes can achieve their performance goals without winning.  Extensically-motivated athletes may be more excited by outcome goals, while intrinsically-motivated athletes can be sufficiently motivated by performance goals.

Process goals – these relate to perfecting a strategy or technique necessary to perform well.  The athlete has complete control over process goals, and process goals can help to reduce anxiety and precompetition nerves.  Examples of a process goal for a long jumper might be to maintain controlled rhythm during the run up.  A golfer might focus on their putting technique and tennis player might focus on their forehand technique.  A series of process goals can be set working towards a medium or long term performance of outcome goal.

Activities:

1. Write down your goal (s) for the coming year.  Try to set an outcome, a process and a performance goal.
2. Are your goals intrinsically or extrinsically motivated?  Are they exciting to you?
3. Check that each goal is positively phrased.  Can you imagine yourself achieving your goals?
4. Double-check that each of your goals meets the criteria for a SMARTER goal, and adjust accordingly.

Goal setting: the key to lifestyle management?

Earlier this week I delivered a workshop to a group of talented young athletes.  We covered topics such as goal setting, time management and decision making, in that order, which was planned, but was only as we were discussing each topic, that it really dawned on me, just how important goals are to every aspect, not only of sport, but of life outside and beyond sport.  Knowing what you achieve is paramount in managing time, and it's a lot easier to make decisions, when we know what we want to achieve in the short, medium and long term.

Not all goals are made consciously.  High performing athletes will set goals for each session that they do, without realising that they have even done so.  Some days it will just be to get the session done; other days it'll be to perform a personal best on repetition.  After years of training and competing, goals in the performance setting will just come naturally.  Goals are not so easy in an unfamiliar environment, like when we are injured, or when we're planning for life after sport.  Considerable thought is often required in these situations.


Coping with Injury
Setting goals can be a great way to overcome injury.  You don't have to think about what you want to achieve after the injury - this often results in over-compliance to rehab programmes, and rushing back to training before you're ready - but think about the process goals that will help you get the most out of your time off.  Depending on the individual, the sport, and the injury, these are some goals that you might set for yourself while injured:

1. To undertake all exercises prescribed by they physiotherapist each and every day of rehab - no more and no less
2. To take up a new hobby, which I will practice daily (when I would normally be training), to take the focus away from the injury and not being able to compete
3. To carry out a period of mental imagery each day in which I will focus on perfect technique
4. To have a massage once every two weeks
5. To use the downtime to catch up on dental appointments and other things that normally detract from training
6. To maintain a structured routine

Not all goals need to be performance goals, and outcome and process goals are especially important during times of injury, illness, transition, or poor form.


Managing your time
Over the years of working with high performance athletes, I have noticed that those who manage to fit the most into their lives, are the ones who know what they want to achieve in both sport and outside of sport.  I've come across medical students who have managed to compete at an international level, and triathletes who can fit training for three sports around being a full-time student.  There are enough hours in the week - we just need to be motivated enough to use them wisely.

When planning for the week, it's a good idea to write down a few goals for the week; plan our time; and then reflect on whether or not our allocation of time is reflective of what we want to achieve in that week.  There is no special wand which will suddenly make us 'time-managed' but know what we want to achieve will make us more efficient with out time.


Making decisions
We all have important decisions to make from time to time - what subjects do we choose for A-levels/Leaving Cert? Which university do we attend? What will we do after university? Is it a good idea to become full-time athletes? Do we want children? Is it time to retire?  For some of us, these decisions will be made, or the options at least narrowed down naturally, but for many, we have to actively make the effort to wade through the options and decide what we are going to do next.  This takes energy and effort which we would probably prefer to conserve for training, but not making a decision, and leaving it to sit on the back of our minds, can use a lot more energy.  Decisions are important!

Knowing what are goals are can greatly help when making decisions.  If your sport is the most important thing in your world, then make sure that you choose a university where you have the facilities, coaching and environment to maintain your training.  There are rarely any right or wrong choices, but if your goals can't be achieved by the decisions that you have made, you are unlikely to lead a satisfied life.   Making decisions based on your goals also prevents you making them for the wrong reasons, or making them to keep others happy.


In summary, goals don't just help us to preform better - they help us decide what is important to us, to decide what we want to achieve in life, how to transition from one phase of life to the next, to deal with injury, to manage our time, and to make decisions.  They are the key to managing our lifestyle, whether that be as a student-athlete, retiring sportstar, or active mother.  Goal setting is the key to lifestyle management.