The Top 5 Things I Tell My Athlete Clients to Enhance Performance
December 14th, 2022
The new year is right around the corner and I have many athlete clients gearing up for training for the upcoming season. Whether it be a race, triathlon, a specific sport or just wanting to make 2023 the year to work on their fitness, the right tips and tricks can be very helpful when training to enhance overall performance. I know one of my goals is to mainly focus on strength training by building off of the solid base that I created this year. What fitness or performance goal are you working towards?
The Top 5 Things I Tell My Athlete Clients to Enhance Performance
1. Bump Up Your Protein. After analyzing hundreds of 7-day food diaries, more than 90% of my clients are not eating enough protein. As an active individual or athlete, you’re most likely working hard to get stronger, to improve body composition, and to improve performance. Protein is the one major nutrient that helps rebuild and repair damaged muscle tissue.
The goal for any active individual is to stay in what’s called a positive protein balance for each day. This means, to have enough protein on board to support muscle protein synthesis—the driving force behind adaptive responses to exercise, i.e. maintaining or building new muscle.
A positive protein balance is considered to be anabolic, or building of muscle tissue. Whereas, a negative protein balance (under-consuming protein) is considered catabolic, or breaking down muscle to be used for fuel. You can work on being in a positive protein balance by consistently eating protein at every meal and snack throughout the day vs trying to jam all of your protein in post workout or training session. Aiming for at least 20-40 grams of protein for meals and 15-30 grams for snacks can be helpful to achieve this (these numbers can vary based on age, gender, exercise, medical history and more).
If you’re trying to lose body fat, consuming enough protein will promote fat loss without losing or compromising muscle tissue. This can also help improve overall metabolic function, as protein takes longer to digest, boosting metabolic rate and increasing the number of calories you burn (80-100 calories each day).
A few high protein snack ideas:
o Greek, Icelandic Skyr, or high protein plant-based yogurt (15-20 grams per ½ cup)
o Cottage Cheese (30 grams per 1 cup)
o Edamame (16 grams per 1 cup)
o Deli roll-ups (20 grams per 4oz)
o Protein balls (15-20 grams for 3 balls)
o Smoothie/Smoothie Bowl (20-40 grams per serving)
Females who are in perimenopause or are postmenopausal will start to experience a drop in estrogen levels. One of the many things that estrogen is responsible for in women is muscle protein synthesis. Once estrogen levels start to decline, the ability to maintain and build lean muscle tissue can be challenging.
What can help improve this response? PROTEIN!
Consuming the right amount of protein is crucial during these stages in life for all women, ESPECIALLY those who are active. The type of protein is also important. Leucine is an amino acid (a building block of protein) that can stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Since muscle protein synthesis is impaired due to low levels of estrogen, it’s important for females to aim for 30-40 grams of protein with 3-3.5 grams of leucine post workout (per the International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand).
A few leucine-rich foods:
o cottage cheese (1 cup has 2.8 grams)
o beef/steak (3oz has 2.3 grams)
o fish (3oz has 1.9 grams)
o yogurt (1 cup has 1.2 grams)
o tofu (1/2 cup has 1.7 grams)
o black beans (1 cup 1.4 grams)
Whey-based products, such as a high quality protein powder, generally have the highest amounts of leucine. I use Iconic Grass-Fed Whey Protein powder that provides a strong amino acid profile (use code Katie15 for 15% off).
2. It’s All About Blood Sugar Balance. If you’re really looking to optimize performance, blood sugar balance should absolutely be the foundation of your nutrition lifestyle. And for those clients who have worked me know this is the nutrition foundation I use in my practice.
Picture this, you eat a bowl of oatmeal in the morning topped with fruit thinking you’re consuming a healthy breakfast. But in reality, it’s most likely causing a major blood sugar spike and crash due to the imbalance of nutrients. When blood sugar (glucose) is spiked throughout the day, your body is producing more of the hormone insulin. Insulin is responsible for moving the glucose out of the bloodstream into the cells to either be used for energy or stored in the fat cells. High levels of insulin (which is a blood marker I test with my clients to determine whether it’s in a good range) inhibits lipolysis (breakdown or “burning” of fats) and promotes triglyceride storage (check out this study if you’re into reading up on the science). Blood sugar imbalance can cause:
o a spike and crash in energy
o poorly managed hunger levels
o cravings for carbs/sugar
o mood swings
o difficulty seeing progress with performance
o body fat gain or difficulty losing body fat
o gut/digestive issues
o brain fog, lack of concentration and focus
o increased risk for insulin resistance and other metabolic health issues
By adding protein and healthy fat to this carb-rich breakfast will help improve glucose and insulin response. Good protein additions to the oatmeal breakfast can be protein powder, protein yogurt, hemp seeds, protein milk or cottage cheese. Healthy fats would include nuts and nut butters, chia and flaxseeds (milled), fuller fat milks and yogurts. It’s best to avoid flavored oatmeal and adding dried fruits or other high sugar mix-ins to help with maintaining the right balance for blood sugar optimization. Here are a few benefits of eating in a good blood sugar balance:
o sustainable energy (no slumps and dips)
o satiated after meals and snacks
o minimal cravings and less mindless snacking
o better mood stability
o improved performance: strength, conditioning, endurance, speed, agility
o body fat loss and leaning out of body composition
o improved gut function
o better tolerance to foods (if dealing with specific intolerances and sensitivities)
o better concentration and focus
o decrease risk of metabolic disorders and disease states
Check out my blog here to learn more about the benefits of optimizing your blood sugars.
Also, here are two food product companies that support blood sugar control, Birota Foods (use code KVNUTRITION2022BF for a 10% off discount) and All Around Snack Company (use code KVNUTRITION2022AASC for a 10% off discount).
3. Having Your Menstrual Cycle is a Performance Enhancer. After learning so much and becoming certified in Dr Stacy Sims programs, this is a big discussion with my females who in their premenopausal state (before menopause). There are many females who do not want to have their period for a big competition or event. Or they tell me they feel “yucky” when they have their period and avoid working out. In reality, this is the time to push the limits for most women.
During the week of having a menstrual cycle, estrogen and progesterone are at its lowest point, making us most similar to men. This is the week we can push our bodies hard (but safely!). Females can respond and adapt to physiological stress and hard bouts of training during their menstrual cycle. The physical adaptations are strongest due to this!
A few good examples of what to aim for during this week is to test a strength PR, run a tempo run pace, or compete in a race or event. If you want to make gains, this is the week to do it, even if you feel yucky. Exercise can help reduce cramping and bloating while improving mood. Test it out on yourself this month and see how you feel in comparison to other weeks.
4. You Need to Be Your Own Scientist. When I work with a client, I give them all of the tools that they need: customized meal planning, pre- and post-workout foods, specific hydration protocols, nutrient timing, recovery strategies, supplement recommendations, different lifestyle modifications to develop better habits and routine, however, everyone is VERY different (which I’m sure you already know). What works for one person will most likely not work for the next. That’s where being your own scientist comes into play.
For example, one client may be able to tolerate peanut butter one hour before a run if it’s later in the day, however, her gut can’t tolerate first thing in the morning.
Another client might get a large dip in energy midafternoon, which could be a handful of things. Did he consume enough electrolytes post workout? Did he consume enough carbohydrates around workouts (some people require more)? Did he consume enough calories in general?
Another question I get when the client receives their customized meal plan: What time should I be eating these meals and snacks? Again, this is something that the client has to play around with on their own (along with my guidance of course). Following the guideline of eating every 3-4 hours to maintain good blood sugar balance is always helpful and seeing what works best for that person around their workouts and training is key. There can be some tweaking and fine tuning during this process, but once you’re there, there’s no desire to go back.
5. Sleep Over Anything Else. I can’t stress sleep enough. Getting anywhere from 7-9 hours of good quality sleep is recommended. And by good quality, it means to sleep well throughout the night and feeling well rested upon awakening.
If a client is not getting enough good quality sleep, leveling up performance can be very difficult. Sleep is the most effective recovery strategy for athletes and active individuals. Suboptimal sleep can affect many variables of athletic performance including, reaction time, accuracy, strength and endurance, and cognitive function. Cognitive functions such as judgment and decision-making also suffer (Refer to Sleep Hygiene for Optimizing Recovery in Athletes for more of the science).
We have different systems that need proper sleep to recover which include hormonal, neurological, and structural (muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones). Your structural system is more susceptible to overtraining. It requires indirect blood flow and therefore takes longer to recover. Also, muscle tissues need to repair, rebuild and strengthen. This happens during good quality sleep. You will become stronger, have better quality workouts, feel rejuvenated and not compromise your immune system.
Preventing or recovering from illness is another benefit of good sleep. During sleep, your body produces cytokines, which are hormones that help the immune system fight off infections.
Risk for injury is greatly reduced with adequate sleep. During our slow wave deep sleep cycle, our body releases growth hormone that works to repair muscles, bones, and tissues. Not enough sleep causes a sharp decline in growth hormone secretion. Growth hormone deficiency is associated with loss of muscle mass and reduced exercise capacity.
Are you aware of how much deep sleep you get per night? Some people barely enter slow wave deep sleep. It’s good to aim for 15-20% of your total sleep in this restorative deep sleep cycle. Monitoring your sleep cycles with sleep trackers such as the Oura ring or Whoop strap can be helpful. I currently use a Whoop strap and have been for over a year. It has been a game changer for me to help determine my sleep, strain, recovery and how I can optimize each one by making small adjustments to certain lifestyle behaviors. You can try the Whoop strap for free for one month using this link.
Here are a few sleep hygiene tips:
o Make sure your room is cool, dark and is a place of relaxation and calm
o Use a white noise machine
o Avoid electronics before bed. Use blue light blockers if necessary.
o Do not eat two hours before you sleep. An insulin response from food consumption can delay the onset of melatonin (our natural sleep hormone).
o Avoid bright light. When it is dark, our body starts producing melatonin as part of our natural circadian rhythm response. Bright light will cause an immediate drop in melatonin.
o Avoid overtraining. This can cause insomnia and restlessness.
o Read, journal, deep breath or meditate to relieve stress. I’m an avid meditator. I love Yoga Nidra to help put me into deep state of relaxation. I learned about Yoga Nidra from Dr. Andrew Huberman, one of the top neuroscientists and one of my favorite podcasts to follow.
o Avoid caffeine and alcohol close to bedtime. They both can lead to disrupted sleep and the inability to enter the stage of slow wave deep sleep (which happens in the beginning of our sleep cycle).
o To maintain good sleep quality, work with your circadian rhythm by going to sleep and waking up around the same time each day.
o Supplemental use may be needed. Things such as Magnesium, certain adaptogens or tart cherry juice are all things I use in my practice with my clients. Recommendations for supplement use are on a very individualized basis.
Takeaway: Continuous training with suboptimal sleep can actually weaken the strongest athletes.
How do you feel about the top five things? If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to reach out!