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What you’ll learn: In this blog, we will discuss the natural changes your body goes through as you age, how it impacts your performance as an athlete, and dive into which nutritional steps you can take to help keep you active and competitive as an older athlete.

By: Heidi Harris, RD-N, LD-N, CD-N

Have you noticed hitting your personal bests in your 30s, 40s, or 50s isn’t coming as naturally or frequently as it used to when you were in your 20s? That’s normal and part of the natural aging process. Typically, most people start to lose efficiency in their aerobic capacity and drop in peak performance starting in their 30s.¹ As we age, our recovery efficiency between workouts, competitions and overall physical performance slows. Not to mention, bone mass declines and the risk of physical injury becomes more prevalent.

To continue with our healthy dose of reality, our muscles become less responsive to the anabolic effects of protein and exercise as we age. This is often referred to as anabolic resistance or anabolic blunting. This may be part of why building muscle as we age gets harder. Which, conversely, is also why it’s important to focus on muscle gain during training. Some research suggests this slowdown of the anabolic effect partially regulates protein synthesis signaling.²

Luckily, with an appropriate combination of strategic physical training and nutrition interventions, you may help limit age-related declines in performance to keep you performing at your optimal best and keep you competing for longer.

How Nutrition Helps Aging Athletes

As our bodies change with age, so do our nutritional needs. As I mentioned a little earlier, our muscle mass naturally declines as we age, so we are going to discuss three critical areas you can focus on as an athlete to help keep up with the competition amongst younger athletes.

Protein

This may not sound like a change from what you’re already doing. However, given that with age, your muscles become less responsive to the anabolic (or process of building muscle mass) effect of protein and exercise, research has found that eating more protein helps curb the potential for natural age-related muscle mass loss.

Research suggests that in comparison to younger athletes, older athletes should aim for approximately 1.2 - 1.5 grams of protein intake per kilogram of body weight per day to offset this muscle mass depletion and help maintain roughly 40% more muscle mass compared to those who may not have a lean protein-rich diet.³ This recommendation is considerably higher for protein intake than that of a more youthful athlete.

Sources of lean protein that may provide 20 - 25 grams of protein per serving include white fish like cod, haddock, halibut, tilapia and bass.⁴ Dairy, like plain Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, is another great source of lean protein. Did you know plain Greek yogurt provides 15-20 grams of protein per serving?⁵ It’s a perfect option for a protein-filled snack!

White meat poultry is another optimal lean protein source – a 3.5 oz. serving of white chicken or turkey can provide 30 grams of protein.⁶ 90% lean beef can provide a whopping 24 grams of protein per serving!⁷

Looking for additional support to help meet that 1.2 - 1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight per day? Klean Athlete is an NSF certified for sport and our Klean Isolate provides 20 grams of protein per scoop. Not to mention, it comes in various flavors - now, that’s efficient!

Carbohydrates

While protein gets a lot of love in the fitness and nutrition world, I’m here to remind you about your friend, carbohydrates. Research over the years has consistently pointed to carbohydrates as a vital energy source for high-intensity performance.

Carbohydrates are the primary macronutrient for sustaining and improving physical performance. In fact, it’s been found that athletes who purposefully restrict energy intake or eliminate certain food groups from their diet (such as carbohydrates) fall short of meeting their nutritional requirements, ultimately impacting their overall performance.⁸

Competitive athletes have increased carbohydrate needs in order to replenish their glycogen stores. When an athlete participates in consistent and strenuous physical performance, glycogen stores become depleted and as an athlete gets older, it takes longer to replenish those stores and recover. That’s why while carbohydrate needs are individually specific, research has found that an athlete who heavily participates in a vigorous activity greater than 4 hours per day needs approximately 8 - 12 grams of high-quality carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight per day.^{8, 9}

Carbohydrates go beyond just glycogen store replenishment. There are different types of carbohydrates and each impacts your physical performance differently. For example, rapidly absorbed carbohydrates have been found to enter an athlete’s bloodstream faster, helping support exercise intensity and duration. As we age, our stamina and endurance may decrease; therefore, we rapidly release carbohydrates to help support our energy needs while performing.¹⁰ Meanwhile, complex carbohydrate consumption in the hours after exercise helps replenish glycogen stores to help nourish and aid your body as it recovers.^{8, 11}

Struggling to meet your carbohydrate needs for optimal recovery? Klean Recovery provides a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein to help support glycogen re-synthesis and muscle protein synthesis immediately after a workout.^‡

Hydration

For this next section, when I’m talking about hydration, I’m talking about both water and electrolytes.

Electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium and calcium help balance the amount of water in your body while also balancing the electrical gradients for your heart, nerves, muscles and brain to help support optimal function during performance.^12‡

I’m looking at you, the older athletes who cramp up during pivotal competitions in your athletic career!

Have you ever had sweat drip into your mouth while exercising? That salty taste is a mix of electrolytes and loss of hydration. You’ve probably heard you need to replenish whatever you’ve lost in hydration from sweat. Well, it’s more than just replenishing what you’ve lost and it’s much more individualized.

As we age, our perception of thirst decreases, as does our sweat rate and the ability of our kidneys to concentrate urine. As discussed earlier, muscle mass (which stores water) naturally decreases in your 30s. All this can lead to dehydration amongst competitive athletes and all the more reason why increasing your hydration intake is important for competitive aging athletes.¹³

When it comes to rehydrating post-exercise, it’s not a one-size-fits-all. An athlete’s individual factors such as age, sweat rate and overall health, affect hydration status. The general rule of thumb for supporting proper hydration for athletes consists of hydrating more than 16 oz. 2 - 3 hours before exercise and another 8 oz. at least 15 minutes before competition or exercise. During training or competition, it’s recommended to hydrate enough to limit dehydration to less than 2% body weight loss. Finally, it’s also recommended to measure how much fluid an athlete has lost during exercise and to drink approximately 16 - 24 oz. of water for every pound of body weight lost.¹⁴

Our Klean Hydration offers 6% carbohydrates with additional minerals to replace fluid and electrolytes lost through sweat during physical activity. Meanwhile, our Klean Electrolytes replenish important minerals in the body during or after exercise in an easy-to-dose capsule form. As hydration needs are individualized to the athlete, our Klean Athlete® products are easily customizable to meet individual training and performance needs.^‡

Beta-Alanine and Its Impacts on the Aging Athlete

It’s time we switch gears and focus on beta-alanine and carnosine.

Let’s rewind to the concept that we become less efficient at recovering from physical activity as we age. Ever felt that muscle burn post-exercise? The process of converting glucose to energy in muscles (tapping into those glycogen stores) produces lactic acid. This then gets broken down into its building blocks, lactate and hydrogen. You can thank those pesky hydrogen ions in your muscles for causing that muscle fatigue and discomfort.^{15, 16}

Beta-alanine is used to make carnosine, which buffers the hydrogen ions, a byproduct of physical exercise.¹⁶  More carnosine delays the “burn,” enabling you to sustain intense efforts and train more effectively. Some research has found support for overall performance in older adults, such as supporting physical work capacity and delaying the onset of neuromuscular fatigue.^{18, 19‡}

So, you’re probably wondering, why aren’t we supplementing with carnosine instead of beta-alanine? Carnosine is degraded in the digestive tract into its building blocks, beta-alanine and histidine.  In muscles, beta-alanine is in short supply, so supplementing with beta-alanine results in a higher concentration of carnosine than supplementing with carnosine directly.¹⁷

Our Klean SR Beta-Alanine is meant for athletes training at high intensities, such as sprint and strength/power athletes whose performance is limited by acid buildup. Our Klean SR Beta-Alanine delays fatigue and supports muscle endurance and exercise capacity during short periods of intense effort. This allows you the opportunity to train harder, stronger and more effectively.^‡

Keeping Consistent as an Athlete as You Age

As an athlete, it’s never too early to start planning your nutritional needs to help support your future physical performance, understanding how your body changes and how that impacts your nutrient needs and diet. Healthy nutrition, proper hydration and understanding what macronutrients are impacted by your changing needs are just a few ways you can prepare to help remain competitive and consistent during your athletic career. Klean Athlete® has done its due diligence and offers various products to support your unique nutritional needs as you age.^‡

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References

1. Mitchell, W. K. et. al (2012). Sarcopenia, Dynapenia, and the Impact of Advancing Age on Human Skeletal Muscle Size and Strength; a Quantitative Review. Frontiers in Physiology, 3. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2012.00260
2. Kumar, V., et. al, (2009). Age-related differences in the dose-response relationship of muscle protein synthesis to resistance exercise in young and old men. The Journal of Physiology, 587(1), 211–217. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2008.164483
3. Witard, O. C., et. al. (2016). Growing older with health and vitality: a nexus of physical activity, exercise and nutrition. Biogerontology, 17(3), 529–546. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10522-016-9637-9
4. FoodData Central. USDA. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/175177/nutrients
5. Desai, N. T., et, al. (2013). Sensory properties and drivers of liking for Greek yogurts. Journal of Dairy Science, 96(12), 7454–7466. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2013-6973
6. FoodData Central. USDA. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/1098445/nutrients
7. FoodData Central. USDA. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171790/nutrients
8. Kanter, M. (2018). High-Quality Carbohydrates and Physical Performance. Nutrition Today, 53(1), 35–39. https://doi.org/10.1097/nt.0000000000000238
9. Havemann L, et al. Fat adaptation followed by carbohydrate loading compromises high-intensity sprint performance. J Appl Physiol. 2006;100:194–202.
10. Keep Your Energy As You Age. https://www.rush.edu/news/keep-your-energy-you-age
11. ‌Little JP, et al. Effect of low- and high-glycemic-index meals on metabolism and performance during high-intensity, intermittent exercise. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2010;20(6):447–456.
12. Fluid and Electrolyte Balance. (n.d.). Medlineplus.gov. Retrieved September 19, 2023, from https://medlineplus.gov/fluidandelectrolytebalance.
13. Meade, R. D., et al. (2020). Ageing attenuates the effect of extracellular hyperosmolality on whole‐body heat exchange during exercise‐heat stress. The Journal of Physiology, 598(22), 5133–5148. https://doi.org/10.1113/jp280132
14. United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Nutrition & Hydration. (n.d.). Www.usopc.org. https://www.usopc.org/nutrition
15. Dunnett M, et al. Influence of oral beta-alanine and L-histidine supplementation on the carnosine content of the gluteus medius. Equine Vet J Suppl 1999;30:499-504.
16. Harris R, et al. The absorption of orally supplied beta-alanine and its effect on muscle carnosine synthesis in human vastus lateralis. Amino Acids 2006;30(3):279-289.
17. Giannini Artioli, et al. (2009). The Role of β-alanine Supplementation on Muscle Carnosine and Exercise Performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 1. https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0b013e3181c74e38
18. McCormack W, et al. Exp Gerontol 2013;48(9):933-939.
19. Stout J, et al. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2008;5:21.

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What You’ll Learn: In this blog, we will discuss what cycle syncing is and how listening to your body’s natural rhythm and fueling for the different phases of your menstrual cycle can help you as a female athlete achieve your peak performance.

By: Heidi Harris, RD-N, LD-N, CD-N

As an athlete, you know how to listen to your body. You know when your body is feeling energetic and active and when you’re feeling sluggish. For women, it goes beyond just muscle fatigue from a particularly strenuous exercise, and as women, we must deal with the ebb and flow of our menstrual cycle.

Did you know that the natural hormonal changes in our menstrual cycle also affect our nutrition and exercise capacity?

Cycle syncing is a fairly new concept to adjust your routines around the phases of your menstrual cycle. Let’s talk more about how you, as a female athlete, can use cycle syncing to understand your body’s needs to adjust the intensity of your workouts and nutrient needs to support your changing cycle needs.^1‡

Phases of the Menstrual Cycle

Before we can dive into how to use the concept of cycle syncing to your athletic advantage, we first need to discuss the phases of a woman’s menstrual cycle. There are four menstrual cycle phases, and your body responds differently in each phase. This next section will focus on a 28-day menstrual cycle with a brief synopsis of the four phases:

Menstrual Phase

The menstrual phase is probably the most well-known phase of a female’s menstrual cycle. The menstrual phase occurs from day 0 to day 7 of the menstrual cycle. During this phase, you have your period and shed the lining of your uterus or the endometrium. At this point, your estrogen levels are low; therefore, your energy levels tend to also be low.¹

Follicular Phase:

The follicular phase generally occurs on days 8 through day 13 of your menstrual cycle. At this time, you may start to feel an improvement in your energy levels because your estrogen levels naturally rise to help rebuild and thicken the endometrium or uterus wall lining.¹

Ovulation Phase

Days 14 through 15 tend to be the ovulation phase. This is where a female releases an egg and where they are at their most fertile. This is also the phase where estrogen and testosterone levels peak, leading to periods of high energy.¹

Luteal Phase

Last but not least, days 16 through 28 are your luteal phase. At this point, the sac left from the egg released during the ovulation phase produces progesterone. What is this goal? It’s to help prep the uterus to receive a fertilized egg. Usher in those pesky PMS feelings because it’s during the end of the luteal phase when our bodies are more susceptible to PMS.¹

It’s worth mentioning these guidelines are generally based on a 28-day timeframe, but females may differ. For this reason, good signs to look for during your menstrual phase include changes in your appetite, behavior, energy levels, mood and PMS symptoms.²

Cycle Syncing Your Diet and Exercise

Now that we’ve given a brief overview of each menstrual cycle phase, let’s talk about how our diet and exercise needs change during those four phases:

Nutrition and Exercise During the Menstrual Phase

During your period or menstrual cycle, this is the time when we are most susceptible to menstrual-related cramping, fatigue and irritability. This is most likely when you have less energy and is an excellent time to take advantage of low-intensity exercises such as walking, an easy jog, pilates, and stretching.¹

The menstrual phase is also where you may crave calorie-packed and highly sugary foods due to hormone changes. Some good food options to consider during this phase would be iron-rich foods to help replenish the iron lost during your period. Iron-rich foods include green leafy vegetables, lean red meat, beans and lentils. Our Klean Iron supplies 27 mg of iron to help support muscle strength and performance.^3‡

When we talk about iron, we need also to mention Vitamin C because it aids in iron absorption. This is another good nutrient to consider when on your period. Citrus fruits, berries, broccoli and red peppers are all examples of natural Vitamin C food sources. Our Klean-C provides 525 mg of Vitamin C to help with iron absorption and some immune support.^4‡

Omega-3 fatty acids deserve an honorable mention because of their importance in musculoskeletal health and recovery. Foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids include fatty fish, salmon and grains such as flaxseeds and healthy tree nuts. Our Klean Omega provides 1,250 mg of marine triglyceride concentrate comprised of 500 mg of EPA and 250 mg of DHA.^‡

Nutrition and Exercise During the Follicular Phase

As we discovered a little earlier, the follicular phase is when your energy levels start to rise due to hormonal shifts. During this time, you may want to choose foods that support your increased energy levels. Foods such as lean protein like skinless chicken, lean red meat, and fish and complex carbohydrates such as wheat, brown rice and quinoa help fuel more intense workouts such as running, swimming and group exercise classes such as power-hour classes to help spike your heart rate.¹

During this phase, estrogen levels rise, so eating cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale and leafy greens help support balanced estrogen levels.^‡

Nutrition and Exercise During Ovulation

During the ovulation phase, your estrogen levels have peaked, providing you with increased energy levels. This is a great time to promote high-intensity workouts such as bootcamp, kickboxing, or high-intensity interval training (HIIT). This is also a good time to incorporate endurance and resistance training, such as spinning and ballet-fit style classes. Since estrogen levels are peaked at this time, it’s a good idea to focus on maintaining a good intake of cruciferous vegetables to help promote healthy estrogen balance in the body.¹

Nutrition and Exercise During the Luteal Phase

I think it’s safe to say that we all are familiar with the cravings brought on by PMS, like the desire for sugary and salty foods high in calories and fat.³ High-fiber foods such as whole grains, sweet potatoes and fruits can help promote satiety to help limit the onset of cravings.

Magnesium is helpful during the luteal phase because of its importance in helping muscles relax.^5,6 Pumpkin seeds are a great natural source of magnesium and our Klean Magnesium supplement provides 120mg of elemental magnesium per serving.‡

During your luteal phase, medium-intensity cardio and strength training are at their peak. Examples of medium-intensity exercises include jogging, brisk walking and gentle, even-paced swimming.

Cycle Syncing for Athletes

As female athletes, in addition to the muscle and fitness demands we put our bodies through, we also have to deal with the hormonal fluctuations that occur during our natural cycle. Cycle syncing is one way to become aware of listening to your body and another way to nurture your body for peak performance. You can help support your unique athletic needs by visiting Klean Athlete® today! ^‡

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References

1. Cycle Syncing Nutrition and Exercise. (2023, April 4). Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/nutrition-and-exercise-throughout-your-menstrual-cycle. Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS): Causes, Symptoms & Treatment. (n.d.).
2. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24288-pms-premenstrual-syndrome
3. Souza, L., et al. RBGO Gynecology and Obstetrics. 2018; 40(11), 686–692. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0038-1675831
4. Tauler, P., et al. Free radical research. 2003;37(9), 931-938.
5. Carvil P, Cronin J. Strength Cond J. 32(1):p 48-54, Feb 2010. 
6. Vallee BL, Wacker WE, Ulmer DD. N Engl J Med. 1960 Jan 28;262:155-61.

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By: Heidi Harris, RD-N, LD-N, CD-N

I get it. There’s a lot of demand when it comes to being an athlete. Between the pressure to perform, all eyes on you and the heavy weight of doing your absolute best for yourself and your team, that’s a lot of responsibility on your shoulders! Not to mention the actual physical demands of putting your body through so much exercise and practice. There’s a lot for you to take on mentally and physically as an athlete.

One thing to be mindful of is overtraining. Overtraining your body without taking the time to rest may affect both athletes and physically active individuals both mentally and physically. Studies have even found that overtraining has been linked to mood changes such as occasional stress. Overtraining and constantly fatiguing your muscles have also been linked to potential injury and burnout.¹

In this blog, we are going to discuss how you can spot overtraining and burnout, the common pitfalls athletes succumb to with overtraining and how to overcome it to power an optional season.

How to Spot Overtraining

As an athlete, you’re exercising for a longer duration and a higher power output than the average individual. You do this to help achieve your peak performance. But, conditioning for athletes requires a balance between work and recovery. This means, too much work output combined with too little recovery, or time to let your body rest, may lead to complications of overtraining.^2‡

If you think you’re experiencing overtraining, the things to be on the lookout for are major fatigue (more than just feeling tired), reduced performance and changes in mood and sleep. All of which are necessary for optimal peak performance.¹

Trainers and coaches can be on the lookout for overtraining in their athletes by noting which of their athletes show up to practice feeling exhausted, indicate decreased competitiveness, exhibit muscle soreness, difficulty concentrating, lack training capacity and reduced intensity of performance.¹

All of these red flags may lead to burnout in athletes or the state of emotional, mental and physical exhaustion brought on by repetitive and physical stressors. But, not to worry! With a combination of healthy hydration, nutrition and recovery, overtraining can potentially be mitigated or avoided.^‡

The Common Pitfalls of Overtrained Athletes

It’s no secret that many athletes want to do their best and be the best in their sport. It’s just the nature of competition. Still, a perfectionist outlook may also be contributing to overtraining and burnout.^‡

Overtraining and burnout isn’t just about personality, environment plays a big role too! Athletes may run into overtraining or burnout due to many factors. Some of these include having high training volume or competing and performing multiple times per week. Another physical example is inconsistent coaching practices. For example, are you an athlete that competes in university or school sports and club sports? That’s at least two different practices and two different coaching techniques.³

Mentally, overtraining and burnout may occur when an athlete feels as though their expectations haven’t been met or they may be feeling overly critical of themselves or their performance. A good example of this would be when an athlete perceives their performance evaluations are more critical versus supportive.³

Let’s switch gears and discuss some strategies to help manage athletes to help minimize the potential for burnout and overtraining.

How to Manage Overtraining and Burnout

One of the most important things an athlete can do, should they suspect themselves of overtraining, is to rest and recover. I know, it sounds easy right? Well, not really. When you’re constantly pushing yourself to perform you may have that “go, go, go!” mentality. It may be hard to overcome that nagging feeling and allow yourself to turn your mind off so you may focus on rest and recovery.

Rest and Recovery

When an athlete overtrains, their muscles and organs are constantly undergoing physical stress. This constant contraction of the muscles may take a toll on the body. For this reason, reducing or taking a break from exercise to allow yourself time to rest for a few days may help provide your body with the resources it needs to help recover from your training days.

Our Klean Recovery was formulated with an athlete’s recovery in mind. It contains a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein to help support glycogen re-synthesis and muscle protein synthesis immediately after workout. It’s also rich in amino acids, including branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), glutamine and arginine, which are crucial for muscle building and nitrogen balance.^‡

Why do carbohydrates matter so much for the recovery process? Research suggests that a combination of carbohydrates, protein and fluids help support healthy recovery and fuel for the training athlete.⁴

Hydration

A common misconception amongst athletes is that they just need some water and electrolytes to replenish their hydration. Well, it goes beyond that. Your body also needs simple and complex carbohydrates. These carbohydrates help support the intestine’s ability to absorb fluids in order to help maximize hydration efficiently.⁵

That’s why our Klean Hydration consists of 6% carbohydrates (the simple sugars glucose and fructose) and the complex carbohydrate branched dextrin. This is in combination with minerals and electrolytes like calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium to help replace fluid and electrolytes that were lost during physical activity.^‡

Getting adequate fluids and staying properly hydrated is part of the key to both recovery and limiting the effects of overtraining.²

Sleep

Striking a balance between training and recovery is essential to prevent overtraining. One way to achieve this is by getting enough sleep. If you haven’t already, you can read my blog about the importance of sleep for athletes here.

Sleep is essential. Athletes know that exercise improves sleep quality, but too much exercise can make it hard to fall asleep and/or stay asleep. The American Sleep Foundation suggests athletes receive at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night, and this need increases for those experiencing burnout or overtraining.⁶

Studies have also found that sleep helps support overall athletic performance. For example, one study found that both male and female swimmers who slept for at least 10 hours had faster reaction times off diving blocks, improved turn times and increased kick strokes increased. Plus, it was found that these athletes experienced improved mood and less daytime sleepiness and fatigue.  As we learned earlier, fatigue and mood are major indicators of overtraining and burnout!^7‡

Conversely, research has found that a result of overtraining, causes fatigue and may impair athletic performance. Athletes should prioritize sleep during periods of high training volume to adapt better to training and season demands.⁸

Our Klean Melatonin contains 3 mg of pure melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone and supplemental melatonin works by supporting the body’s natural sleep cycle. External factors such as physical stress affect the body’s ability to produce melatonin. This is another option an athlete may consider when trying to support their sleep quality and allow optimal resting time for recovery.^‡

Nutrient-Rich Diet:

During periods of high volume or high intensity training, your body needs proper nourishment to help replenish and fuel the nutrients lost during energy expenditure.

In general, athletes and exercising individuals are encouraged to consume foods rich in healthy whole grains such as carbohydrates like fruit and vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats. Lean protein includes foods such as fish, poultry, beans, lentils and for our vegan-friendly athletes, tofu. Healthy fats are found in olive oil, avocados and nuts.  Fish and flaxseeds provide the essential omega-3 fatty acids.⁹

Traditionally, the Western Diet tends to be low in omega-3 fatty acids and higher in omega-6 fatty acids, owing to heavy consumption of processed foods and refined vegetable oils. Omega-3 fatty acids play a key role in muscle recovery.^10‡

Our Klean Omega provides a total of 1,250mg of fish oil concentrate consisting of 500mg of EPA and 250 mg of DHA, which are the two active omega-3 fatty acids.

Another macronutrient essential for athletes to consume is protein. Protein supports muscle growth and recovery after physical exercise. 

Collagen is a different type of protein that provides connective tissue support. Collagen peptides help to maintain cartilage health by promoting its regeneration via collagen production.^11‡

Our Klean Collagen+C contains 15 grams of hydrolyzed collagen to help aid any athlete’s recovery and provide connective tissue support.‡

Overtraining Awareness to Overcome and Perform

Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with overtraining in athletes, the common pitfalls of overtraining and how to harness the power of nutrition to overcome overtraining, you can take the next steps in optimizing your peak performance this season. Check out our Klean Athlete products today and see which products are right for you and your physical goals.^‡

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References

1. Kreher, J. (2016).. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine, Volume 7(7), 115–122. https://doi.org/10.2147/oajsm.s91657
2. Cadegiani FA, et al. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/3937819  J Sports Med (Hindawi Publ Corp). 2020;2020:3937819. Doi:10.1155/2020/3937819)
3. Integration, C. (2021, July 27). Overtraining and Burnout in Young Athletes: What to Know. UPMC HealthBeat. https://share.upmc.com/2021/07/overtraining-and-burnout/
4. Kanter, M. (2018). High-Quality Carbohydrates and Physical Performance. Nutrition Today, 53(1), 35–39. https://doi.org/10.1097
5. USADA. (2019). Fluids and Hydration | U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). https://www.usada.org/athletes/substances/nutrition/fluids-and-hydration/
6. Fry, A. (2021, January 22). Sleep & Athletic Performance. Sleep Foundation; Sleep foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/physical-activity/athletic-performance-and-sleep
7. Vitale, K. C. et al. (2019). Sleep hygiene for optimizing recovery in athletes: Review and recommendations. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 40(8), 535–543. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31288293/
8. Campbell, E. H., et al. (2021). Evidence That Sleep Is an Indicator of Overtraining during the Competition Phase of Adolescent Sprinters. Journal of Sports Medicine, 2021, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6694547
9. Eidel, S. (2022, July 5). Runner’s Diet. Www.hopkinsmedicine.org. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/runners-diet
10. Anzalone, A., et al. (2019). The Omega-3 Index in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Collegiate Football Athletes. Journal of Athletic Training, 54(1), 7–11. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-387-18
11. Shaw et al, Am J Clin Nutr. 2017 Jan;105(1):136-143

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By: Heidi Harris, RD-N, LD-N, CD-N

What You’ll learn: In this blog you’ll learn about the nutrients needed to help support power, strength, and speed to help maximize your baseball season.^‡

It’s finally here! All the hard work and training you put in during the off season has now paid off. Baseball season has finally arrived! The stands are filled with loyal fans and you’re ready to hit that homerun, make the crowd go wild, and elevate your team to new levels of success ranking!

While the excitement of the game and the energy of the crowd may fuel you on a mental level, what are you doing to fuel your nutritional needs as an athlete during baseball season? In this blog, we’re going to talk about the nutrients to help support your power, strength and speed on the field.^‡

How to Fuel for The Game

Carbohydrates

Have you ever heard of the term “Carbo-loading?” It’s a common term usually most well associated with runners before a big race. Did you know this concept applies to all athletes and not just endurance athletes? Why? Simple! Carbohydrates, or sugars, starches and fibers, are an athlete’s primary fuel source during exercise.¹ These carbohydrates get broken down into smaller complexes, or sugars, which your body uses as an immediate source of energy during exercise.

Some examples of carbohydrates that would be good options to consume before a game include:

• Starches and whole grains. Examples of these starches and whole grains include healthy whole wheat bread, cereals low in added sugar, oatmeal, crackers, rice, potatoes and even pasta.¹
• Fruit is another carbohydrate source that provides not only simple sugars for energy, but fruits are also a good source of many vitamins and minerals essential for your body’s needs.¹ Fruits also contain fiber which is another type of carbohydrate to help fuel an athlete’s nutritional need.^‡
• Milk and yogurt is another good source of carbohydrates. I like to think of these two dairy products as half a carbohydrate and half a protein source. Milk and yogurt are a great source of both carbohydrates for energy support and lean protein.¹

Since carbohydrates provide immediate fuel for your body, it’s a very popular way to help provide your body with energy to optimally perform on the field.^‡

Protein

Another important macronutrient to consider is protein. By protein, I mean lean protein. Simply put, lean protein is a protein source that is low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. More specifically, the USDA, or United States Department of Agriculture, defines lean protein as having less than 10 grams of total fat per 3.5 ounce portion, 4.5 grams of saturated fat per this portion and fewer than 95 miligrams of cholesterol in the same 3.5 ounce portion size.²

It's generally recommended that athletes intake their protein roughly 3 to 4 hours before a game. This will allow for ample amount of time for protein to be digested and not leading to potential gastrointestinal discomfort while exerting high amounts of physical energy output.³

Some healthy sources of lean protein include:

• Beans and Lentils are great sources of proteins low in total fat and high in fiber. Fiber is another type of carbohydrate essential for performing athletes.^{4 ‡}
• Lean meat such as 93% ground beef, pork loin or even skinless poultry like chicken breast, of white meat turkey.⁴
• Seafood and fish are other great sources of lean protein. These include white fish and even fatty fish like those high in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, anchovies, and trout. Shellfish such as shrimp, lobster, clams and mussels are also great lean protein sources and very nutritious. ⁴

Protein in a Time Crunch

What if you’re in a time crunch and you don’t have time to prepare a well-balanced meal before the big game? We’ve got you covered. Our Klean Isolate is a clean whey protein isolate that can easily be added to any beverage (shout out to milk from earlier!) to help enhance your daily protein and amino acid intake.^‡

Studies suggest that protein needs may be affected by age and activity level. Scientists have also found that when carbohydrate intake is limited, adding protein may help power performance. Research also suggested that increased protein synthesis follows prolonged exercise.⁵ If you’re looking for a different flavor option, our Klean Isolate comes in natural chocolate, vanilla and strawberry too! So many to choose from.^‡

Are you a vegan athlete? If you are, I’m guessing you’re well-versed in the supplement world especially as an athlete. We hear you loud and clear! Our new Klean Plant-Based Protein is a blend of pea and organic brown rice protein providing amino acids for muscle protein synthesis. Want to know what else is great about our Klean Plant-Based Protein? It is specifically formulated to include ProHydrolase® enzymes to help break down protein for amino acid absorption and ease of digestion. That’s something particularly helpful for when you’ve got to batter up for the big game later!^‡

How to Support Your Power Output

It might not seem like it to the fans in the stands, but believe me, I know there’s a lot of intense power that goes on during a baseball game. From momentum and muscle training to swinging that bat and sprinting to the next base, power is a huge part of the game. That’s why we’ll focus on nutrients to support your power while on the field next.

Creatine

Creatine has made a name for itself with athletes, and there’s a good reason for it. Creatine monohydrate supports ATP regeneration and enhances work output in activities such as weightlifting and sprinting. Creatine’s primary role is to regenerate the energy molecule ATP, which works to fuel muscle cells. Creatine may also serve as a buffer during exercise, potentially delaying muscle fatigue and discomfort.⁶ Creatine may help you build muscle strength and mass and may even help you recover from strenuous exercise. Our Klean Creatine contains pure creatine to support muscle strength, performance and recovery.^{7 ‡}

• Creatine is an energy carrier that is naturally present in your muscles, brain and other organs. In muscles, creatine in the form of phosphorylcreatine acts as a reserve of high-energy phosphate to provide energy during anaerobic exercise by regenerating ADP to ATP.^8‡
• By increasing the rate of creatine phosphorylation, ammonia and lactate levels in the blood are lowered resulting in faster recovery from exercise. Creatine also promotes growth factor signaling and glycogen storage to support gains in muscle strength, size and other adaptive responses to training.^9‡
• Animal muscle – such as fresh meat and fish – contains significant amounts of creatine. Dairy products contain only small amounts.
• It also may be of benefit in other modes of exercise such as high-intensity sprints or dynamic movements for improved performance.^9‡

Beta-Alanine

Another supplement that’s a great addition to an athlete’s portfolio, but maybe not as popular as creatine, is beta-alanine. Klean Athlete offers a SR Beta-Alanine, which helps delay fatigue, supports muscle endurance and supports exercise capacity during short periods of intense effort. Unlike most beta-alanine supplements, this is a patented, sustained release formula that improves muscle retention of carnosine. The sustained release profile allows for higher BA daily dosage which leads to greater retention of carnosine in the muscle.¹⁰

A loading phase is optional. Athletes may choose to obtain optimum beta-alanine intake by employing a “loading” phase into their workout regimen by ingesting higher amounts per day for a set amount of time before reducing the beta-alanine intake amount to a more typical maintenance dose of 3.2 g.  

The administration and dosing of beta-alanine may be a unique part of an athlete’s training and nutrition routine. Be sure to follow the instructions for use on the label or product information sheet.  It’s best to work with a trainer, coach or healthcare practitioner to find the right protocol for you.

Hit a Homerun

From healthy carbohydrates, lean proteins and nutrients like creatine and beta-alanine, you have a whole array of options available to you to help support your nutrition for more power, strength and stamina on the field! Before you step up to the plate to bat, make sure you fill your plate with nutrients to help nourish you for success and optimal performance.^‡ Which Klean Athlete products will you choose to help get you game-day ready?

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References

1. The Best Fuel for Your Body Before Playing Sports. Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic. Published March 1, 2018. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/the-best-fuel-for-your-body-before-playing-sports/
2. Proteins | Nutrition.gov. www.nutrition.gov. https://www.nutrition.gov/topics/whats-food/proteins
3. University of Chicago Medicine. What young athletes should eat before and after the game. https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/pediatrics-articles/what-young-athletes-should-eat-before-and-after-the-game
4. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Protein Foods | MyPlate. www.myplate.gov. Published 2020. https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/protein-foods
5. Walker T, Smith J, Herrera M, et al. International Journal Of Sport Nutrition And Exercise Metabolism [serial online]. October 2010;20(5):409-417.
6. Dabidi Roshan V, et al. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2013 Jun;53(3):232-9.
7. Aaserud R, et al. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 1998 Oct;8(5 Pt 1):247-51
8. Buford et al. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2007;4(6)
9. Izquierdo M, et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2002 Feb;34(2):332-43
10. Décombaz J, et al. Amino Acids. 2012 Jul;43(1):67-76.

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By: Heidi Harris, RD-N, LD-N, CD-N

What You’ll Learn: In this blog, we will discuss what mental fatigue is in athletes, how to identify mental fatigue, how it effects an athlete’s performance and which lifestyle practices and nutrients to help support overcoming mental fatigue.^‡

We talk a lot about our physical achievements and musculoskeletal system in our Klean Athlete® blogs. What is the one organ that rules over all other parts of our bodies? Let me give you a hint: you’re using it right now, even as you’re reading this blog. That’s right! It’s your brain. We spend so much time talking about the nutrients to help physically support your body, we haven’t spent nearly as much time discussing how to nourish your mental capacity as an athlete. Mental exhaustion, also known as mental fatigue, is a very real thing. I’d be willing to bet most athletes have felt it at some point during their athletic career.^‡  

Mental fatigue is one of those things that is believed to negatively impact overall sporting performance.¹ For this reason, we wanted to discuss what mental fatigue in athletes is, why it occurs and how you can nourish your mental stamina to help you overcome that mental exhaustion the next time you experience it.^‡

What Is Mental Fatigue in Athletes?

Mental fatigue is a psychological state of being that is often a result from demanding cognitive activity that has been associated with negatively impacting an athlete’s physical performance.¹ Mental fatigue has just recently become a more well-known phenomenon, and due to this, it may still be challenging for coaches, trainers and even athletes themselves to identify when mental fatigue is starting to set in and even effect their overall performance. This means, screening for mental fatigue may be challenging. Research has found some key factors to help you when you’re not feeling that into training.^‡

What Does Mental Fatigue Look Like?

First and foremost, mental fatigue has been associated with changes of behavior in athletes.¹ Take note if you start to experience feelings of disengagement, decreased motivation and enthusiasm and increased displays of emotion and even withdrawal. Also watch out for changes in concentration and focus. These changes in concentration may include decreased discipline and attention to detail. If you feel “off your game,” and are missing plays or moves you usually are on-point for, this may be a descriptor of mental fatigue.^1‡

What Causes Mental Fatigue?

The exact causes of mental fatigue in athletes is still not completely determined. However, research has found that there are many factors that may contribute to mental fatigue in athletes. Media engagements (I’m looking at you, social media), or even study and work commitments were found to contribute to mental fatigue.¹

It was also found that athletes who participated in repetitive tasks, over analyzed plays, or spent time over thinking about their specific sport  experienced the onset of mental fatigue.¹ If that’s not enough, environmental factors such as instability at home or even major life changes may affect an athlete’s outlook and personality, potentially making them susceptible to mental fatigue.¹ Be vigilant when you’re not feeling on your a-game. This same research found that mental fatigue may cumulatively build up in the athletic environment.¹

How to Overcome Mental Fatigue with Nutrition

According to the Mayo Clinic, mental fatigue is often associated with occasional stress. One of the best ways to help overcome your mental fatigue is by identifying the root cause of your occasional stress.²

Occasional Stress

If you’re looking for nutrients to help support your neurological health, B Vitamins are a great option to consider. Not only are they metabolic coenzymes in energy-producing pathways, but B Vitamins have supportive roles in tissue integrity, modulation or neurotransmitters and neurological health.³ Our Klean B-Complex is a combination of essential B Vitamins to help support physically active athletes.^‡

Concentration

Mental fatigue has been found in athletes to negatively affect various sport skills of high-level athletes, this includes technical and decision-making skills.⁴ This may be why some athletes may seek to further support their concentration.^‡ Acetyl-l-carnitine is an amino acid that supports the communication between neurons (known as neurotransmission).  This communication is important for memory.^5‡

Alpha-glycerophosphocholine, which from here on out we’re going to refer to it as Alpha-GPC, may support memory and cognitive function because of its role in increasing plasma levels of choline. For this reason, alpha-GPC may help improve neuronal membrane fluidity.⁶ That’s why we designed our Klean Focus to include 1,000mg of acetyl-l-carnitine HCl and 100mg of Alpha-GPC. We understand how important it is to stay focused during your training.^‡

Recovery

Research suggests exercise-induced changes in neurotransmitters, serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline concentrations may contribute to the onset of fatigue, especially during prolonged exercise.⁷

This same research has found that the amino acids tryptophan, tyrosine and the branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) pass through the blood brain barrier.  Some amino acids can influence neurotransmitter synthesis.⁷

Our Klean Essential Aminos + HMB contains L-Tryptophan amino acid as part of a 3.35 gram amino acid blend and our Klean BCAA + Peak ATP contains a total of 4 grams of BCAA.

Sleep:

It has long been known that sleep plays an important role in a person’s mental state.⁸ After all, I’m sure we’ve all “woken up on the wrong side of the bed.” Now imagine you’ve woken up on the wrong side of the bed and now have to go run a marathon or compete in a soccer tournament. Chances are, your head is not going to be in the game.^‡

Sufficient sleep, especially REM sleep, facilitates the brain’s processing of emotional information. During sleep, the brain is trying to evaluate new thoughts and memories. Sleep support is important for your mental state.^8‡

Our Klean Melatonin provides 3 mg of pure melatonin to help support the body’s sleep-wake cycle.^‡ Want to learn more about why sleep is so important for athletes? Check out my recent sleep blog here.

Taking Steps to Overcome Mental Fatigue in Athletes:

As athletes, we hear repeatedly about resting and recovering our physical bodies, but we haven’t spent much time talking about the real MVP: our brains. We talked about how mental fatigue may occur, what to lookout for and how to help nourish yourself so that the athlete in you may power through and overcome mental fatigue the next time it rears its ugly head! Klean Athlete is here to support you in your athletic journey. Which Klean Athlete® products are you planning on including in your training regime next? ^‡

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References

1. Russell S, et al. Eur J Sport Sci. 2019 Nov;19(10):1367-1376.
2. Mayo Clinic . Stress Management. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-symptoms/art-20050987
3. Rodriguez NR, et al. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009 Mar;109(3):509-27
4. Sun, H., et al. (2021). PLOS ONE, 16(10), e0258307. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0258307
5. Liu J, et al. (2002) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 99:2356-61
6. Johnson EJ, et al. Nutr Neurosci. 2008 Apr;11(2):75-83
7. Meeusen R, et al. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2007 Aug;17 Suppl:S37-46. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.17.s1.s37. PMID: 18577773.
8. Suni, E., et al. Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/mental-health

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By: Heidi Harris, RD-N, CD-N, LD-N

What you’ll learn: In this blog, we will discuss the different heart rate zones, dive into the percentages of maximum heart rate and what type of nutritional support you can provide your body to help optimize your next heart rate training session.^‡

How fast and how efficient your heart beats while you participate in different physical activity greatly affects your energy output and performance. In fact, many athletes specifically practice in different heart rate training zones to help hone their performance based on the demand of the training.^‡

Heart rate training zones are ranges of heart rates that correspond to different intensity levels of exercise. Athletes use heart rate training zones to help maximize the benefits of each zone which include burning fat, improving endurance or even increasing speed. To really be able to accurately heart rate train, you need to know your resting heart rate, or your baseline heart rate and also your maximum heart rate. So, let’s get going and jump into heart rate training.¹

What is Resting Heart Rate?

Whether you’re an athlete or not, we all have what’s called a resting heart rate. This is a baseline heart rate when you’re not expanding any energy output. We all also have what’s called a maximum heart rate. Heart rate training falls within these two values and correspond to training intensity and work output. In most cases, heart rate zones can be defined as percentages of your maximum heart rate.¹

Heart rate zones are closely linked to your aerobic and anaerobic thresholds. We talked about threshold training in another blog. To learn more about identifying your personal threshold, check out our threshold training blog here.^1‡

What is Heart Rate Training?

As I mentioned earlier, heart rate training is based on percentages of your maximum heart rate. Your maximum heart rate (Mhr) is the highest heart rate an individual can achieve. The ultimate goal of heart rate training is to improve cardiovascular fitness. There are five heart rate training zones that are unique to you and as you increase your pace, cadence and overall workload, you increase the demand of your heart and your heart will struggle to keep up – shifting you into a different heart rate training zone.^1,2‡

The Low-Intensity Zone:

This is known as Zone 1. In this Zone you’re exercising at 50-60% of your maximum heart rate. At this intensity zone, you’re primarily using fat for fuel and you’re feeling able to sustain this type of exercise and heart rate training for the longest amount of time. Think of a brisk walk or a gentle jog – that’s what Zone 1 of heart rate training feels like.²

The Temperate Zone:

This is known as Zone 2. In this Zone, you’re exercising at 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. Zone 2 requires a little more intensity than Zone 1, but fat remains the primary source of fuel in this zone. Imagine, your gentle jog turned into a quickened run and you’re starting to breathe a little heavier. This is still manageable and you’re feeling good, but you can feel your body transitioning to a different energy zone, that’s Zone 2.²

The Aerobic Zone:

When you think of the word “aerobic,” think of the word “oxygen.” Your body uses oxygen in these zones to help create the energy molecule, ATP (adenosine-tri-phosphate) which your body then uses for metabolic activity that requires energy – that’s a lot. The aerobic zone encompasses 70-80% of your maximum heart rate and your intensity here is moderate.^2,3

Zones 1 through Zone 3 include very light to moderate intensity this is where many distance athletes train. I’m looking at you long distance runners, cyclers and swimmers. This is a type of endurance training. The goal in these heart rate training zones is quite simple: How long can you last?¹

Looking for something to help support that endurance training? Our Klean Endurance contains pure D-ribose to support the natural production of ATP. D-ribose is used to make ATP as it’s naturally part of ATP’s structure.⁴ Supplemental D-ribose may bypass the traditional pathway of generating ATP via purine metabolism, which occurs in the mitochondria. This process is more efficient, as it enables cells to efficiently reuse ATP metabolites to form new ATP molecules.⁴ Plus, supplemental D-ribose has been shown to support tissue energy repletion and improve recovery and performance in humans.⁵ This type of supplement may be helpful to have in your corner to help you up your distance game.^‡ Even distance athletes practice in Zones 4 and 5 of heart rate training to help up their speed and performance. Let’s look at why.

Zone 4: Hard Effort

In this Zone, you can feel your body change over from aerobic exercise to anaerobic exercise. This means that in this zone your body stops using fat for fuel and reliance on oxygen to generate ATP via mitochondrial pathways and transitions to using glycogen, the storage form of glucose, and generates ATP without relying on oxygen.⁶

In Zone 4, you are at 80-90% of your maximum heart rate. This zone is reserved for quick explosions of energy. If you’re in an all out sprint, sucking down air and can’t wait to reach the finish line – you know you’re in Zone 4.¹

Zone 4 isn’t meant to last for a long time. Rather, it’s a great one to practice increasing your speed and performance. Many distance athletes will choose to practice sprints to help quicken their pace and improve their strides. Practicing in different heart rate training zones help support optimal performance no matter what area of exercise you focus in, running, swimming, weightlifting and even boxing.^1‡

Remember, as with any type of exercise, you may start to deplete your electrolyte stores through exhaling, sweat and overall usage to help generate energy. Our Klean Electrolytes replenishes important minerals in the body during or after exercise. The loss of sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium and magnesium may lead to fatigue, dehydration and muscle cramps. Not to mention, our Klean Electrolytes make it easy to customize the dosage to meet individual training and performance needs.^‡

Zone 5: Maximum Effort

Welcome to your ultimate anaerobic zone where your cardiorespiratory system works at maximum capacity. This means, that your heart is working at 90-100% of your maximum heart rate. This zone is meant for short bursts of intense energy output – think powerlifting – that right there is Zone 5. In this zone, lactate builds up in your blood faster than it can be removed, which is part of the reason why this zone is unsustainable for longer periods of time.¹

This is the zone where our Klean Creatine may come in handy. If you’re an athlete that takes part in a sport with repetitive bursts of intense energy and muscle power, creatine has been studied to help increase body strength, build muscle mass and recover from the strenuous exercise Zone 5 requires.^7‡

Nutrition for Training

There are a few different ways to help fuel before your workout. A few tips to keep in mind include eating about 2 hours before you exercise. Choose foods such as healthy carbohydrates including whole grain cereals, whole wheat toast, yogurts, whole grain pasta, rice, fruits and vegetables. Remember to hydrate before, during and after exercising and when you’ve finished your training, healthy lean proteins are a great option to help repair and grow your muscle mass.^8‡

If you only have 5-10 minutes before you exercise, choose a piece of fruit such as an apple or banana. These are a great choice because they are easily digested and can quickly be used as a source of energy to help limit the potential for feeling sluggish during your workout.⁸

Looking for a little help on the post-workout protein front? Klean Athlete offers a variety of different Klean Isolate protein powders from flavorless to chocolate, vanilla and even strawberry. Whatever flavor you’re in the mood for, Klean Athlete has you covered!

The Final Zone

Now you’re familiar with the different heart rate energy zones. In addition, you’re aware of the different types of nutrients that may help support these energy zones and your overall training to optimize your peak performance. Not to mention, Klean Athlete offers a wide variety of NSF certified for Sport products all available at your fingertips. Which products will you try next? ^‡

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References:

1. Running heart rate zones | The basics. (2016, April 19). Polar Blog. https://www.polar.com/blog/running-heart-rate-zones-basics/
2. Cleveland Clinic. (2021, May 12). Exercise Heart Rate Zones Explained. Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/exercise-heart-rate-zones-explained/
3. Jäger et al. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2014, 11:28
4. Wagner S, Herrick J, Shecterle LM, St Cyr JA. Prog Cardiovasc Nurs. 2009 Jun;24(2):59-60.
5. Seifert JG, Brumet A, St Cyr JA. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017 Dec 20;14:47
6. Chamari, K., & Padulo, J. (2015). “Aerobic” and “Anaerobic” terms used in exercise physiology: a critical terminology reflection. Sports Medicine - Open, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-015-0012-1
7. Williams MH, Branch JD. J Am Coll Nutr. 1998 Jun;17(3):216-34.
8. Food as Fuel Before, During and After Workouts. (n.d.). Www.heart.org. https://www.heart.org

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By Klean Team sponsored athlete, Lori Russell, MSESS MS RDN LD CPT

Set goals, follow a plan and set yourself up for success during the sun & fun of summer with these 10 training tips.

1. Set Goals – The summer brings sun and fun but if you have fall racing plans or long-term fitness goals, this season needs to be taken seriously. Keep yourself motivated by setting small weekly or monthly goals. These small goals act as stepping stones that help you progress and feel accomplished throughout the season.

2. Follow a Plan – A goal is just a wish without a plan! To follow through with your summer commitments (and not get distracted with sun and fun), stick with a well-designed training plan. Whether you make your own or consult with a professional coach or service, a set training plan will help you stay focused and accountable to your future goals.

3. Adjust Metrics – A hot sun and sweaty skin is fun when you’re chilling on the beach, but it really takes a toll on your workouts. As the weather changes, allow yourself some grace with paces and distances. Perceived effort will be higher in hot, humid conditions and will be a more sustainable way to gauge progress as your body adjusts to the temperature conditions.

4. Optimize Hydration – As temperatures rise, so does your sweat rate. Replenish fluid losses by drinking 8 ounces of water before training and up to 16 ounces every 15 minutes during. Of course, sweat is more than water; it is made up of electrolytes that maintain fluid balance and nerve-muscle function. Go into your training session with less risk of cramping and dehydration by adding Klean Hydration electrolyte mix to your bottles to optimize your hydration strategy.^‡

5. Mix It Up – As the weather turns, you’re bound to see more people outside doing all sorts of activities. Instead of slogging through the same training over and over, add some variety! Cross training won’t just boost fitness by working different muscle groups. There’s a chance it will significantly boost your level of enjoyment when it comes to adhering to your fitness goals. Try adding 1-2 sessions a week of a totally new activity such roller blading, rowing, hiking or even pickleball to boost your fun and fitness!

6. Add Adventure – Pounding the pavement in the blazing sun can be draining and zap your focus and motivation. Instead, challenge yourself by taking your route off road with trail running, mountain biking, hiking, etc. Off-road routes require more focus to navigate tricky trails filled with roots and rocks.

7. Fuel the Effort – Increased rate of exertion is more than just a sensation; it requires additional metabolic activity meaning your body depletes carbohydrate (energy) stores at a higher rate than you were used to during colder months. Avoid a summer training bonk by increasing your calorie and carbohydrate intake before and during training sessions. Aim for 1 gram of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight an hour before training and 30-90 grams every hour of training.

8. Pack & Stash – You’ll start to see performances and recovery times diminish at a faster rate in the heat without proper hydration and fuel. ‘Not wanting to carry extra’ is the main reason athletes skip this crucial step, but don’t let that excuse hold you back. Preview your route ahead of time if possible and drop water bottles and gels at predetermined spots along the way.

9. Running a loop – especially one that passes a drinking fountain or your own house, will make fueling much easier to accomplish.

10. Eat to Energize – Heat can make us athletes feel sluggish and slow. Overcome this with a diet that supports hydration and cooling with plenty of water rich fruits and vegetables. Crisp salads, fresh juices, gazpachos and smoothies are all meals that will keep you feeling energized in the heat while also supporting the high nutrition needs of athletes.

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By: Heidi Harris, RD-N, CD-N, LD-N

What You’ll Learn: In this blog, we interview Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Janet Lavrich who gives us her professional tips as to how to help support your connective tissue and overall ligament health.^‡

The Connection:
It’s here: training season is upon us. I know, your performance, your outcome and your overall training schedule is probably at the forefront of your mind. But have you felt the stiffness in your joints after training? Have you noticed a slowness to recover? Have you noticed the achiness in your muscles more recently? I’d be willing to bet that there’s something else you may be concerned about… your ligaments. Ligaments are those short bands of tough, fibrous connective tissue which work to connect bones or cartilage to a larger muscle at a joint.¹ As an athlete, you know nurturing your connective tissue is crucial to peak performance. The last thing anyone wants is to be sidelined for half of a season because you’re nursing poorly nurtured connective tissue.^‡

For this blog, we connected with Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Janet Lavrich, who shared her professional insight on how you can help nurture your connective tissue and help support ligament health. Dr. Janet Lavrich earned her Doctorate degree in Osteopathic Medicine from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. She currently is in her first postgraduate year surgical residency at Sky Ridge Medical Center in Colorado. Before that, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience at the University of Vermont. Let’s dive into Dr. Lavrich’s recommendations for supporting your connective tissue and ligament health.^‡ This blog is for general wellness informational purposes only. It is not medical advice nor intended to replace the advice of your healthcare professional. Please consult your healthcare professional with any questions.

Q & A with Doctor Janet Lavrich:

Q. In your experience as a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, can you share with us any common trends you’ve observed surrounding athletes and the potential risk overtraining may have on connective tissues such as ligaments?

A. Yes, common trends I’ve seen in athletes, both professional and collegiate surround risk areas such as the joints. Those include the shoulders, hips, knees and elbows. These areas tend to have a higher risk of potential stress from traumatic events or repetitive use type injuries. Reason behind this is while larger muscle groups are meant to stretch and be more flexible and adaptive to quick movements or different levels of impact, ligaments and connective tissue serve a different function. They act to help hold the bones or cartilage together and are not as flexible as larger, bulk muscle mass.

Q. Would you be willing to speak to the effects impact vs. non-impact training may have on connective tissues such as ligaments?

A. There are two main types of stressors that effect the connective tissue such as ligaments. Those are impact injuries and overuse/repetitive injuries. Impact includes quick change in direction or movement which usually results in bruising, or worse, and may lead to partial or full thickness tears in muscle tendons or ligaments. These tend to be serious and would require an evaluation with your healthcare practitioner to determine if further intervention is needed. When you think impact injury, think collision in football and any type of contact sports such as rugby, lacrosse and field hockey.

The second type is overuse/repetitive injury. This is just as it sounds. This may be due to the ergonomics athletes training, or the capacity of power athletes may expend to achieve an outcome. This may be due to doing too much of a certain movement or training. This usually presents as increased soreness that may worsen over time often occurring in ligaments or tendons and don’t usually require any invasive intervention unless it’s late in the stage. When you think of overuse or repetitive risk injuries, think of a pitcher throwing the baseball over and over again, or a swimmer swimming laps in the pool or even a tennis player on the court and runner on the tract.

Q. Have you noticed, in your professional experience, any practice that athletes have done to help support their connective tissue and skeletal muscle to help prevent the onset of injury?

A. Stretching, stretching, stretching! Warm up, stretch, prep with some simple cardiovascular activity and stretch again after the warm up when muscles are warm. The reason why warm muscles are important is because you can think of it as kind of like a rubber band. If you immediately pulled on rubber band after not using it for a long time, it’s more likely to break. If you slowly stretch that rubber band, it’ll stretch further and be less likely to break. That’s similar to how your muscles work. When muscles aren’t warmed up, muscles will be stiff, but if you warm them up, you’ll have greater flexibility and you’ll likely be able to do more in your sport without increased risk of injury.

I can’t stress this enough. Be sure to invest in the proper equipment. I mean good shoes, protective gear for your body including your joints and always wear your helmet to protect your head. Be sure to not forget about wearing the right shoes. If you don’t have the right shoes, the rest of your body won’t be in proper alignment – everything is through your feet. Improper shoes will affect the rest of your body. This is because other muscles not originally intended to be used would compensate for not having the right footwear and this has the potential to lead to increased risk of injury.

Second to stretching, resting and recovery is very important. You need to give your body the time to heal. When you exercise or work out, you’re creating tiny tears in your muscle fibers. Athletes need adequate recuperation time in order for the body to recover and build up the muscle fibers again. A good rule of thumb is that if something hurts in the workout, take a step back from the exercise. Don’t push through the pain because this could result in injury – give your body time to heal. If there’s pain that isn’t going away it’s time to check in with your healthcare provider.

Next on my list is full body strengthening. Let me give you a specific example: in baseball it’s the responsibility of the pitcher to throw the ball with the goal of getting the batter to strike out. I can’t tell you how often I hear, “Oh, there’s only 4 main muscles I need to focus on in order to be a better pitcher.” There are 17 muscles that attach to your shoulder blade, athletes need a balance of all muscles for better accuracy and outcome. This is why focusing on full body strengthening and eccentric exercises may be really beneficial for preventing injury and strengthening the full body, not just for sports, but also everyday life and movement.

The last piece I see in successful athletes is nutrition. It’s important to have a healthy diet, that is well rounded and a combination of everything. This includes the building blocks, such as amino acids, vitamins, carbohydrates, protein, fats and water for hydration. Too much, or too little of one specific category will not be as healthy as some may think. Often what I see, is those who try to limit their diet tend to require a longer recovery and don’t have as improved physical outcomes.

Q. In your professional opinion, do you believe that athletes both collegiate and professional may have concerns with their connective tissue health, thereby impacting their performance?

A. Look, the hard truth is that injuries can be career ending for an athlete and even worse have the potential to change the course of your life. Especially when you’re younger, the inability to perform as effectively as you once were able to can be crushing. Not taking the proper precautions or steps to help your ligaments and tendons warm up to exercise may cause future complications resulting in medical interventions or mobility issues. I’ve seen, in my practice, that as much as this concern is physical, it’s also mental. Many athletes have the concern of risking an injury and this can really shake their confidence when performing. That’s part of the reason why it’s important to take these recommendations into consideration so athletes may feel more confident in their muscle capacity to perform their best.

Q. Are there any specific nutritional recommendations you’ve observed in your practice that athletes have adhered to, to help support their connective tissues and maintain structural integrity?

A. One of the best practices athletes can do from a nutrition standpoint to help support their connective tissue is to fuel for their exercise. This includes eating a well-balanced and rounded diet with fruits, vegetables, lean healthy proteins and whole grain carbohydrates. Diets with healthy essential vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin D, B Vitamins, Manganese and Calcium are helpful to athlete’s recovery and replenishment. Amino acids such as the branch chain amino acids, isoleucine, leucine and valine have been shown to help support muscle recovery and structural integrity in athletes.

Klean Athlete: Connective Tissue Support
One of the major concepts that Dr. Janet Lavrich shared with us was the importance of flexibility to help support muscle function in athletic performance. Our Klean Joint & Muscle contains TamaFlex^® which is a plant-based, synergistic blend of tamarind seeds and turmeric root that provides joint health benefits. Published human data supports significant improvements of joint comfort, function and flexibility. Study participants consuming 400 mg of TamaFlex daily showed knee flexion improvement and a 23-38% subjective improvement overall joint flexibility and function starting at day 14.^2,3‡

Dr. Lavrich also spoke to the concept of athletic ergonomics or the capacity of power athletes may expend in order to achieve an outcome. Beta-Alanine supports muscle capacity and lessens muscle fatigue to benefit athletic performance. The amino acid beta-alanine supports muscle function by acting as a buffer to delay the onset of muscle fatigue. Our Klean SR Beta-Alanine provides 1.6 grams of beta-alanine in one serving to help support muscle performance. ^‡

Not to mention, collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. Our joint cartilage and ligaments are made up of 70% collagen and our tendons are 85%. Intact collagen has a tightly bound protein structure and is hard to digest, but when broken down to its hydrolyzed (peptide) form it is easily absorbed in the intestinal tract.⁴ Collagen peptides offer protection for connective tissue that may become injured because of insufficient collagen in the tissues. Research shows that supplemental collagen peptides help maintain cartilage health by promoting cartilage regeneration and offer protection for connective tissue by supporting healthy collagen production.⁵ Our Klean Collagen+C contains 15 grams of hydrolyzed collagen and 50 milligrams of Vitamin C for its synergistic effects on the production of collagen after exercise.^‡

Recover & Nurture Your Connective Tissue:
Like Dr. Lavrich said, stretch, stretch, stretch! The post-training recovery process in combination with a well-balanced diet rich in essential amino acids and micronutrients like vitamins and minerals may be helpful to support your overall connective tissue and ligament and tendon health so you can spend more time competing and less time sidelined. So, take a moment and ask yourself, how are you supporting your connective tissue?

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Janet Lavrich is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience at the University of Vermont and her Doctorate degree in Osteopathic Medicine from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. She currently is in her first postgraduate year surgical residency at Sky Ridge Medical Center in Colorado.

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References:

1. Cleveland Clinic. Ligament: Cleveland Clinic. Published June 7, 2021. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21604-ligament
2. Int. J. Med. Sci. 2019, Vol. 16
3. Sundaram, M. S. et al. Sci. Rep. 5, 11117
4. Shaw et al, Am J Clin Nutr. 2017 Jan;105(1):136-143.
5. Moskowitz, R. W. October. 2000; Vol. 30, No. 2, pp. 87-99. WB Saunders.

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By Klean Team Sponsored Athlete Lisa Roberts

How many of us look at our weaknesses and try to ignore them, hide them or pretend they don’t exist? It’s so much easier and more fun to do what we’re good at all the time. But what if we turned that around to fully acknowledge what our weaknesses are, bring them to the forefront and use them to make us better? And dare I say, DO THEM MORE!

Nobody excels at EVERYTHING! There’s no point in spending time trying to. When you take that first step to identify and acknowledge what your weakness is, fully embrace it. Welcome it. Accept it. Break it down into smaller pieces, if you can. It might not be as overwhelming an issue as you originally thought. When we take the time to identify it, we can start to quantify it and it becomes less vague and insurmountable. There may be times when we need to seek specific help for a weakness and once you know what it is you can take steps to address it. If that’s the case, seek that help.

Don’t be afraid of your weakness; it doesn’t define who you are. Lean into it. Do more of it! For example, I’ve never been a great triathlon swimmer. For many years I tried to ignore it, often becoming so frustrated that I would skip sessions or stop doing it, worrying that I couldn’t hit the times I wanted. I sought help about it and got it from many. But only when I was completely honest with myself and acknowledged that it wasn’t only the sub-par swimming, but also that I was afraid of being embarrassed by it, that I finally let go and started to enjoy swimming again.

And you know what? I started swimming more because I was no longer afraid of being embarrassed. Yes, I got a little faster as a result, BUT I was so much happier overall that it spilled over into my daily life, my cycling, my running and even my relationships improved. 

So, acknowledge your weakness, own it and then lean into it, because what good does it do to pretend it’s not there? 

The potential for improvement by acknowledging and embracing your weaknesses is far greater than the weakness itself. Once you regularly do this honest internal assessment, the possibilities of where you can take your newly found self-awareness is limitless! I challenge you to take a few minutes to think about a weakness that might be holding you back somewhere. Do you procrastinate? Are you not making your health or nutrition a priority? Do you struggle to ride your bike up a steep hill ? Are you clumsy while trying to run a technical trail? Whatever it is, find it, acknowledge it, embrace it and then challenge yourself to accept it. 

You’ll be stronger for it!

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