By Nathan Jendrick | August 22nd, 2010
A question that comes up often is what swimmers should do about their nutrition during the off-season. I have a lot of swim parents ask me about the downside of their athlete eating “like a swimmer” in the couple of weeks they’re out of the water, and even more often, I see parents trying to limit what their children are eating because they’re afraid of them putting on weight while not training. This is an important subject, not just from a swimming standpoint, but from a simple health aspect, as well, so I wanted to cover it this month.
Simply put: Within reason, don’t limit how much your kids are eating. Yes, a profound number of American children are overweight and it is on everyone’s mind to go above and beyond to keep their children happy and healthy, and keep them from being a statistic. But what needs to be remembered is that the vast majority of kids in America are sedentary and that the only contact with swimming most kids get is playing “Sonic at the Olympics” on the Nintendo. Your kids are active, they’re training hard (sometimes too hard), getting their heart-healthy exercise in, eating well and in general being very body conscious. A couple of weeks eating the same number of calories while not training as they would when still training, isn’t bad. Sure, they may put on a couple of pounds, but that could actually be a good thing. Here’s why:
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By Nathan Jendrick | July 15th, 2010
Quite likely the easiest way to assess your nutritional intake is also the one you’re most likely to skip: Reading the labels. They’re there for a reason but most people don’t think twice; they might gaze at the fancy art on the box or just see the words “Whole Grain!” and add it to the cart. Unfortunately, doing so probably means the actual value of the food in your grocery basket is significantly lower than you think. In this quick article I’ll cover a few simple steps you can put into practice to, at the very least, learn more about what you’re buying and eating.
Fitness legend Jack LaLanne once said (and has since repeated an infinite number of times), “If it comes from a box, don’t eat it.” While that’s not necessarily bad advice, we have to accept that it isn’t really practical for most people who are trying to juggle fitness along with a family, work and dozens of other hobbies and responsibilities. So, the best we can do is become mindful of what we’re buying. The easiest way is to simply read the list of ingredients in our packaged foods and avoid those that have certain things included.
Now, this topic could go on for volumes (and if you scan your local bookstore you’ll see that it does), so this is going to be a very, very introductory course. A basic rundown of how labels work and a couple of things you may want to steer clear of.
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By Nathan Jendrick | June 15th, 2010
I’m usually very happy to help people with their nutrition programs by answering any questions they may have. That doesn’t mean I’m not shocked by some of the questions posed to me. One of which that I receive–without fail–at every clinic, team meet & greet or camp that I speak at, is “How many times a day should I eat?” That’s not the part that leaves me in awe, it’s the subsequent answer. To this particular question I usually ask one in return, “Well, how many times a day do you eat right now?” Here’s the kicker: Athletes who train doubles, plus weights, usually answer with “two or three.” I couldn’t imagine only eating three meals a day and I only train five times a week these days!
To these athletes, and many more, I do my best to assist them in getting a better grasp on the timing of their nutrition. The old staple of “three square meals a day” is one of days gone by, and it was one that was never quite accurate, anyway. Just because we have three official names for meals–breakfast, lunch and dinner–doesn’t mean that if you fulfill those daily you’re good to go. One of the easiest ways for anyone to improve their performance and to even simply increase overall energy levels, is to eat more often. Five meals a day is optimal for some, while other elite athletes I’ve trained eat up to eight meals a day. And that’s a key component: Meals.
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By Nathan Jendrick | May 10th, 2010
One of the more common questions I receive about nutrition pertains to what should be consumed before a workout. If you run a search on the Internet you’re likely to find thousands of answers, many of which will seem relatively similar. The truth though is they are inaccurate. It isn’t that their suggestions are necessarily wrong, it’s simply that it all depends on what you’re doing. The question, ultimately, is just too broad.
Here’s a common example:
Question - “What should I eat before practice?”
Answer - “Slow-burning carbohydrates like oats make a great choice.”
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By Nathan Jendrick | April 7th, 2010
One of the several powerful ingredients you find in The Race Club’s Thunderbolt supplement is L-Phenylalanine, an essential amino acid your body must obtain through dietary means.
Why is L-Phenylalanine beneficial and why is it in Thunderbolt? As I’ve covered in previous blogs, when Thunderbolt was being designed it was intended to energize both the body and the mind, and with the inclusion of L-Phenylalanine, we further the goal of the latter. Here’s how:
Phenylalanine is a precursor in the body for production of norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine. As a whole, it comes in three forms—D-Phenylalanine, L-Phenylalanine and DL-Phenylalanine—with L-Phenylalanine playing the biggest role in regulating mood and assisting in maintaining an alert mind.
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By Nathan Jendrick | March 4th, 2010
When we discuss The Race Club’s supplement Thunderbolt, much is made about its inclusion of ATP. We all love ATP. Our minds, our bodies, science, athletes of all ages, everyone sings the praises of ATP. We’ve got it. Understood. But of course, that’s not the only ingredient in our supplement, and it’s time to provide a little insight as to why Thunderbolt is designed the way it is. This column, we’ll take a deeper look at Tyrosine and what it does for you and your athletic performance.
Tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid. It’s also essential for neurotransmitters such as serotonin, epinephrine, nor-epinephrine and dopamine. It also plays a role in regulating the thyroid as well as adrenal and pituitary glands. Without getting too in-depth, it’s pretty clear Tyrosine has a lot going for it, so to speak. But what we are focusing on is what it can do for you during athletic events. We feel it is quite beneficial on both the mental and physical levels.
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By Nathan Jendrick | February 8th, 2010
Hello everyone, and thank you for taking the time to read my new contribution to The Race Club website. Over the coming weeks, months and years I am looking forward to posting a great deal of information that I hope you will find educational and, most importantly, useful.
I wanted to begin my tenure here on the site with a simple discussion on a product that all of us at The Race Club are very passionate about, which is Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt is a unique supplement formulated to help you get the most out of training and it is proven effective. All of its ingredients are scientifically backed and it has been used effectively in the pool and on various fields of play by true athletes, which perhaps is the most telling sign of all. But one thing that I have been asked about several times since Thunderbolt was introduced is, “Why are there only four ingredients?”
When I was first asked this I was slightly caught off guard. The formula of Thunderbolt is relatively precise. It took a great deal of trial to find the right dosages to implement in the product before it was ever brought to market. The ingredients are top notch and it is made in the United States of America, there is no cheap filler from random powders out of unchecked labs in Asia. The simplicity is key and the process is paramount in making this effective. But then it occurred to me that thanks to the ads in some of the fitness magazines, people are expecting two-dozen ingredients and a title like, “Thermonuclear SuperTest Vital Pump Tech 2000″ if a supplement is truly going to work. So, that led me here, to offer up a little information.
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