HOW IMPORTANT IS SPORTS NUTRITION?

As Lance Armstrong puts it, "If you get a little behind on hydration and nutrition, the man with the hammer comes and you're done."

Read what a typical Tour de France rider eats - click here.

Not sure what to eat? I have helped 100's of patients with their diets (and supplements) to improve their athletic performance and lose weight. Summer is a great time to get started! Give a call today to make an appointment for a diet/nutrition consultation.

IT'S ALL IN THE HIPS

Watch Jason's 3 part video series - see Part 1 below

Listen to one of a kind audio coaching programs for sports injuries, kettlebells, and triathlons...Click Here!

The 2010 NATA convention was the place to be last month to learn about injury care and prevention. Here are some of the highlights:

BASEBALL PITCHING
Why are the lower extremities so important in the baseball pitching motion? Research shows that more than half of the energy transferred to a pitched baseball comes from the hips and below. The shoulder and elbow are the weaker links in the chain, so if lower-body mechanics are poor or flexibility is limited, the upper body will be overworked and the injury potential to those areas will be increased dramatically.
http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1070&context=ijesab 
http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1069&context=ijesab 

SOFTBALL PITCHING
The softball windmill pitching motion can be broken into five phases. This study isolated five different muscles--the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, biceps brachii, triceps brachii, and rhomboids--and showed the maximum voluntary isometric contraction for each muscle during each of the five windmill phases. The greatest force in phases one and four came from the gluteus maximus. In phase two, it was the rhomboids. In phases three and five, the most force came from the triceps.
http://hkrd.uark.edu/biomechanics/KINS/oliver_pg_608(1).pdf 
http://www.asbweb.org/conferences/2010/abstracts/67.pdf 

WHEN AN ATHLETE GOES DOWN, ACT FAST!
For every minute between a sudden cardiac event and the start of defibrillation, survival rate decreases by seven to 10 percent--so those lost minutes can literally mean life or death. Get that AED to the athlete as quickly as possible. Know the location of your AED and how to use it. The AED will determine whether the heart has stopped before delivering a shock, so it should be apply it quickly and start CPR!

MRSA INFECTIONS 
Remember HITE: 
H - Hygiene- wash hands, don't share towels/clothes, wipe down equipment; also Health - staying healthy is the best prevention
I - Identify- is the area red, swollen, painful; also Isolate - if MRSA suspected, get checked and do not have contact with teammates
T - Treat - see a doctor!
E - Educate - for more information see http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa.html 
  
NUTRITION: PRE, DURING, POST EXERCISE 
1. Eat properly all the time to attain your best performance. 
2. High school athletes - eat before practice 

One Hour Pre-Competition: Stick to liquids, such as water and sports drinks. Avoid high-glycemic beverages such as soda or energy drinks, which have a very high carb ratio that will result in a short energy boost followed by a quick crash. 

Two Hours Pre-Competition: Sports drinks along with cereal with low-fat milk, or toast, or a low-fat muffin, or a bagel, or yogurt and fruit.

Three Hours Pre-Competition: Sports drinks, a turkey sandwich with low-fat cheese, yogurt, fruit, and a granola bar.

For more information, ask us about Dr. Horwitz's book - THE ATHLETE'S GUIDE TO SPORTS DIET AND NUTRITION

Do you want a smaller waist? Try this easy slim down tip: Don’t eat carbohydrates after 4pm. Instead stick with lean protein and green veggies. This will prevent late afternoon and evening snacking and will quickly result in a slimmer waist.

Here's a healthy burrito recipe to sink your teeth into. Whole grains, lean protein and crunchy veggies make this a recipe that you'll come back to time and again. Serve with a side of your favorite salsa.
Servings: 1

Here's what you need...

• 1 sprouted grain, flourless tortilla
• 1 Tablespoon hummus
• 1/3 cup cooked brown rice
• 1/4 cup cooked black beans
• 1/2 cup cooked chicken, chopped (or baked tofu)
• 2 Tablespoons fresh corn kernels
• 2 Tablespoons chopped cucumber
• 1/4 cup shredded arugula
• 3 cherry tomatoes, chopped

1. Warm the tortilla in a dry skillet. Spread the hummus evenly over the tortilla.
2. Top the tortilla with rice, beans, chicken and veggies.
3. Fold the two sides of the tortilla in over the filling, then flip up the bottom edge and roll tightly.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 380 calories, 7.8g fat, 45g carbohydrate, 7g fiber, and 31g protein.

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Vitamin D

Are you Vitamin D deficient?

• Good Question! There is no way to know for certain until you get a 25-hydroxyvitamin D test or Vitamin D3 test. Levels should be above 50 ng/ml year-round, in both children and adults.
• Recent articles indicate that the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is much higher than previously recognized (more than 90% in patients with chronic pain, according to a recent study published by the Mayo Clinic). Current research has implicated vitamin D deficiency as a major factor in the pathology of at least 17 varieties of cancer as well as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, muscle wasting, birth defects, periodontal disease, and more.
• The Vitamin D Council recommends starting supplementation with Vitamin D BEFORE you have the blood test.
• ONE BOTTLE IS A ONE YEAR SUPPLY - ONLY $35.00!
• Call Us Today and Pick Up A Bottle!

Importance of Sleep for Athletes