“If I knew then what I know now” is a common expression that we will all likely use at some point in our lives. It resonates deeply with me in a multitude of ways. One of my biggest sports performance regrets is that I learned and implemented proper nutrition habits late in my competitive athletic career. My hope is that I can educate and empower the next generation of athletes to incorporate ideal nutritional fueling habits in order to reach maximum potential.

Growing up my identical twin sister and I played a handful of sports. We were extremely competitive and would go the extra mile necessary to perform at our best. One area that lagged far behind was nutrition. We did not implement nutritional healthy habits partly because neither of us believed it would make much of a difference and because of a severe lack of knowledge. As our collegiate sports career was coming to a close, I was in a near fatal car crash. I was flown to shock trauma for emergency lifesaving treatment surgery. The journey back to my old self felt impossible and grueling.

By God’s grace I was able to not only get back to my old self but was in fact significantly leaner, faster, stronger, and far more athletic. This could be attributed to the hundreds of hours studying everything I could get my hands-on regarding fitness and nutrition. Nutrition was by far the biggest contributor to my transformation. It was then that I learned the value of nutrition and how it is a game changer for maximizing true athletic potential.

The outcome of sports performance hinges on nutrition. Nutrition is a variable you can control. Lousy nutrition can lead to injury, fatigue, ineffective recovery, lackluster performance, mood imbalances, and poor health. Good nutrition forms the foundation upon which sports performance is built. Some athletes argue they can eat whatever they want. People do not realize how much better they could feel with proper nutrition. Some elite athletes have risen to the top without focused nutrition, but they will not stay there, and these cases are rare. It is grossly inefficient to train like a champion while eating like a couch potato.

Just like cars our bodies require high octane fuel in order to run effectively. We must eat for peak performance. Some benefits of a good nutrition plan include:

  • Delays onset of fatigue
  • Maintains a healthy immune system
  • Improves performance, recovery, and body composition
  • Reduces risk of injury
  • Assists with better focus and concentration
  • Enables you to train longer and harder
  • Much more…

Do not waste your hard work in the gym and on the playing field with inadequate nutrition practices. Future NFL hall of famer Tom Brady conveyed this message well when he said, “It really doesn’t matter how much exercise you do if you’re not eating the right food and providing your body the right nutrients.”

Jo Miller

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