As athletes our training logs are filled with pounds lifted, plays made, distances traveled and paces held. There is no doubt these are vital factors to increase performance, but how can the timing of these practices play into improved performance? In this post I will review the effects of training at different times of the day and reveal important facts that can help you in your next competition-so keep reading! 

Resting heart rate simply refers to one’s heart rate at rest. Establishing an average resting heart rate can be a very useful training tool to monitor one’s recovery. I have found taking my daily resting heart rate as a wonderful gauge of my fatigue levels during the season. How can you utilize this training tool? Keep reading!

Whether it's flu season or allergy season, your immune system is your first defense when it comes to staying healthy. With increasing numbers of ads for immunity boosting foods, what is the research behind these claims and are these “super foods” really going to boost your immune system?

It is hard to ignore today’s buzz around being gluten-free. As an athlete I am always in search of ways I can give my body the best energy to increase my efficiency, strength and endurance. Based on today’s media, I find a gluten-free diet portrayed as a “must do”. I decided to critically investigate these claims, specifically researching the benefits and drawbacks in order to create this gluten-free guide for athletes. In addition, I also convinced myself to give up gluten for a month to find out if going gluten-free is right for me! Keep reading and you’ll learn the physiology behind going gluten-free, it’s relationship to athletic performance and my personal account of training without gluten.

You’ve seen the gadgets: you go to the gym and someone is wearing a cool digital watch, until you realize it’s much more than that. You walk into any athletic retail store and alongside the running shoes and sportswear they now showcase a bit of technology that can track your training, sleep, and much more all by wearing a band around your wrist. In this week’s discussion I will outline three of the major brands of training trackers so you can make the choice right for you.

Compression wear has greatly increased in popularity in the athletic community over the past few years. From swimmers wearing them between trials and finals at a big meet, to triathletes and runners wearing them in competition, these sometimes neon colored sleeves/tights are hard to miss. But do these skin-tight garments actually improve performance? There are numerous studies on the issue providing slightly different results. But first off, what’s the draw?

As a competitive or even a recreational athlete, the nutrients you put in your body are vital for optimal performance. Milk does a body good, right? But what type of milk is the best? There are fat free, low fat and whole versions of dairy milk, soy milk, as well as sweetened and unsweetened almond milk. Every type has something different to contribute in terms of nutrition. Reading the nutrition facts can help you find out which is best for you. First let’s get the skinny on almond milk.

From childhood, I was always told how important getting enough sleep is to remain healthy and happy. I found it much easier to achieve these recommended amounts of sleep as a kid growing up with limited responsibilities. Then suddenly, I became a collegiate athlete trying to manage a full academic course load while performing at the highest-level possible, and something had to give. My sleep quantity started to dwindle, as keeping up with academics and athletics required more time awake.