Athletic Optimization
If you are a serious athlete, and have never worked with a functional medicine physician to optimize your performance, you are holding yourself back from a new PB, a late-period goal, or a 5.12 rock climbing “send”. Rigorous training puts a great strain on the body and its nutritional systems. You could potentially be causing more harm, and a greater restriction on your athletic successes, than you know. The dedicated athlete is constantly balancing levels of inflammation, neurotransmitter function, and gut function. She is actively pursuing dietary, nutritional and herbal therapies to counterbalance the stresses and wear of high intensity training. At CFM, we have the resources and knowledge to identify and treat the biologic and physiologic factors that could be limiting your athletic gains and performance goals.
You will never know your limitations if you do not test for them. With CFM, you will be able to identify specific nutritional and hormonal needs. Many possibilities exist within the natural world to manage stressors, and build focus and muscle.
You will never know your limitations if you do not test for them. With CFM, you will be able to identify specific nutritional and hormonal needs. Many possibilities exist within the natural world to manage stressors, and build focus and muscle.
It is ironic that some of the most dedicated athletes are in some ways so the least healthy of the patients seen in an anti-aging practice. There is no question that athletic pursuits, for any number of reasons, confer significant health to the heart, the bones, the muscles and mind. However as the old adage states, sometimes we can have too much of a good thing.
In order to successfully participate in sporting events, a number of different factors need to align. To begin with, the human body needs fuel in the form of sugars proteins and fats to provide not only energy for the sporting event, but to rebuild the body from the traumas and stresses that result from the activity. So clearly the process of fueling, of taking in the correct amounts and varieties of foods is important. There is no shortage of recommendations for macro and micronutrient replenishment for the athlete, and I am not sure that there is a conclusive answer as to what represents an ideal nutritional intake. It is the belief of CFM that each athlete is different, with different types of muscles, brain function and metabolism. For this reason there is not one “cookie cutter” diet or nutritional regimen that will fit for all of the different athletic pursuits that we have at our disposal here in Chattanooga. Depending on the type of sport, duration and location of the event, and the participant’s physiology, one athlete may need to focus on different components of health to optimize their participation in their sport(s) of choice. Let’s look at this in a bit more detail.
It is essential to consider the cumulative influence of the stress of athletic training on the human body. One of the most overlooked factors in limiting an athlete’s performance is the way in which they produce, utilize and metabolize the stress hormone cortisol. Runners, footballers, swimmers, climbers and cyclists all put the body under significant stress in training and competition. This is good, and the human body benefits from the growth hormone and endorphins that are produced with hard exercise. However in order to run 20 miles, cycle Moab’s Slickrock Trail, or send a climbing project, a certain toll is taken on our muscles, kidneys, liver, brain and gut. In a balanced situation, there is sufficient time between events for the body to remove the lactic acid; to metabolize the cortisol and to repair the microscopic tears of muscle; and to clear the muscle breakdown product creatnine through our kidneys.
But too often a careful plan is not followed that provides the correct building blocks, time and composition for recovery. This is known as overtraining syndrome, and it can affect everyone from Olympic caliber athletes to the weekend-warrior “tough-mudder”. The overtraining syndrome is characterized by persistent aches and pains, by bowel and brain dysfunction, and by resistant plateaus of performance that seem to persist, and over time, worsen. If you find that you can’t do a run longer than _______ miles without bonking and cramping; if you find that you are unable to meet the weight and repetitions from lifting sessions completed weeks prior; and if your fingers are continually swollen and painful from pull-ups at the rock gym, you are likely overtraining, and slowly turning the benefits of athletics against your enjoyment of the sport, and of your health.
The final factor in training, or overtraining, that is frequently neglected is the importance of the gut. The gut, from a functional perspective, is the quarterback organ of the physical activity team. It is the organ responsible for breaking down our foods into usable nutrition that can be correctly utilized and stored. It is essential for detoxification of the inflammatory byproducts of metabolism. The colon is essential for regulation of electrolytes and hydration. More and more research is coming out on the permeability of the gut and how this relates to the transit of toxins into the bloodstream, and the effects of these toxins on the function of our muscles and brain during and after an athletic event.
The main concern is this: in order to be an athlete who is able to participate in a sport for many years, with good muscle, cardiac and brain function, one needs to take a close look at the balance between the process of catabolism, or the breaking down of tissues, and of anabolism, or the building up of tissues. We need to enter a catabolic state to muster the energy for a difficult kayak run, or to chase down the sprinting striker in the last few minutes of the soccer match. But this must be balanced with the repair of the catabolic state in the interim between events. A catabolic state is easy to obtain; it occurs when the body is in a state of stress due to elevations of the hormones cortisol and adrenaline. The real trick is to successfully realign the body is to rebuild the tissues, to regenerate energy stores, and to prepare for the next event in a sum positive state of growth and repair.
To do this requires a comprehensive approach to the anatomy, biology and physiology behind tissue catabolism and anabolism. In utilizing a functional approach, and assessing the entire body’s interplay of nutrition, hormones, gut function and detoxification pathways, the serious athlete- whether weekend warrior or seasoned triathlete- can optimize personal gains and enjoyment from sport.
There are multiple, well designed clinical studies that offer guidelines for peak performance utilizing diet, nutritional aids and herbs. And if you are a top tier athlete, you can work with confidence with CFM, as all performance enhancing therapies are fully vetted, and abide by all doping criteria as set by the IOC.
When you are ready to fully “get on your game”, don’t short change your body and your potential. Let the professionals (and athletes) at Chattanooga Functional Medicine help you to realize your potential.
What's Next?
Contact us to setup your New Patient Appointment.
Visit our Home Page to read more about Functional Medicine
In order to successfully participate in sporting events, a number of different factors need to align. To begin with, the human body needs fuel in the form of sugars proteins and fats to provide not only energy for the sporting event, but to rebuild the body from the traumas and stresses that result from the activity. So clearly the process of fueling, of taking in the correct amounts and varieties of foods is important. There is no shortage of recommendations for macro and micronutrient replenishment for the athlete, and I am not sure that there is a conclusive answer as to what represents an ideal nutritional intake. It is the belief of CFM that each athlete is different, with different types of muscles, brain function and metabolism. For this reason there is not one “cookie cutter” diet or nutritional regimen that will fit for all of the different athletic pursuits that we have at our disposal here in Chattanooga. Depending on the type of sport, duration and location of the event, and the participant’s physiology, one athlete may need to focus on different components of health to optimize their participation in their sport(s) of choice. Let’s look at this in a bit more detail.
It is essential to consider the cumulative influence of the stress of athletic training on the human body. One of the most overlooked factors in limiting an athlete’s performance is the way in which they produce, utilize and metabolize the stress hormone cortisol. Runners, footballers, swimmers, climbers and cyclists all put the body under significant stress in training and competition. This is good, and the human body benefits from the growth hormone and endorphins that are produced with hard exercise. However in order to run 20 miles, cycle Moab’s Slickrock Trail, or send a climbing project, a certain toll is taken on our muscles, kidneys, liver, brain and gut. In a balanced situation, there is sufficient time between events for the body to remove the lactic acid; to metabolize the cortisol and to repair the microscopic tears of muscle; and to clear the muscle breakdown product creatnine through our kidneys.
But too often a careful plan is not followed that provides the correct building blocks, time and composition for recovery. This is known as overtraining syndrome, and it can affect everyone from Olympic caliber athletes to the weekend-warrior “tough-mudder”. The overtraining syndrome is characterized by persistent aches and pains, by bowel and brain dysfunction, and by resistant plateaus of performance that seem to persist, and over time, worsen. If you find that you can’t do a run longer than _______ miles without bonking and cramping; if you find that you are unable to meet the weight and repetitions from lifting sessions completed weeks prior; and if your fingers are continually swollen and painful from pull-ups at the rock gym, you are likely overtraining, and slowly turning the benefits of athletics against your enjoyment of the sport, and of your health.
The final factor in training, or overtraining, that is frequently neglected is the importance of the gut. The gut, from a functional perspective, is the quarterback organ of the physical activity team. It is the organ responsible for breaking down our foods into usable nutrition that can be correctly utilized and stored. It is essential for detoxification of the inflammatory byproducts of metabolism. The colon is essential for regulation of electrolytes and hydration. More and more research is coming out on the permeability of the gut and how this relates to the transit of toxins into the bloodstream, and the effects of these toxins on the function of our muscles and brain during and after an athletic event.
The main concern is this: in order to be an athlete who is able to participate in a sport for many years, with good muscle, cardiac and brain function, one needs to take a close look at the balance between the process of catabolism, or the breaking down of tissues, and of anabolism, or the building up of tissues. We need to enter a catabolic state to muster the energy for a difficult kayak run, or to chase down the sprinting striker in the last few minutes of the soccer match. But this must be balanced with the repair of the catabolic state in the interim between events. A catabolic state is easy to obtain; it occurs when the body is in a state of stress due to elevations of the hormones cortisol and adrenaline. The real trick is to successfully realign the body is to rebuild the tissues, to regenerate energy stores, and to prepare for the next event in a sum positive state of growth and repair.
To do this requires a comprehensive approach to the anatomy, biology and physiology behind tissue catabolism and anabolism. In utilizing a functional approach, and assessing the entire body’s interplay of nutrition, hormones, gut function and detoxification pathways, the serious athlete- whether weekend warrior or seasoned triathlete- can optimize personal gains and enjoyment from sport.
There are multiple, well designed clinical studies that offer guidelines for peak performance utilizing diet, nutritional aids and herbs. And if you are a top tier athlete, you can work with confidence with CFM, as all performance enhancing therapies are fully vetted, and abide by all doping criteria as set by the IOC.
When you are ready to fully “get on your game”, don’t short change your body and your potential. Let the professionals (and athletes) at Chattanooga Functional Medicine help you to realize your potential.
What's Next?
Contact us to setup your New Patient Appointment.
Visit our Home Page to read more about Functional Medicine