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REFLECTIONS OF A PANDEMIC YEAR

I am going to start this post with a very short descriptive sentence “2020 was an absolutely f’ed up year” and I am sure most of the worlds population feels that way. On a personal note this has been an absolute roller coaster ride and I am the kind of individual that does not take kindly to situations that are out of my control. I am an analytical person that thrives on statistics, numbers, predictions and strategies with predictable and achievable end goals and outcomes. Well this year took all of that knowledge and know how and just threw it on its head which made it a very challenging one.

2020 was the start of what felt like a movie except we are the main characters. Thrown into a complete lockdown for which was basically our peak of summer and racing season it suddenly became a psychological battle for most with the inability to venture outdoors even to train. Some of us were more fortunate in that home gyms and indoor training equipment made it possible to continue exercising however the difficulty for most was the motivation factor with no known goals as events were postponed and cancelled. Over and above that financial worries set in with many. Income sources were burned out and many companies were put into red zones of retrenchment and the inability to support their loyal staff. In some cases like mine with airports shut down and travel restrictions as well as the cycle of lockdowns across the globe, I was unable to see my children. Its now nearly been nearly a year since I have seen them last. Simple things we took for granted now became unachievable.

It sounds like an entire year of doom and gloom, and there are still unkowns, however as the year went on I started to find some light in the situation. I noticed that what many take for granted slowly started to come to the forefront of importance.
There is a proverb which goes “he who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything”. Its a quote which has stuck very close to me for more than twenty years. I have mentioned in the past that in my twenties I fell victim to a virus which pretty much threw my entire world into chaos. It did not leave me alone and for years I battled with the ups and downs of reinfections and long lasting bouts of post viral and chronic fatigue. It took an enormous amount of focus and effort to take back control and over many years of studying and knowledge gaining eventually I was able to turn the tables. I managed to get to a position where those tables could never turn back. I could never let my guard down ever and I needed to ensure I had my nutrition, sleep and exercise routines completely down packed. It was never perfect but over many years of gaining more and more knowledge and tweaking here and there I finally became a master of my own health.

When Covid hit I was more determined than ever to make sure that health came to the forefront for myself, my family, friends and all the athletes I work with. It was the only weapon we had in such an unkown situation. Exercise continued, nutrition became a lot more focussed and easier due to constant kitchen access. Gaining proper sleep was pretty easy with no need of having to get up at the crack of dawn to travel. When lockdown eased later in the year Covid struck rampantly and my wife and I landed up contracting the illness. We didn’t know what to expect and took it one day at a time. Symptoms set in with what seemed to be a sinus infection and fatigue and every day was a different story. We didn’t suffer with fevers or lung function issues just severe headaches, some muscle aches and lingering fatigue. Exercise stopped completely and we focussed on nutrition and sleep.

I must admit it was a roller coaster ride not knowing what to expect from one day to the next, it didn’t feel natural and symptoms changed here and there but my wife and I both agreed we had been way sicker in our lives with previous infections.
After the 14 day quarantine period we still felt lingering viral fatigue but straight off to the physician for a full medical and some drips to help with the post viral oxidative stress. Bloods were completely normal for my wife and mine were a little out with hyperferritnemia and elevated liver function. Covid is known to impact iron so that would have explained it. However me being mainly plant based it did not elevate it much at all. Liver function could have been due to meds or it could have flared up my previous infection which was associated with liver function issues. The knowledge of being able to deal with these issues as well as working with an exellent physician as a sounding board made it pretty simple to get back on track. The post viral fatigue faded over the next two weeks and once the cardiologist gave the green light it was back to proper training and getting back on track.

The more and more people I engaged with that had caught Covid the more I realised that there was a pattern forming. The young were not being affected as much as the elderly. Those that were generally in good health tended to overcome it pretty well and get back to normality quite quickly. Many that I know who have not really looked after their health, have overtrained or exerted themselves a lot, sacrificed on sleep and nutrition or with underlying conditions etc seemed to be far worse for wear and battled through the illness. So much confusion also hit the medical fraternity never really knowing what to expect when patients contracted the illness. Then there were even those who were very ill who tested negative for Covid and that threw even more confusion into the works. As the year dragged on and the more people I came into contact with who had contracted Covid the more it became clearer and clearer. Health is the surely greatest form of wealth.

I had this thought that when we are young we have these immaculate immune systems which function at their optimal and as we age we can either nurture them or damage them. Most of the world damages their health. Poor nutrition choices, processed foods, junk food, lack of exercise, poor sleep, working around the clock and additional stress factors do not bode well for a healthy individual but rather weaken the body and make it more susceptible to illness.

I am currently on an athlete blood chemistry course with some top docs and scientists who in their eccentric nature love the numbers just as much as I do. I remember one lecture clearly which focussed on a cluster of over 32 scientific research reports discussing nutrition and blood markers. The doc threw a sentence out there saying unfortunately the research we are looking at was carried out with a population where over 90% of the participants are obese. Taking into account other factors that basically means 98% of those participants are unnhealthy. In short the results of this science cluster in all likelihood cannt be applied to a health athlete.
Why was this a big eye opener? Simple the majority of the world is unhealthy. Many have done damage to themselves over time resulting in long term health issues or medical conditions. The problem with an illness like Covid is that it has no mercy on these individuals. Some will get away but many will not and this is the frightening reality of the situation. Statistics of illness and death rates caused by Covid again is spread across a globe of predominantly unhealhy individuals.

World health day ,Stethoscope wrapped around globe on pastel blue background. Save the wold, Global health care and Green Earth day concept

As the year comes to a close with potential treatment methods in the form of a vaccine and much more knowledge on the situation at hand. I can only but utter that for all of you out there who have not contracted Covid now is the time to realise you were given an opportunity light. You are given the chance to truly focus on your health and build it like you have never built it before. Do not become complacent because this is not gone and there is no guarantee that it cannot happen again. Those who have had Covid and experienced the suffering and those who have lost loved ones truly realise the harsh nature of what many have had to face and experience this terrible year. You are the ones that truly know the value of what it means to have health and hope. Many have become complacent and many are just waiting to be vaccinated to end this nightmare. However we unforuntatly know there are never quick fixes in life and I urge you all to hang on to your health with everything you have. Respect it, nurture it, look after it and fortify it for without health there is no hope and without hope there is nothing.

Many blessings for 2021
yours in health always

M

Mark Wolff is a certified exercise & sports nutritionist, endurance nutrition and physiology expert with over 20 years experience. An endurance multi-sport athlete with a running, triathlon, mountain biking and weight lifting background, he works extensively with professional and amateur athletes in a variety of sports disciplines as well as those just wanting to change their lifestyles. He firmly believes that a person can only reach their full potential when their health and nutrition is given the proper focus. Mark’s focus on nutrition and physiology is not just on training and racing, but he places major emphasis on recovery, immune system health, emotional stability, stress management and performance. Mark is co-founder of 32Gi, a sports nutrition company, focused mainly on health and endurance nutrition. He is also co-founder of Rapid Recover focused on pneumatic compression equipment to improve circulation for recovery, rehabilitation and health.

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Health

9 WAYS TO COMBAT LOCKDOWN EATING

LOCKDOWN – YOUR GAIN OR LOSS

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During the global Covid-19 pandemic most populations have been or are in some form of lockdown, there has been a growing concern to manage nutrition properly and ensure health, proper weight management, as well as to stay in top shape.

There are several genuine and valid concerns.

Firstly, before lockdown occurred most people were leading consistently active lifestyles. Gym visits and outdoor activities such as running, and cycling were routine. Calorie burn rates were up nicely due to a higher and consistent volume of training.

Then, for many it came to a grinding halt. The minute your training intensity and volume drops so too should your calorie intake to fall in line. Eating more calories than you burn off will absolutely lead to weight gain. 

Over and above this lockdown has left people more sedentary than their normal daily routines. Driving around, walking to meetings and general office run arounds such as shopping and walking around for longer periods of time which add to calorie burn rates have also dropped significantly.

There is way more lounging around and frequent kitchen visits have become part of the normal daily routine. Emotional stability has been thrown out of whack due to the uncertainty of what lies ahead. Stress levels are on the rise for many and in a lot of cases depression has started to emerge.

This has led to emotional eating for a lot of people. Easy kitchen access and comfort foods has exaggerated the situation even more. Sleeping problems and elevated stress levels also play a part in this emotional roller coaster ride many of the world’s population is currently on. 

It’s not an easy situation by any means. However, there are some ways to manage it and emerge in a healthy state.

The Power of Exercise & Nutrition

EXERCISE:
No matter your circumstances whether indoor training equipment or not this is the time for adaption. Human movement including some strength training is vital from a health perspective. There are plenty of creative ways to mix it up from body weight strength and core exercises to simple intensity interval sessions.

If you have access to indoor training equipment such as treadmills, smart bike trainers and weights then there is no excuse for keeping it up. It does not take a lot to prevent muscle atrophy and just doing at least thirty minutes of exercise daily is sure to keep your body happy physically and mentally.  

NUTRITION:
As mentioned earlier nutrition is numero uno in keeping in shape. Not just from a weight management point of view but to also fortify and strengthen the immune system. What you put into your mouth each day will ultimately determine how your overall health.

My 9 Top Tips for Managing your Nutrition

1. Avoid the Junk
Keep the processed / junk foods out the house. If its not in the kitchen it is not accessible.
2. Natural is Best
Stock natural whole foods to make wholesome valuable nutrient dense meals.

3. Higher Fibre Low Glycaemic Foods
Aim for higher fibre and lower glycaemic foods to ensure good satiation as well as lowered blood sugar and controlled insulin levels. Incorporate a decent amount of nutrient dense lower glycaemic plant-based foods mainly in the form of vegetables.

4. Plan your Plate
Do not wake up without an eating plan for the day. If you have a structure you will not go wrong. However, if you have not planned your eating for the day you will base your meals on emotion and will just go off the path.

5. Drop the Treats
Treats in the form of sweets or pastries needs to be controlled. Lockdown has left many experimenting and baking away in the kitchen. This will just boost the emotional need for more and lead to a decline in healthy eating potentially promoting weight gain. If you are looking at making treats there are plenty of healthy options out there which are sugar free and low in calories.

6. Overeating Health
Most do not understand how to construct a meal based on proper required macronutrients intake. It is possible to overeat health. Just because the ingredients are healthy does not make your overall meal healthy. Carbohydrates, proteins and fats play an important role in any nutrition planning. Get them wrong and you will land up gaining weight.

7. Portion Control
Instead of large meals at any one sitting. Rather eat smaller meal portions more frequently throughout the day. This is the best way of managing insulin levels and ensuring you do not overeat.

8. Healthy Fats
Fats come in different forms. Avoid all processed fats such as hydrogenated vegetable oils and trans fats. Eat natural healthy fats and try to ensure the majority are unsaturated fats which provide much better health benefits to the body.

9. No Out-Training Bad Nutrition
This will never work. If you can train a lot due to being in lockdown then it does not mean you can out train a bad diet. The opposite. The minute you increase stress on the body due to intense or volume exercise then proper quality food intake needs to come up to help support it. Hard training and poor eating will place your body at risk for injury or illness.

In short, this period has provided challenges to many of us and its by no means easy when curve balls are thrown at us in life. Routines are completely turned upside down and all it requires is adapting quickly. Sitting around thinking about what is wrong does not solve the problem.

When it comes to health quick decisive decisions must be made to preserve and strengthen it. My advice is do not let yourself down you are in complete control. What you do today and tomorrow will set you up nicely for many weeks and months to come. Just give it some planning and focus.

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Categories
Health

HARDEN YOUR HEALTH

The last few weeks has seen global efforts to thwart COVID-19 the latest Corona virus strain which is creating momentum worldwide with escalating infection rates. Over the last few days we as athletes have also seen the postponement and cancellation of some major sporting events which as hard a pill as it is to swallow , but its definitely the correct course of action to reduce high a infection risk. Plenty of training and racing goals have been thrown a curve ball and these goal posts have had to be shifted. Personally right now I feel the focus should be on our health and ensuring we are not just responsible for ourselves but for those around us.

The training for us all should continue as we do not just do this for finish line medals and kudos. For most of us it’s a lifestyle and yes racing motivates us to train. However right now we have a much more important motivating factor which should keep us on our toes and that my friends is health. As we stand without a treatment for this virus our only course of action is to boost our own immune systems and make sure that we are in excellent condition to be able to fight off any infection that comes our way.

Training and racing especially as intensity and volumes increase so does immune system suppression which makes us far more susceptible to infection and illness. In line with a real war we are just about to face, I decided to put together a short guide of how we as athletes can strengthen our health and boost our immune systems to be able to navigate this next part of our journey.

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT HEALTH STATUS
Starting with the basics, it’s always best to get a proper snapshot of your health first. How can you hope to strengthen your immune system if you have an underlying condition? In my line of work I come across many athletes with underlying conditions such as anaemia, insufficient vitamin levels, improper organ function or underlying infections and inflammation. If you have an underlying condition and do not know about it then you basically starting on the back foot and this needs to be addressed first.

What should you do?
A full medical with a nice batch of basic bloods & some additional vitamin and mineral testing to make sure everything is in good order. Remember as an athlete you place your body under stress and if certain levels are on the low end its highly likely that you will reduce them further and impact your health. Vitamin drips in my view are a complete waste of time without understanding exactly what you are treating. There is something called excessive vitamin and mineral dosing and in some cases this can be highly toxic to the body. My advice is to see a medical professional and get it done properly without playing a guessing game. I wrote in a previous blog called Blood’s don’t Lie you can check it out by clicking here.

LISTEN TO YOUR MESSAGES
Once you get the results from your physician its best to discuss them with him or her and make sure everything is in line. Remember you are an athlete not a couch potato. So make sure the physician understands that because some might say your levels are normal. However that is the general population norm. You want to rather be on the upper end of the spectrum not on the lower end due to the amount of stress the body goes through daily. If you do have an underlying condition you have to address it. Athletes are so good at ignoring issues when it comes to injury and illness. Don’t ignore them and adhere to proper medical advice.

NUTRITION
Proper nutrition is absolutely the health fuel for your engine. Healthy nutrition allows the body to fortify and strengthen itself against illness and disease as well as ensure our energy system is kept up at all times. When we make bad food choices we place additional stresses on the body and in times of need when we should be our strongest to fight off foreign invaders this should be kept to a bare minimum. After all our own natural defences are all we have and we need to make sure that they are fortified. Eat nutrient dense meals with plenty of vegetables and fruit and ensure that you are eating properly for your unique needs. As an athlete ensure your calorie intake is not an excessive deficit so that the body gets sufficient nutrients to help with restoration and repair. Carbohydrates often get a bad rap however when it comes down to endurance sport carbohydrates are your fuel king and when it comes to recovery there is nothing that will get your fuel tank recovered quicker than carbs. Remember carbohydrates can come in healthy forms such as fruits and vegetables which are high in anti-oxidants and free radical fighting nutrients. Eat with intent and insure that whatever goes into your mouth has a purpose for strengthening your body.

TRAINING
It’s a scientific fact that exercise boosts the body’s ability to fight off infection and illness. However, one should not over do it. Endurance athletes tend to place huge stresses on the body with intense bouts of volume training. This will certainly place the immune system at risk. Over-training places any athlete at risk to infection. Rather stagger your sessions properly, reduce intensity ratios and volumes and allow the body to fortify itself without over stressing it. With most events now cancelled or postponed do yourself a favour and switch your focus to health especially in these trying times. Get outdoors more and limit your visits to the gyms in order to protect yourself more from infection risk. Most importantly just keep on going.

SUPPLEMENTATION
Alongside a healthy eating regime supplementation can play a beneficial role. I mentioned earlier blood tests can show where there are areas of deficiency and those can be addressed. Right now though our focus is on immune system strengthening and there are a number of supplements which have been shown to aid immunity.

Vitamin C
Its amazing how Vitamin C is at the top of most people’s lists when it comes to immune boosting. However it is not really the king on the list. It is an antioxidant which helps fortify and reduce inflammation however its over estimated by a large amount due to massive ongoing marketing in the supplements sector.

Vitamin D
If someone asks me what to take for immune system strength I will always advocate vitamin D as one of the best immune system defences. Vitamin D can improve immune system responses and a deficiency in vitamin D is associated with increased susceptibility to infection. Research suggests that vitamin D can help reduce the risk of respiratory infections, including colds and flu especially among people who don’t get enough of the vitamin from diet or exposure to sunlight which is most of the population. Athletes tend to train in the early morning hours and many also indoors which limits exposure to sunlight and then again sun creams further limit the body from it. It is worth dosing with vitamin D and a simple blood test.

Wellmune®
This is something you have probably never heard of but it is the bomb. Wellmune®  is a leading natural yeast beta glucan clinically proven to help strengthen your immune system. In a clinical study, marathoners taking Wellmune® for four weeks experienced a 40% reduction in upper respiratory tract infection symptoms. Wellmune® primes immune cells helping them find and kill foreign invaders.Where can you get this ingredient. 32Gi’s new plant based pure protein being launched this week contains the correct dosage of Wellmune® to ensure your immune system is properly fortified. A medically backed natural supplement is absolutely worth taking.

32Gi’s NEW Immune Boosting Pure Protein

Zinc
I think zinc is an awesome mineral . It does help the immune system fight off invading bacteria and viruses and worth dosing to keep immunity up nicely as well as it being good for the skin.

Elderberry
Elderberry is packed with antioxidants and vitamins that may boost your immune system. It can aid the reduction of inflammation, lower stress levels and help protect the heart. It is often advocated in the prevention and ease of cold and flu symptoms.

Probiotics
Probiotics are there to keep the gut healthy and to ensure the immune system functions well. Taken from a peer reviewed research publication it states that probiotics can also modulate the immune system, enhancing the body’s innate immunity. This modulating effect helps alleviate excessive inflammation in the gut, thereby boosting immune function. We know that health gut bacteria is important for proper health and immune system function and there is no harm in dosing with probiotics on a daily basis.

In short there are many avenues we can try to help fortify and improve our immune system function and health. Not all vitamins and minerals have been researched to such an extent that they are conclusively providing the best benefit. We are after all unique and what works for one individual may not work for another. One thing we do know and that is proven, is that proper healthy nutrition, plenty of good sleep and exercise goes a long way to ensure that our body’s remain physically strong and healthy to weather the storms.

all the best

M

Mark Wolff is a certified exercise & sports nutritionist, endurance nutrition and physiology expert with over 20 years experience. An endurance multi-sport athlete with a running, triathlon, mountain biking and weight lifting background, he works extensively with professional and amateur athletes in a variety of sports disciplines as well as those just wanting to change their lifestyles. He firmly believes that a person can only reach their full potential when their health and nutrition is given the proper focus. Mark’s focus on nutrition and physiology is not just on training and racing, but he places major emphasis on recovery, immune system health, emotional stability, stress management and performance. Mark is co-founder of 32Gi, a sports nutrition company, focused mainly on health and endurance nutrition. He is also co-founder of Rapid Recover focused on pneumatic compression equipment to improve circulation for recovery, rehabilitation and health.


Categories
Health Nutrition Training

BLOODS DON’T LIE

When it comes to endurance sports performance and health we have all been exposed to the endless attempts to find the biggest gains in improving oneself. Most athletes that approach me are looking for an improvement in performance however my biggest concern is first health. I have always said that when we place our bodies under stress its important to make sure that the body can withstand the stress. If there is an underlying condition which the athlete is not aware of the consequences can be damaging if not life threatening.

As an endurance athlete and of course a human being nothing is more paramount than my health. When it comes to the human body the more you know about your own body the far better empowered you are to make the correct decisions when it comes down to it. I am sure most of you have heard about the term biological passport. This is used to monitor elite athletes in which profiles of biological markers of doping and results of doping tests are collated over a period of time. I have my own biological passport. I have 12 years of blood markers ranging from a wide variety of testing over time. However my passport is a biological health passport not a doping passport. I use this as a baseline for a range of different markers to ensure my body is in optimal condition to be placed under stress and to be able to perform at its peak when it comes down to it. As a sports nutritionist and physiology expert there is nothing more satisfying than getting blood results finding the anomalies and then using either treatment, nutrition or supplementation to correct them and get them back into line or even fortify them. However it goes much further than this. A general doctor will look at a range of bloods which are considered to be in the “healthy” range and give you the nod. I don’t do that I look at the bloods from an athlete perspective knowing that the individual is placing the body under a huge amount of stress whether it be an ultra distance marathon or triathlon. “Healthy” ranges are just not always good enough and in endurance sport tiny deficiencies or changes can equate to feeling flat or being able to really put down the hammer down and sustain it. Bloods don’t lie they will tell a story and guide a person in the right direction. Last year an elite athlete that approached me for assistance gave me the title “the legal doper”. I wasn’t sure how to take that as the word doping has many negative connotations associated with it. But on further thought I decided that to be able to legally enhance the human body is definitely the route to go as that has a big focus on health not just performance.

So my question to you all is do you have a snap shot of your health?  By that I mean a full set of bloods and the peace of mind that you are in good working order. Secondly once the doctor tells you that you are in good working order has he or she taken into account your active lifestyle. You are not a couch potato but a Ferrari engine and there is a big difference in requirements especially when it comes down to fuelling. Haematology is a fascinating pathway where hundreds of thousands of different chemical reactions and responses happen each day to what the body is going through. I would want to make sure that what is happening inside is life extending, performance enhancing and not destructive.

I have pulled up some bloods below just to deep dive a little and explain how some dietary and supplemental changes have made a huge difference in not just mine but other athletes lives.

Below shows an endocrinology profile of an athlete where I specifically requested  folate serum, red cell as well as vitamin D. 6 months prior to this test the results were not good. Vitamin D levels were sitting at 32, which by all means is healthy according to the medical spectrum and the folate levels were a lot lower. Vitamin D is actually the one vitamin that is scientifically and medically proven to strengthen the immune system. Its also the precursor to calcium absorption which means if you are an athlete you definitely do not want it to be on the low end at all. A very strong 5000iu D3 supplement pulled it up to 54 from 32 in 6 months and then the dose was dropped down to a D3 every 3 days at which stage the levels climbed further to 60. That is nearly double where it was before.

Noticeable differences in the athlete were not even such as a cold or illness in a two year period whereas prior to this at least 2-3 antibiotic courses a year. In addition there was a drop in shin splint pain until eventually it dissipated completely and never returned. Susceptibility to stress fractures had been reduced however I do need to mention in conjunction with the D3 a good calcium was also prescribed.

Below shows the increase from 54 – 60 at which stage we toned down the Vitamin D supplementation.
Its interesting to note this is an athlete who spends a lot of time outdoors and so the thought of sunshine providing Vit D although somewhat true is not always about exposure but about creation.

Below shows an athletes iron profile. It is in the normal range but again this is a serious athlete putting in many hours of training in a week. The feelings of fatigue that he experienced can sometimes be due to what we call athletes anaemia.  I felt the levels were too low although within the normal range so supplementation was brought into the picture.

Below shows the Iron supplementation over a 3 month period pushing the levels up nicely. I need to mention this athlete is a ovo-vegetarian although levels came up nicely the supplementation continued with a drop down to one tablet every 3 days to keep them topped up. The athlete noticed increased energy, better recovery and performance benefits.

No elite athlete wants to see the below especially when aiming for a top position in a race. Low red cell, low haematocrit is not a desirable result especially knowing that you are limiting your haemoglobin production and this is so crucial for muscle and organ function. The last thing you want is limiting it especially if you are an athlete. You can also see that the iron is low and understanding haematology you should know that red blood cell, haemoglobin and iron are all interlinked.  The below shows low transferrin levels which can relate to iron binding capacity. The athlete did not have sufficient blood in the diet. Taking a look at the individuals lifestyle we discover an over trained athlete under nourished meaning absolutely poor nutrition to support the exercise volume and intensity. Multiple menstrual cycles in a month led to more blood loss than normal and major changes needed to be made to the diet to correct this.  Again Vitamin D levels could come up nicely especially since this was an athlete that suffered from numerous bone related injuries which could be a direct result of nutrient deficiency.

Below is another female athlete with dedicated 6-7 days of training combining 70-100km run weeks with strength training. Waking up daily feeling faint, dizzy and often bouts of nausea until the day she fainted and hit her head on the treadmill. The below shows clearly an iron deficiency as the cause. The inability to feel energetic, wake up fresh and be able to train with a smile on your face is not the way one would want t be feeling each day. Dragging yourself through life from day to day is terrible. It took so many weeks to convince her to get bloods done and with all the delays it set a domino affect into play leaving her to do them out of desperation. Prevention is always better than cure.

The below was sent to me after a blood test by a concerned athlete. After questioning the timing of the blood test the cause was clear that the athlete gave the blood in a completely dehydrated state. It was after a hard long run in the heat, followed by a oats breakfast and cup of coffee. This is an athlete that usually trains fasted and on that particular day he noted he felt very thirsty and battled through the heat. Then went for bloods. Pick your blood test days carefully you don’t want to skew the results.

 

I can bring up hundreds of blood results over the years where each will tell a different story. Sometimes the biggest percentage gains in sports performance need to actually start with the health aspect and only once that is solid then one can move to the next level which is proper tweaking of nutrition and natural supplementation to gain a little more. There are no quick fixes and most people I come into contact with tell me about all the wonderful and weird supplements they take to give them the edge. They have absolutely no idea what they are talking about because what they could be taking might be doing exactly the opposite and hurting their health. Know your status first then we can talk.

In conclusion, as an active person start your biological health passport, get tested fairly regularly and get an idea of your health status over time. Anomalies might come and go but at least if you have a history of what is going on inside your body you will be in a much better position to manage the risks as well as improve your health and performance goals.

 

Take care

all the best

M

Mark Wolff is a certified exercise & sports nutritionist, endurance nutrition and physiology expert with over 20 years experience. An endurance multi-sport athlete with a running, triathlon, mountain biking and weight lifting background, he works extensively with professional and amateur athletes in a variety of sports disciplines as well as those just wanting to change their lifestyles. He firmly believes that a person can only reach their full potential when their health and nutrition is given the proper focus. Mark’s focus on nutrition and physiology is not just on training and racing, but he places major emphasis on recovery, immune system health, emotional stability, stress management and performance. Mark is co-founder of 32Gi, a sports nutrition company, focused mainly on health and endurance nutrition. He is also co-founder of Rapid Recover focussed on pneumatic compression equipment to improve circulation for recovery and health.