More recently it has been claimed that real changes in performance will occur, once we have learned to control the minds automatic self-preservation triggers. These kick in when we exert ourselves beyond our normal performance ability and when our blood sugar levels together with our metabolic pathways become stressed or depleted; the brain wants to ensure our survival even though we have ample reserves at our disposal. RACE HORSES WILL RUN THEMSELVES TO DEATH if they are not stopped. Humans have yet to make this mental and metabolic breakthrough and therefore, until such a time has come, we will have to look at utilising nutrition to get our best results. 

Top sports persons are quick to realise that getting their supplementation principles correct has an enormous consequence on their desired end result, which is to deliver optimum nutrition at the right time enabling that championship performance. This is called PEAKING. Whilst professional athletes have access to resources and people that all contribute to designing their performance portfolio such as dietitians, personal trainers and physicians most ordinary sports enthusiasts do not have this arsenal and have to fend for themselves.  So getting ones’ nutritional basics correct, is essential.  We are all rusting away in a manner of speaking but athletes are prone to oxidative stress and free radical damage. As an example; picture a road cyclist doing his training or partaking in an event. Not only is his heart pumping and his muscles are working burning fuel and consuming oxygen. The by-product of this is carbon dioxide and depleted nutrients that form free radicals which lead to aging. This is being created within our own bodies but added to this he is exposed to environmental factors such as heavy metals from vehicle exhaust fumes and dust particles that have entered the blood stream through his lungs because of accelerated breathing. The body then has to deal with theses toxins and eliminate them which it can do provided it has the nutritional capacity to respond but if not these build up and lead to cancers and organ damage later in their life cycle, excuse the pun.

Common sense prevails and instinctively we know that good food equals good nutrition.  In today’s modern society however, the quality of our foods is subjective because that which is considered good is not necessarily so, and we have to make better choices based on our own ability to discern good from bad. When using nutrition as the basis to improve performance it is essential that one’s reference is not based on media advertising, nor the marketing print displayed on labels as this is designed to sell the product and is not reliable.  Vast amounts of energy is consumed by the body when partaking in training exercises or sporting events, and it is very necessary that the correct balance is returned to the body and its organs to provide the resources required to restore and strengthen the body which will minimise fatigue and maximise endurance and recovery. Good food therefore, is subjective and depends on so many factors which are outside of our control, and so it becomes necessary to supplement to fortify our diet and raise the level of nutrition in specific areas to enable us to perform optimally.  Typically, most ordinary sportsmen and women are not well informed. They make bad dietary choices and end up creating huge imbalances in their bodies that lead to problems within their metabolism. These problems may not manifest themselves until much later in their lives, and in many cases they occur during their peaking period, and manifest themselves as cramps or worse.  Foods that provide the best sources of nutrition are often not that easy to come across at events because most caterers are outsourced and predominantly provide fast/ junk food. Our diets are filled with colorants, preservatives, flavourings, bad fats, and poor quality food groups such as sugars, wheat and dairy that we are generally pro-inflammatory and therefore can be considered vertically ill.
 
As a result of our diet and because of the environmental factors that relate to our activities sports enthusiasts are exposed to huge stress both physically and from external sources, these stress factors can build up in the body and lead to an imbalance within the body which may cause mental as well as physical fatigue.

Water the elixir of life, as someone once said is essential for ensuring good health and good sports performance and any competitive athlete will attest to this fact. Generally speaking a lack of water is the primary cause of daytime fatigue. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with problem solving skills like basic maths and difficulty focussing on a computer screen or printed page. Incidentally, headache and migraine sufferers have been found to be suffering from a lack of water intake and these conditions have been in certain instances cured through adequate water intake.

As always we must begin with diet. We are what we eat and our body will respond to the foods that you have consumed leading up to the competition and on that all important day.


Foods to avoid when looking to obtain that competitive advantage are:

Whilst training as well as during the critical event; coffee, dairy, wheat, refined sugar and alcohol all fall into the acid foods category which may have negative outcomes on the body and mind.  Caffeine and Alcohol supply water to the body initially, but also contain diuretics that cause the body to lose water. In addition to this the caffeinated drinks stimulate the adrenal glands and heighten the stress levels that the athlete is experiencing. This may impact negatively on ones performance on completion day when one is already under pressure. Dairy builds mucus and will inflame your sinus and joints leading to stiffness and make it difficult to utilise oxygen properly. In conjunction with a diet high in meat and other animal products the body is prone to becoming pro inflammatory and will lead to a loss of minerals and calcium from the bones as well as raise your risk of arthritis and heart disease. Sugar in its refined from will cause the brain to over fire making it difficult to hold focus and be able to rationalise properly under pressure.

Foods to enjoy as an athlete:

Water, protein in fish & eggs or as whey, nuts and seeds that are raw and carbohydrates such as apple, paw paws, pineapple, granadillas and all berries, sweet potato, rye bread or wheat or gluten free pastas and salads especially those that contain dark green leafy vegetables. These foods are beneficial and will assist in maintaining one nutritional balance as well as providing high dietary fibre and minerals. Eating meals that are high in the above motioned categories will keep one’s body alkaline and provide an anti inflammatory response in one’s body. It would be foolish to think that, one solution fits all, in the realm of nutrition and supplementation. It is therefore, necessary to set a foundation or benchmark supplementation regime and then adjust ones diet and supplementation needs according to the demands encountered in the sporting discipline in which the athletes partakes. As a rule everyone should take the following supplements which would constitute the foundation mentioned previously;

  - A good quality Multivitamin that has the B vitamins stated at 25mg or above per capsules or tablet and that contains 200mg of chromium to provide the necessary mineral to stabilise blood sugar. This multivitamin should contain micro amounts of other minerals and antioxidants and may even contain some herbal elements;

  - Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids in the form of fish oil, or alternatively, if one prefers a vegetarian source, Cold Pressed Flax Oil is acceptable. When choosing a fish oil supplement it is important to ensure that the EPA is stated as being 250mg or Higher and the DHA is stated at 200mg or higher. It is the EPA and DHA that provide the nutritional benefits to the body;

 - Vitamin C in the form of an Ester C or Buffered C at a dosage of 1000mg per capsule should be taken twice daily. Vitamin C is water soluble and will be utilised in the body. Extra vitamin C in conjunction with the multivitamin is necessary because this vitamin is one that we do not make in our body and has to be gotten from our diet and all multivitamins simply do not contain enough C.

The rule of thumb is, never sell your health to the lowest bidder, when selecting your nutritional supplements. Invest in quality brands such as Solgar, Viridian, Good Health and Enzyme Process. These brands are exclusive to health shops that support the efficacy and values that will meet your expectations.

This foundation will provided the required optimum daily nutrition for most people and can be increased in times of stress or at the onset of colds etc.  With the basics covered it is possible for the sports athlete to focus on his or her needs and give themselves a competitive edge.

In the sporting arena of Paragliding there are vast differences between the weekend and the competitive pilot, yet there are many similarities. Obviously the basics as previously mentioned apply across the board and therefore one should look at the specific supplements that can be applied to paragliding. It is pertinent to remember that these can cover many other activities that produce similar stresses upon the body.  Paragliders who compete are exposed to high levels of mental fatigue combined with emotional highs and lows. Together with these stresses we may be prone to physical stress on the joints if walk outs and/or hard landings are the order of the day.

Supplements that should be considered are:-

L-Theanine because of is fast acting calmative effect.

Rhodiola because of its adaptogenic (enhances the bodies natural defences on an physical, Environmental, Emotional level) properties and its ability to improve oxygen uptake in the blood thus reducing the effects of hypoxia.

Glucosamine and MSM for the protection of soft tissue and joint health but also because it is ideal for sports injuries like muscle strain and fatigue. Protein in the form of fish, egg white or a whey protein powder, these forms will enable you to maintain your weight as well as give a good source of amino acids whist contributing to stabilising ones blood sugar. Last but not least it is strongly recommended that one’s liver and kidneys are looked after as these are our detoxify organs.

Milk thistle and dandelion herbs are recommended.

Below are the theoretical benefits that each of the aforementioned products may have when utilised correctly.

L- Theanine 100 -600mg, is an interesting amino acid that is not found in protein from foods, but is found almost exclusively in the green tea plant as a free form amino acid. Green tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world (after water) and many of the reported benefits to green tea consumption are thought to be attributed to its theanine content. Theanine appears to cross the blood brain barrier and has been shown to influence brain wave activity, possibly via an influence on neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, suggesting potential applications in mental health.

Potential Applications are: Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Depression, Insomnia, Cardiovascular Health, Premenstrual Syndrome, Emotional Balance and Memory/learning enhancement.

Rhodiola Rosa 80 - 300mg, is and adaptogenic herb much like ginseng that enables the body to cope with mental, physical and environmental stresses. It is especially good for oxygen retention and gaseous exchange within the blood and it promotes sexual drive. And if that’s not enough, it also promotes metal health and function. When planning to fly high altitude and going cross county then consider taking 600mg, two hours before launch.

Potential Applications are: Stress, Adrenal Support, Fatigue, sports performance, depression, cellular health, learning and memory, male/female sexual dysfunction, improving auditory function, liver protection and antioxidant.

Looking after ones joints and connective tissue is essential especially when you are competing in extreme competitions like the X-Alps and Acro displays. The load that a Paraglider athlete hiking up a mountain or carrying a paraglider back pack weighing anything between 8 to 20 kilograms exerts on ones joints and ligaments can be quite damaging to these parts of the anatomy. Extreme flying like acro competitions can cause the brain to move in the skull as well as cause soft tissue damage to the neck. It would be prudent to supplement with Glucosamine and MSM (methyl-sulfonyl-methane). The combination of these two supplements has tremendous benefits as are described below.

Glucosamine at 1500mg a day because this nutrient is utilised by the joints to repair, strengthen and improve the integrity of the cartilage and improve the viscosity of the lubricating (SYNOVIAL) fluid in synovial joints. Over the long term, glucosamine has been shown to be more effective than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. ibuprofen, and with none of the drugs’ common side effects.

Potential Applications are: Joint health, bone health, sports injuries, general connective tissue support and cardiovascular health.

Considerations: In terms of allergies, the most common supplemental form is derived from shellfish.

MSM at 1000mg per day because this nutrient is great for joint protection and repair, detoxification, protection and strengthening of the skin, hair and nail tissue as well as its role in general connective tissue repair. Sulphur –containing compounds generally are very effective chelators of heavy metals and is involved in the removal of heavy metals from the body. Sulphur is a primary component of connective tissue, and is especially plentiful in the skin, hair and nails. An increased intake of organic sulphur-containing compounds such as MSM may significantly enhance both the strength and speed of growth and/or repair of these tissues.

Potential Applications are: Joint health, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant protection, detoxification and general connective tissue support. 

Milk Thistle and Dandelion Complex for the protection of the liver and kidneys because of the copious amounts of alcohol that can and often is consumed by paragliders at the after party. Another added benefit is the additional skin cell protection provided by Milk Thistle and Dandelion which is great for paraglider pilots who often have to deal with damaged skin from wind and sunburn.

More to follow: