As a freshmen at Edinboro University, I was a part of a team that made the national championship game. And at that time I recognized I was the low man on the totem pole, but I felt in my heart that I knew my dreams were so much bigger than winning a national title.

I wanted to make Team USA. I knew what achieving my lofty goal was not going to be easy and that I would need to work hard every day. So, as a reminder, I created a pyramid of goals that I kept right above my bed.

This pyramid reminded me of the accomplishments that I was working towards and visually represented my need to create a solid foundation underneath me before reaching the top.

The middle row listed winning a national title and playing for a professional team. And at the top row, the most challenging of them all, I listed becoming a gold medalist for Team USA.

By understanding that there are smaller stepping stones to achieving my ultimate goal of being on Team USA, I was able to stay motivated and to stay focused on completing the smaller stepping stones fully before moving onto the next one.

Remember, create a clear goal roadmap, assess your goals often, and continue to challenge yourself. I hope that you never stopped dreaming big or reaching for the stars. And I look forward to seeing where your roadmap takes you. First, healthy thoughts often lead to healthier bodies.

And third, true beauty goes deeper than the skin. My coaches and I adapt to my training frequently, all with the goal of supporting my long-term success and health in the sport of javelin. In the lead up to the Olympic trials, I was told in order to improve my performance on the field, I should try to become a leaner, skinnier version of myself.

So I changed my diet. And I believe becoming leaner than my body naturally wanted to be was what caused my ACL to tear. In the end, it cost me heavily going into the London games. You should do your research and experiment with your diet to find what makes you feel the best, rather than focusing on what you look like.

Today, if I feel like having a chocolate chip cookie, I have one, just not every day. I hydrate and allow myself time to recover. And I listen to and communicate with my body so that I can be the best version of myself. In the end, you are in control of how you see, treat, and respond to your body.

Be a true sport athlete. Love who you are in this moment and get excited for all the places your body will take you. Today, I want to talk to you about being a good sport.

First, real winners act the same toward their opponent, whether they win or lose. Second, follow the rules and be a gracious winner and respectful loser.

And third, sportsmanship reveals your true character. I started competing in Modern Pentathlon eight years after my older sister and three-time Olympian, Margaux Isaksen, began competing. I soon realized that people often compared the two of us. I know that it would have been easy to let our hyper competitive mindset affect our relationship, but instead we decided to support and cheer for each other, regardless of our own performance.

My experience of competing against and being compared to my older sister, taught me to focus on how to perform at my best, rather than putting wasted energy into wishing for others to fail. I believe that sportsmanship reveals true character.

Remember, be a fierce competitor, find grace in all your victories and losses. And I hope to see you out there. Maybe what you want is very simple, for everyone to just run in the right direction, score for their own team, to try and try again and again. Maybe you want your athletes to become all stars.

You want them to earn trophies, medals, win titles. You want them to reach the highest height their sport allows. But as every great coach discovers, developing a great athlete means nurturing, nurturing the even greater person within.

Truth is, you have even more influence than you know. You can be both the coach who provides the skills needed to win the game and the coach who helps them learn and succeed beyond the sport, to become all stars wherever they land in the future, and to enjoy their lives more now, because the confidence and courage they find working with you will stay with them when they need it the most.

There are games to be won, lives to change. Coaches have the power to do both. What kind of coach do you want to be? At first glance, dietary supplements look the same. Most vitamins, minerals, fish oil, and other supplements containing nutrients are probably just fine, but supplements are not evaluated or approved by FDA before they are sold.

Although it is rare for vitamins or minerals to be contaminated with drugs, there has been at least one case of a vitamin containing an anabolic steroid. At the other extreme are products that contain drugs, stimulants, anabolic steroids, or other hormones. Even though these are not technically dietary supplements, many of them are labeled as supplements.

For example, body-building products sometimes contain anabolic steroids or Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, known as SARMs, or other hormones. Some pre-workout or energy products contain illegal stimulants like DMAA, ephedra, or other amphetamine-like stimulants.

Weight loss products might contain prescription drugs like sibutramine, or hormones, like human chorionic gonadotropin, also known as hCG. All natural or herbal sexual enhancement products might contain hormones or Viagra-like drugs. After all, two products might look the same, but one might contain just amino acids and other legitimate ingredients, while the other also contains anabolic steroids.

Because of this, FDA has issued a warning about certain categories of supplements: body building products, weight loss products, and sexual enhancement products. Be extremely careful when considering a supplement in one of these categories. We strongly recommend that you avoid products in these categories.

Even when FDA tests supplements and finds dangerous ingredients, companies sometimes refuse to recall them. Sometimes, they simply repackage their product and continue selling it under a new name. You need to do your research and be an informed consumer.

The dietary supplement industry is enormous. This will ensure that your energy stores are refilled, your muscles that were broken down are given nourishment to rebuild and repair, and will keep your metabolism at a steady pace. The sooner you refuel, the better! Electrolytes are essential minerals that your body needs to stay hydrated before, during, and after exercise.

But they do more than that. Adding an electrolyte supplement to your drink throughout the day will keep you in check. Adding lemon and a bit of sea salt to your drink will do the trick as well! Need to find a sports nutritionist for designing your game day nutrition plan?

Reach out to a physical therapy clinic near you to get a local recommendation and find the help you need! Right Timing — Before the Game Aim to have a snack or a small meal 1 to 3 hours before your game.

Recommendations for what to eat before a game or workout: Oatmeal with berries Balanced energy bar A banana, an apple or other fresh fruit Yogurt A fruit smoothie A whole-grain bagel or crackers Granola bar A peanut butter and apple sandwich Avoid High-fiber foods — broccoli, baked beans, bran cereal High-fat foods — eggs, meat, cheese Sugar, soda, candy New foods What to Eat During the Game As mentioned before, having food during exercise may result in stomach cramps.

Replace fluids according to thirst and weather Consume Drink oz. per hour for workouts longer than 1 hour Sports drinks — for activity longer than 1 hour Watermelon and orange slices are good for halftime Avoid High-sugar snacks and drinks — candy, soda, fruit juice Energy drink, caffeine Refined carbs — bread, pasta Sugar and caffeine may upset the stomach leading to lower performance What to Eat After a Game or Workout: The most important meal on game day is what you eat after your game or workout.

Read our article on carb loading: Post Views: 42, RECENT NEWS. UPPER BODY Back Arm Elbow Hand Head Neck Shoulder Wrist. LOWER BODY Ankle Foot Hip Knee Leg.

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