Herbal sports performance -
Ashwagandha Withania somnifera is another Ayurvedic mainstay for supporting a healthy body-mind-spirit. Ashwagandha has been shown to support a healthy libido and immune system and to help balance the adrenal-endocrine system.
It is often used to boost energy by promoting a restful state of being all day long, allowing one to sleep well at night and awake fresh in the morning.
These minerals and trace elements help our bodies build muscle, pump blood, and keep our nervous systems running in top form.
We sweat them out when we train, so replenishing them is vital to improving our performance both on and off the field. Herbs for athletes like nettle, oatstraw, and raspberry leaf are the perfect partners for someone who wants to stay hydrated and replenish electrolytes naturally.
You can make a daily infusion to drink before, during, and after training. They also make a terrific acetyl extraction, aka herbal vinegar, to add to salad dressings, soups and stews, or to your favorite smoothie or juice.
Oatstraw contains lots of minerals and nutrients that help soothe and repair the nerves as well as build bones and muscles. Red raspberry leaf Rubus idaeus is another plant filled with tons of nutrition. Herbalists often include it in fertility blends and teas for new moms, but athletes can make good use of this nutritive digestive herb, too.
Raspberry leaf has an affinity for the lower abdomen, including the small and large intestinal tracts. This herb offers athletes both a nutritional boost and the digestive support needed to ensure their bodies make best use of all the nutrition available.
Did you know athletes are at a significantly higher risk of developing inflammatory diseases due to oxidative stress? Studies show folks who lead an active lifestyle, including athletes of all levels, experience higher levels damage from oxidative stress than folks with more sedentary lifestyles.
Oxidative stress produces free radicals, which bounce about your system causing damage as they go. Because athletes are more active, their bodies burn more oxygen and create more free radicals.
On one hand, athletes are building healthier, stronger circulatory and skeletal-muscular systems. On the other hand, oxidative stress is quietly setting the stage for inflammatory diseases like arthritis, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
For all athletes, eating a diet rich in antioxidants is key to preventing damage while cashing in on the many health benefits of staying active. Getting those antioxidants is easy when you eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables of all colors, of course.
Lychii Lycium barbarum or L. chineses a. a goji berry or wolf berry, has long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as a tonifying herb. Rose hips Rosa spp. and hibiscus Hibiscus rosa-sinensis or H.
sabdariffa are another set of potent antioxidant herbs that can be easily swallowed. Both reduce inflammation and support a healthy circulatory system.
Hibiscus can be mildly diuretic, while rose hips are less so. Rose hips can be mildly warming while hibiscus is more neutral. Athletes can alternate these two, using hibiscus more in warmer months and climates while reserving Rose for the cooler seasons and climates. Either make wonderful additions to your daily tea.
Cinnamon Cinnamomum cassia or C. ceylon is a surprising antioxidant herb as well. Studies show cinnamon contains free radical-scavenging constituents, which means cinnamon helps your body track down excess free radicals and eliminate them.
Athletes can benefit from a little cinnamon taken daily to boost vitality and protect against oxidative stress. This daily infusion can support your training and your life.
I make this tea blend in bulk, using a standard measuring cup ml for each part, and I store it in a quart- or liter-sized canning jar in my tea cabinet. Similarly, the more I train myself and work with other athletes, the more I have come to understand that there is a fine line between extreme fitness and overexertion.
Fatigue can lead to a weakened immune system. After an intense workout, you should have at least eight hours of sleep to recover, maybe more depending on the workout. I like to incorporate daily herbal nourishing infusions to help with mineral replenishment, as I find that they are easy to prepare and are a pleasant way to fit your herbs into a busy schedule.
I like to cycle through the herbs I use for the infusions to vary the nutrients and flavors I enjoy throughout my training. Since I drink infusions on a daily basis, the variety keeps things interesting, helping me to stick with my nutritional schedule.
The right herb regime for any given athlete really depends on the person and the activity. Like everything in herbalism, there is no one size fits all solution. The key is to align the herbs with your fitness goals.
While each herbal plan should be tailored to the needs of the specific athlete in question, I have found that adaptogens are often a great place to start.
Several of the adaptogens used in the herbal endurance training formula below help support the immune system. Similarly, as an athlete is approaching the peak of their training plan, a tincture of equal parts echinacea and Oregon grape root , taken morning and night, offers the immune system a little added support.
I recommend taking this combination during the last push in the training plan and through periods of rest. Also, you should not limit yourself to the plant kingdom, as mushrooms have a lot to offer as well. I find that helpful mushrooms work great for most athletes with few contraindications —t hey can sometimes be bitter, but the benefits are well worth it!
Herbs that increase oxygen absorption are invaluable to muscle performance. Increasing oxygen into the blood, along with supporting the heart and circulatory systems, are both at the core of my herbal plans.
Increasing blood oxygenation helps with stamina by reducing the lactic acid buildup in the muscle. The increased oxygen keeps the body in an aerobic state for longer while exercising, thereby delaying the production of lactic acid. I have a base formula that I use for athletes that I build on or modify, depending on the individual's personal goals and challenges.
It is also important that I know what motivated the client to set their particular goals and that I understand their health history. If the athlete is a runner because they hope to support overall cardiovascular health, I will add hawthorn to the formula.
If the athlete is a rock climber and they need to stay mentally focused as well as physically fit, then I may add some gotu kola. These are just a couple of examples of how this base formula can be customized to the athlete and their sport of choice.
From this base recipe, different proportions of these herbs can be used and consumed in any way. Herbs can be a great exercise partner.
Develop a plan and use them to support your fitness goals. These potent plants can really make a difference! This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only. Topics: Recipes , Herbalism. Chris Kitchen has his own herbal consulting practice, Mandragora Herbal, just outside of Seattle, Washington.
He is a member of the American Herbalist Guild and studies at the Hermit's Grove in Kirkland, Washington. account Account wishlist Wishlist cart Shopping bag. Our Blog. GREEN LIVING. BODY CARE. MORE TOPICS Featured Article The Video Contest In , we hosted our first video contest and with the growing interest in short-form video, we thought that would be the perfect time to bring it back!
WRITTEN BY JESSICKA FEBRUARY 01, Featured Article. There are a few important factors to consider when selecting herbs for athletes, beyond the obvious allergy considerations. The first is to define the goal. Is it increased cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, muscle recovery, mental focus and fatigue, or a combination thereof?
The next consideration is what effects the sport or activity has on the body.
The key to success Hebral it performanfe to athletic Herbal weight loss tea reviews is adopting sport clean, nutrient dense diet, adequate amounts Motivational strategies for healthy eating water, and plenty of sleep. There perfomrance extra steps you can Bloating reduction hacks and remedies perforkance optimize your athletic experience — including the use of herbal supplements. Plants have been used for centuries to boost athletic endurance and strength. For example, the Guarani of South America used guarana Paullinia cupana to improve stamina on long hunting trips in the jungle. In other areas of the world ginseng was used by soldiers to help them outcompete their enemies in battle.
Welche prächtige Wörter
Anmutig topic
ich beglückwünsche, die prächtige Idee und ist termingemäß