Using Your Cycle as a Guide for Sport Performance

Tanya Jones Female Hormones, Hormone Cycle Training, Nutrient Timing, Performance, Running Performance, Training Leave a Comment

Have you noticed that your menstrual cycle affects your workouts, your hunger levels, and your sleep? I sure have, and as an athlete and sports nutritionist, I wanted to understand how best to train and nourish my body during each phase to achieve optimal training results. Understanding your cycle will allow you to adapt your training and eating to support your sport and athletic performance. In this week’s blog post, I will discuss how to do this based on the role of each hormone and when it is dominant.

Strength Training for Performance Through Perimenopause and Beyond – Part 2

Tanya Jones Performance, Running Performance, Training, Uncategorized 2 Comments

No matter where you are in your menopause journey, we can look at strength training in the same way. If you still have some hormones, even though they are fluctuating and declining [or perhaps you have chosen to use menopausal hormone therapy (MTH)] it is important to remember that you still need exercise stress and a protein to actually stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Let’s discuss how to utilize different training modalities to build and maintain lean muscle mass and bone density during perimenopause and beyond.

Practicing Nutrient Timing (part 3): After

sarah cuff Nutrient Timing, Performance, Running Performance, Training Leave a Comment

Figuring out what to eat before, during and after workouts (and thus ensuring the proper practice of nutrient timing) can make the world of difference in our energy and recovery. What you eat (or don’t eat!) post-run plays a large role in determining how you’ll feel afterwards and how much energy you’ll have for your next workout – particularly if you’ll be working out again later that same …

Practicing Nutrient Timing (Part 2): During

sarah cuff Nutrient Timing, Performance, Run Recovery, Running Performance, Training 1 Comment

In order to build a strong, healthy body it pretty much goes without saying that you must establish overall healthy nutritional habits that include plenty of antioxidant rich and anti-inflammatory foods (read: lots of leafy greens, veggies, fruits, herbs/spices and other nutrient dense real foods!). To really dial into performance nutrition however, a focus on what to eat immediately before, during and after each run becomes …

Practicing Nutrient Timing (Part 1): Before

sarah cuff Macronutrients, Performance, Run Recovery, Running Performance, Training 4 Comments

It pretty much goes without saying that we are best off eating an overall healthy diet rich in fruits and veggies to build a strong, healthy body that will perform well for us. But if you really want to dial in, you might consider implementing solid nutrition routines before, during and after your run that will help to give you the cutting …

3 Strategies for Healthier Joints

sarah cuff Run Faster, Run Stronger, Running Performance, Superfoods for Runners, Supplements, Training 1 Comment

It’s quite possible one of the most common complaints I hear from runners, other than sore muscles and fatigue, is connected to joint pain of some sort. Runners Knee, a term coined for patellofemoral pain syndrome displaying as a dull pain behind/around the kneecap, is the most common issue suffered by runners. But there are plenty of other areas where things go awry …

Overcoming Iron Deficiency

sarah cuff Performance, Supplements, Training 17 Comments

Nearly 2 months ago I discovered I was clinically iron deficient. Although I’d been struggling with fatigue over the past number of months, many of the strategies I’d implemented to combat fatigue had appeared to help – so I thought I was in the clear. But alas, I was not. However, iron deficiency explained so much – and after quickly and …

Lessons Learned from (my time as) an Injured Runner

kinseygomez Avoiding Injury, Training

Injuries suck. I think every runner and athlete can agree with this sentiment. Whether an injury pops up mid-season, pre-season, or off-season, it can put the brakes on all the hard work you’ve put towards achieving your goals. I know because I’ve been there. But I’ve also come out the other side and am now 100% healthy and injury-free! Although …

How to Avoid the “Runners Trots”

sarah cuff Food for Runners, Nutrient Timing, Running Performance, Training 3 Comments

Have you ever had to dash to the nearest washroom or porta-potty mid-run (or worse yet, mid-race)? If so, I um… I understand. Been there done that (and it’s a terrible place to be). But I know I’m not alone in having suffered these inconveniences. In working with so many runners, I see this issue show up about 20% of …