PowerBar_Fitness_Community

A fulfilling life is all about balance. Athletics are a critical part of being a healthy and happy person, and there is certainly room for athletics in everyone’s life. Regardless of whether you are involved as a weekend warrior, professional, or competitive rising star, involvement at any level is a wonderful decision. However, some athletes become obsessed with their sport and lose that important balance and perspective. At that point, athletics can become unhealthy and even dangerous, both mentally and physically. To help maintain perspective and balance, get involved in something other than your sport: spend time with your family or friends (who don’t necessarily share your passion for athletics), take a class, or challenge yourself to learn a new language or take up a new hobby. Sports should be a part of everyone’s lifestyle — but they must not be the only part.

In order for you to make improvements in your sports performance and continually push your limits, it is important that you set goals for yourself and follow through on a plan to achieve them. Many athletes have a goal, and it’s more often than not a “big one.” Large-scale, long-term goals are important, but it is even more important to set smaller-scale, short-term goals to chart a path toward the larger one. These smaller-scale, short-term goals are critical measures of success along the way, keeping an athlete motivated and moving in the right direction. They help to provide a sense of accomplishment, keep morale high, and enable us to reassess where we have been, where we are going, and how best to get there. So next time you find yourself with a little free time, write down some specific, measurable athletic goals and a plan on how to achieve them.

With a variety of sporting and competition opportunities taking place year-round, it is very feasible to train and compete over 12 months without a break. This may seem like the best way to improve your skills and athletic ability, but it is actually a surefire way to end up injured or burned out. It is important to take at least 2–4 weeks every year away from your sport in order to allow your body to heal and rejuvenate on a deep cellular level. Additionally, this provides a valuable mental break so that you can look back and look ahead to evaluate and reevaluate your goals and motivations in your sport. Some of the greatest athletes in the world take time off, and so should you.

The primary energy source for working muscles is glucose. It can be stored in the muscles as glycogen or pulled directly from the bloodstream. Providing muscles with adequate glucose from the bloodstream — the preferred source — while you are exercising will help maintain glycogen stores and allow for better performance and faster recovery. Studies have shown that even athletes who are trying to lose weight will perform better, eat less after a workout, and lose more weight if they fuel properly while training, instead of trying to play catch-up afterwards. Any activity lasting longer than an hour requires additional carbohydrate intake to facilitate optimal performance and quicker recovery. Some good examples of carb sources for use during training include sports drinks, as well as PowerBar® products such as PowerBar® Performance Energy bars, PowerBar® Gel Blasts™ energy chews, PowerBar® Energy Bites, and PowerBar® Gels.

Drink up early! Before exercise, and when the timing is feasible, ACSM recommends that you consume fluids at least 4 hours before exercise. If you are well hydrated this should lead to urine production. If it doesn't, or the urine that is produced is dark in color, you should drink more fluid about 2 hours before exercise. This will allow sufficient time for urine to be eliminated before starting exercise.