Intuitive eating: Does it really matter? – Rachel Jesson
Could intuitive cooking and intuitive eating give an athlete a competitive edge? Rachel Jesson investigates what it means to be intuitive and how this information is assimilated from the body during food selection. We know as athletes that it is important to think ahead about the foods we plan to consume that day to remain […]
Hypertrophy, health, longevity, and a dilemma – Paul Ehren
Much has been written about nutritional and training strategies that optimise hypertrophy. However, if we include a desire to age gracefully, there is another a consideration that needs to be made. Functional strength coach Paul Ehren explains. According to Brad Schoenfeld, arguably the world’s foremost researcher into hypertrophy and resistance training, hypertrophy is: “An increase […]
Mitochondrial adaptations to endurance training – Zac van Heerden
Mitochondria are known as the powerhouses of our cells and one goal of endurance training has always been to increase their biogenesis. To bring us up-to-date with the amazing adaptability of these special organelles, especially within a training perspective, exercise physiologist Zac van Heerden takes us on a fascinating journey of enquiry. Mitochondria are the […]
The nature of our role in an athlete’s ecosystem – Paul Ehren
The ethos of CISN is to bring functional medicine and functional nutrition practices into the sporting arena. Paul Ehren expands this thinking further with his incredible theory of an athlete’s ecosystem. “Would you be the one to prescribe the ‘magic bullet’ in the knowledge that your athlete (and you) may be able to bask in the glory […]
Endurance exercise and cardiovascular health: a dose-dependent relationship – Ian Craig
Based on the widely accepted assumption that endurance training is good for cardiovascular health, Ian Craig actually sees the opposite scenario within his ‘serious recreational’ athletes. This article therefore attempts to present the other side of the story. In recent decades, it has been globally accepted that endurance exercise is good for us for multiple […]
Can athletes eat to podium and help save the planet? – Simone do Carmo
Today’s food production systems play a significant role in degrading the environment and biodiversity. Simone do Carmo explores this topic and explains how athletes can engage in sustainable dietary choices and practices that support their health-based performance and help save the planet. It goes without saying that the degradation of natural resources and climate change […]
Ergogenic aids in professional and recreational sports: a different perspective – Paul Ehren
Within the field of integrative sports nutrition, we like to think outside of the metaphorical box. Paul Ehren will stretch your imagination with his very fresh perspective on ergogenic aids. Let’s start with a definition of ergogenic aids. “In the context of sport, an ergogenic aid can be broadly defined as a technique or substance used for […]
Overtraining revisited from an integrative perspective – Ian Craig
Overtraining is a well-studied phenomenon in sports medicine, but it may also be viewed as adrenal fatigue in integrative health practices. Ian Craig pulls together a few physiological models and considerations to help us understand this term better. Overtraining interests me a lot, not just because during my own athletic career, I often pushed my […]
Exercise-induced gastrointestinal dysfunction in endurance athletes – Katherine Caris-Harris
Gastrointestinal health in athletes has become an important speciality subject for nutritional therapist Katherine Caris-Harris. In this article, she shares her mechanistic review of gastrointestinal dysfunction, incorporating the functional medicine model. If you take part in endurance sports, it is likely that you will have experienced gastrointestinal dysfunction at some point, either in a race […]
A focus on: Coconut water – Simone do Carmo
Coconut water has gained immense popularity in sports and fitness over the past few years. It is viewed as a ‘natural’ low-calorie drink, and athletes have been using it as a replacement for typical sports drinks due to its high electrolyte content. However, athletes do not realise that these electrolytes are not the ones they […]