Concussion playbook: Fuel up on nutrition for healing and recovery

Will Smith recently starred in Concussion, a biographical movie about a doctor who studied and raised awareness about football-related head trauma. While performing an autopsy on a retired pro football player, Dr. Bennet Omalu, played by Smith, discovered neurological deterioration similar to Alzheimer’s – red flag. He called the condition chronic traumatic encephalopathy and published a paper in a medical journal about it. But as he saw more football players receiving the diagnosis, he had to speak up.

A solution for the dreaded fitness plateau

You had the best intentions when you first started working out, but after a while, you find your motivation has been sapped. Not only is it harder to get to the gym or place where you train, but you just aren’t seeing the results, no matter how hard or how often you exercise. You are stuck on a plateau. How frustrating!

Sports nutrition guide for high-intensity athletes

In my younger days, I was a track and field athlete. But I had no idea about sports nutrition. However, I did pay attention to what made me perform better or worse. Having more carbs was fine, especially for running, jumping and other cardiovascular exercises. But fats and greasy foods made my body more sluggish. A runner might eat more carbohydrates because his muscles will use them for energy, whereas fats and proteins are converted to energy much slower.

Are all protein powders created equal?

Protein powders have become the go-to meal replacement option. According to Euromonitor International, 2013 sales of protein powders were at least $7 billion for sports nutrition powders as well as weight management protein shakes. Conditioned by years of meat-industry proclamations of protein being good for building muscle, yet stymied by the dangers of animal fat in the diet, consumers are turning to powders to get the protein they feel they need. But, potential dangers lurk in certain protein powder supplements.

Is your sports drink failing you?

At professional football games across America, sports drinks flow like champagne.They remind us that hydration and electrolytes are a natural and necessary finale to vigorous exercise. But what are electrolytes, exactly? Which ones do we need? And is all that sugar in sports drinks really in our best interest?