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In the industrial age, which spans our entire lives—unless we predate King George II of England!—companies have dumped their harmful by-products and waste into the most convenient places available to them: into the air, rivers, lakes, and other areas where the unwanted materials would seem to “wash away.”
It wasn’t until the late 1970s that the EPA began to regulate hazardous waste disposal. Many could very convincingly argue that even modern sanitation and waste-disposal regulations are nowhere near strict enough, and not adequately enforced, a global crisis affecting the air we breath and the soil in which we grow our food.
Many of these harmful toxins found in our environment have profoundly bad effects on your body and your health. Not surprisingly, some of these chemical nasties have a direct effect on your athletic performance, inhibiting your body’s ability to function and perform at a higher level. For all of you training and competing in triathlons and marathons, it is critical to think about your increased potential exposure to toxins and how you can combat some of these performance-sapping problems.
The toxic effects of lead, arsenic, cadmium, BPA, PFOA (also called C8) and other toxins can and do affect athletic performance. Lead can impair normal cell function and lead to digestive problems, muscle and joint pain, nerve disorders, and high blood pressure. These toxic influences in the environment must be constantly removed so that heavy metals and chemicals do not build up and concentrate in our body’s tissues.
Specifically, heavy metal toxins block enzymes needed for the body to make energy and protein. If your body cannot produce the protein and energy it needs, you will not perform at the optimal levels called for when training for a race or athletic event. Fatigue, lack of energy, inability to recover, and injury can result.
While most athletes and nutritionists pay close attention to what they voluntarily put into their bodies in the way of food and water, you must be aware of what the body is involuntarily taking in through exposure to air, water, produce and meat.
In training for a triathlon or other long events, you have to make sure you’re drinking a sufficient amount of pure water (about 8 glass per day, more if you are exercising and excessively sweating), which also helps ensure healthy bowel movements.
There are also ways you can aid your body nutritionally to help the body remove environmental toxins. This includes foods and vitamins that promote liver function, including vegetables (try to consume at least 30% raw), healthy sources of protein at every meal (including eggs, lean meat, etc.), and a multi-vitamin including key supports like Vitamin A, C, E, selenium, zinc and more.
Want to take your detox a step further?
Try BodyHealth’s Metal-Free™ heavy metal detox support formula. Metal-Free is an all-natural product that is an oral form of chelation. Chelation comes from the Greek word “claw,” meaning “to grab.” The ingredients in Metal-Free travel through the body, grabbing or binding toxic minerals so they can be safely excreted and not allowed to build up in our cells.* Whether you are in training or just take a train to work every day, tackling toxins should be on your to-do list.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
So-called “energy drinks” litter the shelves in health food stores and grocery stores. Each brand promises to deliver the energy boost you need for workouts or just to make it through the day.
The sad truth is that most commercial drinks and drink powders come with a steep price to your health.
Most of the popular brands contain stimulants such as caffeine and high levels of sugar. They make you feel jittery and wired, with a crash that comes soon after.
If you wake up feeling tired and groggy, suffer from an afternoon crash, or simply live with a general feeling of lethargy – you are not alone.
According to statista.com:
Another survey found that 60% of Americans feel more tired over the last 12 months than ever before, especially with the huge socioeconomic shift that has so many people now working from home.
If there is anything society has come to realize over the last century, it is that women are just as powerful, smart, ambitious, and capable as men. And while society as a whole is still catching up as far as true equality, the facts are evident when you look at some of the most incredible and influential people today.
When it comes to fitness, however, men and women are not the same. The natural, physiological differences necessitate unique approaches to achieve optimal results. While the fundamental science behind attaining a shredded, lean physique is basically the same for both sexes, the exact steps and application require careful consideration.