Successfully added to your cart!
A wide range of factors affect your body’s ability to perform at optimal levels. Athletes must worry about getting enough protein, nutrition, healthy sleep, electrolytes, hydration, flexibility, and that’s just the start.
What most athletes may not be aware of is the impact of toxins on their athletic performance.
An overload of toxins, whether environmental, such as second-hand smoke and pollutants in the air and water, or consumed, such as BPA from plastic bottles, pesticides in food, heavy metals, and alcohol, have a dramatic impact on athletic performance.
Unfortunately, toxins are almost impossible to avoid in the modern world. Pesticides, heavy metals, industrial fumes, and thousands of other poisons are everywhere – just look at the air pollution statistics of major cities and you will get the idea. Athletes are particularly susceptible to airborne toxins because of how they use their respiratory systems – inhaling more often and more deeply.
The impact on performance may appear gradually, appearing initially as fatigue, brain fog, and weakness – all of which are often “pushed through” or misdiagnosed. Toxins have an insidious, hidden, detrimental effect on the body.
Thankfully, understanding this physiological phenomenon gives you an edge: You can avoid toxins and give your body’s native detoxification processes the support they need to keep you going strong to boost your performance.
The human body can naturally process and eliminate toxins – up to a point.
A strategy to avoid a toxic overload can supercharge your health and athletic performance, allowing you to break through a plateau and achieve a level of peak physical performance you once believed was unattainable.
[1,2]
The word “toxin” loosely covers a wide range of substances, and they are literally everywhere. They exist in everything from plastic bottles and cookware to your food, clothing, soaps, in the outdoor air, indoor air, and in almost every household item.
According to the CDC’s Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, most Americans have over 200 chemicals in their blood and urine. These toxins come from a range of sources, including:
Most toxins enter your body in one of three ways, each of which has built-in defenses to process and eliminate the toxins before they cause damage:
So, if the body is so efficient, then what’s the problem?
The problem begins when your natural detoxification systems are compromised, or you are exposed to an overload of toxins. Here are some examples of common toxins, and what can happen:
In small doses, alcohol doesn’t pose a serious problem – but when too much alcohol is consumed over time, you can suffer liver malfunction and eventually, liver disease. Once your liver can no longer function correctly, it is less able to filter your blood and it leaves a host of other toxins free to circulate through your bloodstream, become lodged in your cells, and trigger systemic inflammation.
The longer you suffer from an excess of toxins, the more impaired your body’s innate detoxification systems become.
But – there IS hope. Read on for more information on common symptoms and what YOU can do about it.
[3,4,5,6,7,8]
Every biological process in your body is intricately connected to your athletic performance, and a toxic overload can be the hidden factor behind a lackluster performance. Some of the most common symptoms of toxic overload include:
These symptoms tend to appear gradually, eventually reducing your athletic potential – even when the symptoms are minor.
[9]
The simplest way to reduce toxins in your body is to avoid them. Despite today’s crazy world that has toxins everywhere, there are steps you can take that will reduce your toxin intake. This gives your body a chance to get rid of the “backlog” and catch up.
If you suffer from any level of toxic overload, you may need to give your body some extra support. Modern scientific research has shown that specific nutrients and compounds can help give your body the edge it needs to shed the toxic garbage. Some of the top foods and nutrients to boost detoxification include:
Remember, these foods must be ORGANIC, or you may still be consuming more toxins than your body can handle.
As an athlete, you may also want a more immediate solution to detoxification, in which case you can try a product like Body Detox from BodyHealth. This oral spray is the result of extensive scientific research and contains a combination of advanced biotechnology, homeopathic remedies, and natural medicine.
[10]
Toxins have a long-term detrimental impact on all body systems, and as an athlete, will significantly impact your overall performance and endurance. Making a few changes can help you live a less toxic, healthier life – your body will love you for it!
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.
One thing I've learned is that injuries can be great teachers. There are so many lessons to be learned from the injuries we experience. They force us to slow down and evaluate our bodies on a deeper level. Like many, I'm guilty of sometimes taking my healthy days for granted. When we pick up an injury, we're suddenly motivated to learn everything we can about that specific injury. We're also dedicated to the necessary rehab it will take to overcome the injury and strengthen our weak areas.
As with many injuries, I've learned there are no "quick fixes" for my stubborn Achilles. Over the years, I've also learned there are no "get fit quickly" schemes.