In The News. March 11, 2020

A collection of stories, news and information that we thought you might find interesting and relevant.

• To be competitive, athletes must improve their skills, learn to play under pressure, persist against adversity and be mentally and physically prepared to perform at their best. A good youth coach is one who can reinforce the things that were done right during a competition, regardless of the outcome, and help better prepare the athletes for the next event. A good youth coach ensures that every practice, every competition, every communication is focused on all of the athletes having a positive and enjoyable experience. According to Jennifer Etnier, a distinguished professor of Kinesiology, most coaches are not doing this. Read her opinion in the New York Times: Your Kids' Coach Is Probably Doing It Wrong
• There's New Evidence On the Benefits of Sun Exposure. Recent studies suggest that sunlight may lower blood pressure in ways that have nothing to do with vitamin D.
• The Netherlands is well known for their high bicycle use. Currently, about 27% of all trips in the Netherlands are made by bicycle. A recent study was done using the Health Economic Assessment Tool and life table calculations to quantify the population-level health benefits from Dutch cycling levels. Some key findings included:
  • Cycling prevents about 6500 deaths each year.
  • Cycling reduces average mortality rate by 7.4% per year.
  • Dutch people have half-a-year-longer life expectancy because of cycling.
  • The health benefits correspond to more than 3% of the Dutch gross domestic product.
  • Annual Benefit of Current Dutch Cycling, 18.6 Billon € annually.
  • The study confirmed that investments in bicycle-promoting policies (e.g., improved bicycle infrastructure and facilities) will likely yield a high cost–benefit ratio in the long term.
• With the growing concern about food production and its effect on the environment, as well as the growth of social media as a platform to share information, the trend toward veganism is growing, and could be becoming more accepted in sports and in the health and fitness industry. However, to date, there appears to be a lack of literature that discusses how to manage vegan diets for athletic purposes. A recent article by David Robinson in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition attempted to review literature in order to provide recommendations for how to construct a vegan diet for athletes and exercisers. While little data could be found in the sports nutrition literature specifically, it was revealed elsewhere that veganism creates challenges that need to be accounted for when designing a nutritious diet. This included the sufficiency of energy and protein; the adequacy of vitamin B12, iron, zinc, calcium, iodine and vitamin D; and the lack of the long-chain n-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA in most plant-based sources. However, via the strategic management of food and appropriate supplementation, it is the contention of this article that a nutritive vegan diet can be designed to achieve the dietary needs of most athletes satisfactorily. For more on this, reach "Vegan Diets: Practical Advice for Athletes and Exercisers"
• Sleep is one of the most important but most overlooked factors in determining performance. Here’s how to make yours more productive: " Sleep and Athletic Performance."
• While we all love to focus on metrics, it’s your daily habits that make the most significant difference in your long-term performance potential.
• In a recent interview with The Outer Line, former Tour de France stage winner, Olympic Bronze medallist and 7-Eleven pro team rider, Davis Phinney discusses his racing career and today's pro cycling scene.