3 Steps to BOOST your energy without changing your diet

Fight fatigue and boost your energy in 3 simple ways. 3 simple ways without needing to change your diet.

1.    BLOODS - GET YOURS CHECKED

I would always recommend to jockeys to go and have their bloods tested or anyone who is on a diet. As weight classed athletes or those on calorie restricted diets you are unlikely to be meetings your nutrient requirements. Over time these stores drop. What happens next? Symptoms kick in – tiredness and lethargy, sleep worsens, headaches or pins and needles in your hands. This isn’t going to help on race day – so go see your doctor today.

Ask for vitamin B12, a full iron study and vitamin D to be included. It is also a good idea to check your urea levels to determine how dehydrated you may be. 

Once you get your results, ask your doctor or a dietitian on how to supplement accordingly. As a baseline I would recommend a general multivitamin and for those not getting 3-4 serves of dairy or dairy alternatives (e.g. almond milk, soy milk) in daily I would recommend including a calcium supplement (e.g. caltrate or ostelin 600mg per tablet). The general multivitamin will help to cover you micronutrients and calcium will help ensure your bones stay strong – reducing the risk of breaks or fractures if you have a fall. 

2.  SLEEP FOR 7-HOURS

Sleep studies show that humans require 7-hours of sleep. Not 7-hours in bed including the time watching TV or playing on your phone before bed, but 7-hours actually asleep. If you can’t get 7-hours, then improve the quality of your sleep and catch-up on those hours after trackwork if possible. On a side note, poor sleep can lead to increased appetite hormones. So this step is vital for those finding meeting weight difficult.

To improve the quality of your sleep:
a.    Make your room as dark as possible – black. Use blackout curtains, remove items that may flash at night, check if the street light outside your window can be moved by Ausgrid? 
b.   Limit distractions – don’t watch a screen 30-60 minutes before bed as it effects your circadian rhythm or take the blue light filter off your smart TV or phone. 
c.   Don’t drink lots of water before bed especially if you’re one to get up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet.
d.   Improve your sleep hygiene – clean your sheets once a week and make your bed.

3. HYDRATION

This can be hard especially if you are stripping before the races. When you are dehydrated you can become lethargic and for some headaches, migraines or pins and needles occur. If you can’t afford to keep your fluids up I would recommend adequately hydrating after your last race. Be sure to add electrolytes such as hydralyte or SOShydration to your water and sip on post races. You want to replace the fluid you lost by 1.5 times. For example if you lost 1 kilo of water, you need to drink 1.5 litres to rehydrate. Ensuring you replace your fluids and salts will help with recovery. Check your helmet strap for salt residue, if quite salty you may need to replace more electrolytes (salt).

Boost your energy through checking your bloods, improving your sleep and hydrating adequately. I’d love to know how you went so leave a comment below or message me.  

Meg