Strength Conditioning and Nutrition 101

Intro

Athletes of all shapes and sizes participate in aerobic and anaerobic sports. These athletes continually push the boundaries of the human body, trying to improve to their genetic potential and create new understandings of what the body is capable of. Through all this effort, these athletes have been able to redefine what is deemed as” humanly possible,” not only for themselves, but in some instances for the rest of humanity. For example, it was widely accepted that running the mile in under four minutes was impossible; until the inexplicable happened on May 6, 1954 when Roger Banister completed it in 3:59.4.

Everyone loves a photo finish and as athletes know so well milliseconds can mean the difference between a win or a loss, a new world record or a failed attempt, or a personal best. Athletes will do just about anything to get that tiny edge for illegal substances to the greatest new supplement and even shaving off the body hair to cut off a nanosecond of drag.  Unfortunately, this obsession for greatness and new physical feats leads athletes down illegal paths and destroys their careers, health, and reputation.

Today, athletes competing in the elite world of sports are breaking through performance barriers at an astonishing rate. With all the advancements that have been occurring in the realms of training, athletic equipment, sports medicine, physical therapy, and the understanding and acceptance that coaches and athletes have to the understanding of the human bodies biochemistry and the role nutrition plays within it. Taking into consideration of the bodies biochemistry and nutrition, this paper will attempt to look at the role pH plays in athletic performance.

Predominant theory behind muscle fatigue:

There are several theories that exist in regards to what causes muscle fatigue and preventing athletes from continuing at high intensities. Presently the most commonly accepted theory is to do with the acidic environment produced during high intensity exercise which subsequently produces a metabolic acidosis throughout the body (Robert Burns; Powers S. K, 2007, Tortora G.J., 2009; & Hermansen L., 1972). This drop in pH has been found to be the most likely limiting factor in athletic performance (Robert Burns; Powers S. K, 2007, Tortora G.J., 2009; & Hermansen L., 1972).

Part 2