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To be honest, nobody would call me an athletic type. A bit of elliptical and some time on the treadmill is about my normal speed, but during the Olympics I become an armchair elite athlete. Don\u2019t you?<\/p>\n
As we all cheer on the athletes competing across a range of sports (wondering how we\u2019re going to live without artistic gymnastics in our lives) there didn\u2019t seem to be a better time to reflect on what we as an industry bring both to the world of professional sports people, and in supporting the journeys of everyday fitness enthusiasts, with our products.<\/p>\n
Obviously, most of us aren\u2019t athletes competing at national or international level \u2013 but that doesn\u2019t mean we can\u2019t learn a thing or two from the professionals about how dairy nutrients can support our own fitness journeys, and how it is an important part of a healthy and balanced diet for us all.<\/p>\n
But at the top of the list is eating calcium rich food<\/a> <\/strong>and a diet that\u2019s rich in other bone-friendly nutrients, such as protein, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium and manganese, and getting enough vitamin D.<\/p>\n
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It goes without saying that for professional athletes building and maintaining muscle is the bedrock of their activity, no matter the sport. Muscles, along with their connecting tendons and ligaments are what give us speed, strength, stability and flexibility \u2013 all of which are put to the test by elite sportspeople. Building and maintaining them requires not only training and exercise, but also getting the right amount of protein from our diets.<\/p>\n
Milk, cheese and yogurt are excellent in this regard; they provide high quality protein in a convenient package, easily affordable and accessible to all of us. What\u2019s more, the protein is packaged alongside calcium, phosphorus and protein \u2013 all of which are nutrients that contribute to normal muscle function.<\/p>\n
Healthy muscles are important for everyone, not just Olympians. We all need healthy muscles simply to go about our daily activity. It\u2019s especially important to maintain our muscles as we age to fight muscle loss, and our activity levels and diet are also important in helping us to maintain healthy muscle.<\/p>\n
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For most of us, the first nutrient we think about in dairy is calcium, a very important mineral for our bones and teeth. Dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt are excellent sources of calcium, which is needed for the growth and development of healthy bones throughout our life. And for elite athletes, elite bone strength is a must. Not to mention, calcium helps with those beaming smiles we see from the winner\u2019s podium!<\/p>\n
But calcium also has many lesser-known functions that can help with fitness and our general wellbeing. It helps our body transmit signals from our nerves to our muscles \u2013 helping them to contract when needed. It also helps to release energy from the food we eat, by transforming energy from fats into fuel for our cells. It also supports our digestion, helping the enzymes we use to digest our food and helps in the process of cell division. It\u2019s a much-needed nutrient, and thankfully dairy is well placed to help us meet our daily requirements.<\/p>\n
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Dairy products also contain nutrients which help are important in helping to fight off tiredness and fatigue \u2013 in the form of the all-important B vitamins. Milk, cheese and yogurt contain vitamins B1, B2, B5 and B12 \u2013 which help us convert food into energy. For those leading busy and active lifestyles fighting tiredness and fatigue, B12 is difficult to get outside of animal source foods \u2013 as it does not occur naturally elsewhere. So dairy products are an easy way for most of us to get some of the essential B vitamins we need.<\/p>\n
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Exercise and activity will impact the amount of fluid we have in our bodies and influence the amount we need to take on to avoid dehydration. Of course, for those exercising at an elite level keeping adequately hydrated is incredibly important, but it\u2019s just as important for the rest of us. Dehydration can cause headaches, dizziness, fatigue, irritability and poor concentration \u2013 and can really impact how we feel. As we exercise or spend time in warmer weather and therefore perspire more, this is something we should be particularly mindful of. As they contain fluid, milk and yogurt are great ways to help us get a good amount of hydration \u2013 with the added bonus that they\u2019re also nutrient rich.<\/p>\n
A protein shake with milk, an iced coffee or a yogurt bowl are all fantastic post-exercise partners to help us take on more fluids.<\/p>\n
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Last month I was delighted to once again join the Kite team on their weekly podcast, and I was thrilled to be joined by former Olympic rower Anna Watkins and expert Olympic sports nutritionist Wendy Martinson. Both are fantastic ambassadors for the power of dairy nutrition in sport and it was fascinating to hear how they each use dairy as part of training regimes and in the context of fuelling performance at the highest levels. I was especially moved hearing Anna recount her experience winning gold at the London Olympics, it\u2019s a must listen for those who haven\u2019t tuned in yet. You can catch up on the podcast here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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