end up being excess calories, mostly from simple sugars. Be smart and periodize your use of sport supplements and save them for your competition season, when your body may need them the most. Antioxidants are required to help the immune system stay strong. Instead of reaching for a pill, look to increase your daily vegetable and fruit consumption. Not only do these types of real foods provide you vitamins, minerals and antioxidant rich phytochemicals, but they provide fi- ber that, when combined with protein and fat, will help control your blood sugar and improve your metabolic efficiency (body’s ability to burn fat). — Bob Seebohar
DOES THAT TAPE REALLY WORK? While the scientific jury is still out on whether kinesiology tape provides signifi- cant benefits, an increasing number of ath- letes are using the product to help them train and compete with less pain. The manufacturers (there are multiple brands) claim the tape helps increase the natural blood flow around the muscle. The
tape has a patterned adhesive that moves with the skin and the muscles. It also can potentially help with alignment and pro- moting proper joint motion.
Bottom line, if you’re stuck in an injury rut and have exhausted all other options, why not give it a try. The tape could be the easy and inexpensive solution for which you’ve been searching.
MENTAL PREP: KNOW YOUR “PLIMSOLL LINE”
A boat or ship will float at various lev- els depending on factors such as water temperature and consistency. The Plimsoll Line, named for Samuel Plimsoll, was in- troduced in 1876 in England. The mark is painted on the hull of cargo ships to indi- cate where the waterline is when the ship is at full capacity. Likewise, it’s important for athletes to establish a means of pre-determining the point of overload. — Cheryl Hart
The kinesiology tape you’ve seen Olympic athletes wearing could be a solution if you have a nagging injury.