{"id":2463341,"date":"2017-07-21T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-07-21T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/uncategorized\/become-better-athlete-go-back-basics\/"},"modified":"2022-05-12T12:34:09","modified_gmt":"2022-05-12T18:34:09","slug":"become-better-athlete-go-back-basics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/health\/training-performance\/become-better-athlete-go-back-basics\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Simple Ways to Eat and Train Like an Athlete"},"content":{"rendered":"

In an era of fast-tracks, hacks, and shortcuts, it\u2019s easy to forget that the basic tenets of health and fitness remain the most effective. That\u2019s because \u201cscience can be like an echo chamber,\u201d says Stephen Seiler, professor of sports science at Norway\u2019s University of Agdar<\/a> and a well-known researcher in the field. \u201cJournals want significant results, where there are differences\u2014even small ones\u2014between control and test groups.\u201d The result? An oversaturated and oftentimes contradictory wellness landscape that doles out recommendations like \u201cexercise for one minute a day to see real results!\u201d or \u201ceat avocado to ditch belly fat fast!\u201d without putting such findings in context.<\/p>\n

Here at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø<\/em>, we\u2019re not blameless. But we\u2019ve noticed a different sort of trend that we\u2019re happy to get behind\u2014a resurgence of the most rudimentary science. From how we think about sports nutrition to how we train, scientists are starting to turn the conversation back to the basics. They\u2019re turning the tides from powders to whole foods, weight machines to bodyweight<\/a> training, and finish-line tallies to a longevity-minded approach. In a way, these are the ultimate shortcuts: the obvious but often overlooked principles that are easy to execute no matter what.<\/p>\n

#1. Move More, Always<\/h2>\n

Add movement to other elements of your life\u2014like walking to get your groceries, and then carrying them home, says Katie Bowman, biomechanist and author of Movement Matters<\/em><\/a>. \u201cThen you can realistically thrive in all areas. A healthy day means that my body is outside moving as much as possible, even if it doesn\u2019t feel like formal training.\u201d Simply put, don\u2019t drive for an errand when you could walk, run, or bike instead. Your ten-mile run doesn\u2019t do all that much for you if you just sit at your desk the rest of the day<\/a>.<\/p>\n

#2. Get ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø<\/h2>\n

Taking your movement outdoors boosts the positive effect significantly more than remaining inside. A recent study<\/a> concluded that three hours of hiking in the mountains led to noticeably greater mood boosts and reduction in anxiety versus the same amount of walking indoors on a treadmill. Similarly, exercising outdoors created a \u201csynergistic effect\u201d with physical activity, suggesting you actually get more out of your workout.<\/p>\n

#3. Train Mileage and Endurance First<\/h2>\n

Seiler holds steadfast to the belief that even the most world-class athletes are successful because they perfect the basics. He conducted a series of studies to create the hierarchy of endurance training needs<\/a>, which emphasizes building an aerobic base through longer, slower efforts before adding in things like intervals, altitude training, and other techniques. Without that base, he says, your training will inevitably dead-end in a perennially frustrating plateau.<\/p>\n

#4. If It Makes You Feel Like Crap, Stop Eating It<\/h2>\n

\u201cYou know what I\u2019m talking about\u2014that entire tube of Pringles, that Sausage Egg McMuffin, that second plate of bolognese, or that fried chicken that makes you want to pee yourself cause it\u2019s so good,\u201d says Allen Lim, Skratch Labs<\/a> founder and author of The Feed Zone<\/a><\/em> cookbook. \u201cIf you were to pay me $1,000 to do a nutritional consultation, I\u2019d give you a piece of paper, and on one side, I\u2019d make you write down all the foods that make you feel like shit. Then, on the other side, I\u2019d make you write down all the foods that make you feel great. After you were done, I\u2019d study both sides very carefully and write, \u2018Don\u2019t eat these foods,\u2019 on the side that makes you feel like crud. It\u2019d be the best consult you\u2019d ever get in your life.\u201d<\/p>\n

#5. Eating for Fitness Is the Same as Eating Well for Regular Life<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s no top-secret athlete diet, says Matt Fitzgerald, author of The Endurance Diet<\/em><\/a>. Healthy people of all fitness levels are eating the same thing: high-quality whole foods. \u201cPeople will try three or four fads before realizing they need to do things the boring way,\u201d Fitzgerald says. \u201cOn a cultural level, we\u2019ve finally gotten sick of the whole charade. And most of the fad diets don\u2019t work anyway.\u201d Aim for a diet that consists of all food groups\u2014proteins, fats, and carbohydrates\u2014in moderation, get them mostly from whole-food sources, and you\u2019ll be most of the way to healthy.<\/p>\n

#6. Never Eat Alone<\/h2>\n

Eating alone is really bad for both health and performance, says Lim. \u201cFor me, the social perspective of eating is a major, if not one of the most important aspects of our emotional well-being and health. We aren\u2019t robots.\u201d When we think about our food as equations and nutrient vessels rather than experiences, we end up enjoying it far less and eating worse in the long run, Lim says. \u201cLong story short, it\u2019s not just about eating with others.\u00a0It\u2019s also about sharing foods, techniques, and recipes that are vetted and based on healthy cultures.\u201d<\/p>\n

#7. Sleep Enough<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s no substitute for sleep. Science has shown that getting enough shut-eye keeps us happy and is a key component in everything from training, performance, and nutrition<\/a> to alertness and immunity.<\/p>\n

#8. Schedule Your Workouts<\/h2>\n

When Steve Magness, co-author of Peak Performance<\/a><\/em>, was writing his book, he found himself constantly skimping on workouts because of his busy and ever-changing schedule. While he had heard that scheduling his exercise could help alleviate the issue, Magness was hesitant to buy into this self-improvement trick that seemed to decorate the halls of every internet corner, despite its simplicity. Realizing that he likely was falling victim to the very pitfalls he cautioned his readers against\u2014avoiding the obvious yet most effective methods to reach peak performance\u2014Magness decided to pencil in his detailed workouts on his calendar. Once he did, they happened. \u201cIf it\u2019s vague, it won\u2019t get done,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What’s old is new again. These eight straightforward principles will help you perform your best, no newfangled hacks required.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49896,"featured_media":2198916,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"uuid":"5fb51ed030cbd774fa0690e712ee3107","footnotes":""},"categories":[2553],"tags":[2616,2601,2637,2687],"byline":[1888],"ad_cat":[],"legacy-category":[],"class_list":["post-2463341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-training-performance","tag-endurance-training","tag-science","tag-sports","tag-workouts","byline-molly-hurford"],"acf":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"8 Simple Ways to Eat and Train Like an Athlete","url":"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/health\/training-performance\/become-better-athlete-go-back-basics\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/health\/training-performance\/become-better-athlete-go-back-basics\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/10\/jon-tyson-eat-makes-happy_h.jpg","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/10\/jon-tyson-eat-makes-happy_h.jpg"},"articleSection":"Training & Performance","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"oharlow"}],"creator":["oharlow"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Online","logo":"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/favicon-194x194-1.png"},"keywords":["endurance training","science","sports","workouts"],"dateCreated":"2017-07-21T00:00:00Z","datePublished":"2017-07-21T00:00:00Z","dateModified":"2022-05-12T18:34:09Z"},"rendered":"