Athletic performance can be a very unhealthy business. Unless you’re eating and supplementing really well and focusing on sleep and recovery, chances are you’re over-stressing your body and depleting your reserves. 

We feel invincible when we’re young, fit, and healthy so many of us pay little attention to these things beyond the basics. 

Case in point: when I turned 30, I decided to compete in an amateur Muay Thai fight. It was on my bucket list and I wasn’t getting any younger. “Better get this crossed off the list,” I said to myself, “lest I attempt to do it when I turn 40 and risk really hurting myself!” So I trained like crazy for almost a year, sometimes up to 8 times per week.

Don’t ask me why, but I had also decided that I would all of this on a completely plant-based diet, all while working a full-time office job. I would run to the gym on lunch breaks to train and spar, then would run back to the office to have a quick shower and eat at my desk. No cool-down, no time for stretching. Then I’d go back after work for more pain and suffering.

The training and sub-optimal recovery took their toll, and I entered that fight injured and exhausted. I guess leaving making weight till the last week wasn’t the brightest idea, and the cutting of about 7kg (15lbs) was the final straw. The sauna and the jogging with cling film wrapped around my legs and torso with heavy clothes and a hat certainly didn’t help my energy and endurance!

To my surprise, I lasted all three rounds, but my performance was nowhere near what it could have been. Months later I found out my femur bone was not fully in the joint – an injury I had sustained from a lot of exertion and not enough focus on recovery and mobility. (That explained the constant pain I felt and the sleepless nights…) Luckily, a dozen or so sessions with Dr. Pain (Conor McGregor’s physical therapist) helped to get me back on track.

Knowing what I know now, I would have done things VERY differently. But the pro fighters I was training with were also doing a lot of things wrong. They were training very hard and giving it their all, but I noticed a lot of other aspects could have been improved. From sub-optimal nutrition and supplementation, to lack of attention to sleep and recovery, to a little bit too much partying after training sessions here and there, I could see all of us were making fundamental mistakes that were costing us. 

These missing factors aren’t felt so much when you’re young and healthy, but if you’re at all serious about your athletic endeavours (including the longevity of your performance) you are probably looking to get the edge in every way possible.

The bad news is that most athletes who don’t have a cook, nutritionist, and dedicated health optimisation coach are leaving a lot on the table in terms of optimising nutrition, supplementation, recovery and performance.

The good news is that you now have a resource that can help you quickly identify the areas that may be lacking so you can start addressing them.

My health consulting service for athletic performance and recovery covers the areas below. Every program is customised to the individual’s needs, lifestyle, and physical demands.