Netjets US Autumn 2022

JULIAN RENTZSCH
How To Know
When You Need A Break
If you’re putting in too much time at the gym, you could be doing more
harm than good. Overtraining can undo your fitness gains and make
you more susceptible to injury and illness. Samantha Campbell, owner
of Deep Relief // Peak Performance Athletic Training Center in Haiku,
Hawaii, on the island of Maui, trains some of the world’s top athletes
including big-wave surfer Ian Walsh, snowboarder Travis Rice, and
kitesurfer Jesse Richman. Here she shares insights on everything from
the importance of a rest day to how to get back to baseline.
Is there a way to measure how hard
you’re taxing your body during training
or are you really just going on how you
feel? These days gadgets like your Apple
Watch give you a readiness score. This
metric is based on heart-rate variability
(HRV), or the variance of time between
the beats of your heart. Low HRV may
indicate your body has activated your
parasympathetic nervous system, or
fi ght-or-fl ight mode, to respond to stress.
Sometimes you could write off that low
number due to having a few drinks the
night before. What’s more useful is to
look at trends over time by using HRV as
an objective number and correlating it to
subjective states like mood.
How might overtraining affect mood?
Mood swings can often be one of the fi rst
signs that something is out of whack.
Exercise is usually a mood booster,
but overtraining can lead to feelings of
grumpiness and even depression.
Are there other signs to look for?
Depending on the person, you could
notice changes in appetite and sleep
patterns. If you aren’t usually a napper
and are suddenly taking two-hour
naps in the middle of the day or if you’re
an early bird now sleeping in, those could
all be signs you might need a break.
Training puts physical stress on the
body but can outside stressors play
a factor in overtraining? Professional
athletes get to rest as part of their
job. Normal people, say training for a
triathlon or CrossFit competition, may
still work a 70-hour week. You have
to consider the total amount of stress
affecting your body, including nonathletic
stressors like work, a new baby,
or being off your sleep schedule.
How does overtraining affect
performance? If you’re unable to
perform well, even when you’re set up
to perform well, it’s a sign you need
a change. If you’re a runner and your
top speeds are going down even when
you’re rested or you’re a paddler and
you aren’t hitting your intervals in the
water, it may be because you’re doing
too much in the gym.
If you have overdone it, how do you get
back to baseline? Majorly scale back so
you go back to baseline for a week. That
doesn’t mean don’t exercise. Change
what you’re doing. If you normally do
a hilly run, do an active recovery walk.
You’re still moving and getting outside. Do
your sport, be it surfi ng or cycling, at the
most relaxing level and integrate recovery
activities like ice baths and massages.
After one week, if you feel refreshed,
slowly increase the intensity of activity.
Any tips for avoiding overtraining?
At least every two weeks take one full day
off. And for every two to three weeks of
intense training, add a week where you
bring down the volume so you can absorb
your efforts. And if you’re coming off an
illness or have been suffering from “long
Covid” symptoms, go slow.
Nutrition
Hacks
Nutrition is the often-overlooked
piece of the performance and
recovery puzzle. But with so
many options, it can be hard
to know what to eat and drink—and
when. Kate Zeratsky, a registered
dietitian and nutritionist with
the Mayo Clinic in Rochester,
Minnesota, offers insights to help
you make a game plan.
SPORTS DRINKS
PROS
Sports drinks rehydrate the body and
replace lost electrolytes while providing
sodium to drive thirst that makes the body
want to continue to hydrate. The added
carbohydrates refuel and replace glucose
(glycogen in muscles and liver) for the
next activity.
CONS
For those who do not exercise regularly,
you could be adding additional calories
through sugar and excess sodium to your
diet. The latter negatively impacts blood
pressure and kidney health. For those
wanting less processed foods, the fluid and
electrolytes of sports drinks can be achieved
in a combination of water and food.
RECOVERY BEER
PROS
Beer can boost the body with carbohydrates,
and brewer’s yeast is a good source of
thiamine, or B1, an important vitamin in
energy production. Just watch the alcohol
levels and maybe opt for a session ale rather
than a high-strength IPA. Or better yet, look
for non-alcoholic options from craft brands
like Athletic Brewing Company.
CONS
Consuming alcohol is counterproductive
to rehydrating and depending on
formulation, may not meet recovery protein
recommendations. If you want to crack
open a celebratory brew, have one, with
a water.
CHOCOLATE MILK
PROS
The children’s drink provides hydration,
carbohydrates, protein for muscle repair,
and electrolytes, as well as nutrition in
the form of sodium, calcium, magnesium,
phosphorus, and vitamins D and A. Dairy
products are a good source of leucine, an
amino acid thought to be a key in muscle
growth, as well as iodine, a trace element
needed for thyroid hormone production
that plays a role in energy production and
protein synthesis.
CONS
Added sugar from powdered or syrup-based
chocolate provides extra calories.
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