I’ve often said that being an amateur athlete is more difficult than being a pro (and I still think I’m right…) because it’s not just balancing performance in racing. It’s about balancing the needs of every day life as well. And I’ve always said that needs a unique life and nutrition approach. I’ve also discussed the issues with the widespread “health span” messaging when it comes to addressing that in athletes, because fuelling aesthetics vs health vs performance is three different conversations.
But should you have to choose between those three? Is it possible to have it all in that sense?
Understanding the Intersection of Performance, Longevity, and Aesthetics
Well, I think it is. But that might not be in the way you think it is.
Let’s start by looking at what the unique needs of these different goals might be when it comes to your nutrition:
- Longevity – This is going to be thinking about what nutritional strategies help you to support yourself through the ageing process. It might also factor in how your metabolism will change as you age. It means considering things on a long-term scale within a very big picture. It’s about flexibility to fit in with different stages of life and circumstances.
- Performance – This is nutrition primarily aimed at making you faster or stronger. It doesn’t think about health or aesthetics, but about achieving a distance, a speed or a weight target in the most efficient way. It means considering really specific needs of the body in one specific environment.
- Aesthetics – This is going to be all about body composition. Usually, it’s about helping people shed body fat to reveal a lean physique so will focus on periods of bulking to build those muscles up and make them more visible and then cutting to shed the fat that overlies them.
The thing is, that all of these pathways will have the same foundational needs; a well-rounded, nutritionally balanced whole food diet. This will be at their core. Because if you speak to nutritional scientists about what the “best” diet is for ANYTHING, they won’t agree. But what they can all agree on, is that whatever specific dietary pattern you follow, your health metrics will always be better when you’re considering a good and wide variety of real foods.
And so while you might be focusing on trying to achieve your new sub-20 5km and you’re thinking really hard about the performance nutrition around that, it actually won’t mean anything unless you have the foundation right.
And that foundation will kind of set you up to naturally achieve the other two. How far into each area you progress and how specific you get is up to you, but if you get the foundation right, you’ll have a lot more success in ANY of those areas. But remember, that feeding yourself as a human first will lend itself to longevity, performance AND aesthetics. Once you’ve got that right, if you choose to focus on performance, you’ll get the aesthetics of a body that’s designed to do what you want it to. And that for me, seems like success in all areas…
Practical Strategies
So how do we get a brilliant foundation that supports us as active humans and then use that as a springboard for performance based nutrition?
Diverse, Nutrient-Dense Diet
- Incorporate a rainbow of fruits and vegetables to ensure a broad intake of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These nutrients support cellular health, immune function, and overall longevity.
- Include healthy fats from sources like avocados, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish. These not only help with inflammation but also support brain health and hormonal balance, which are essential for both performance and longevity.
Hydration
- Maintaining hydration is key for performance, effective metabolism, and skin health. Aim for at least 8-10 glasses of water per day, and more if you are training intensely or in hot conditions.
Mindful Eating
- Listen to your body’s hunger and fullness cues. Eating mindfully helps prevent overeating and ensures you are consuming just what your body needs.
Practical Tips for Everyday Application
- Prepare in Advance: Meal prepping can help you maintain a balanced diet even on your busiest days. Prepare bulk meals that include a good mix of macros and store them for use throughout the week.
- Track Your Calorie and Protein Intake: Initially, it may help to track your food intake to ensure you’re meeting your nutrient needs without over or under-consuming. You can listen to this episode of the coach cast to find out how and why this is important.
- Consult a Professional: If it all seems a little overwhelming, contact a nutrition advisor, dietician or nutritionist to help you. You can book a free, no obligation intro call with me here if you fancy a no BS approach!
- Avoid Quick Fixes: Stay away from fad diets or supplements that promise quick results. Sustainable health and aesthetics are built through consistent, balanced eating habits, as is performance!
So, maybe it’s easier than you think to balance human health and performance. Now, the aesthetics part? Well maybe that needs a reframe on your part…maybe washboard abs and sick swans are what you THINK you want, but actually you’d rather have something with 5% additional body fat that functions for you to fulfil your dreams. I dunno, I’ll leave that up to you…