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The edge of elite athletes

Dr. Jorge Valverde

Elite athletes are constantly searching for the edge against their competition in every aspect of their preparation. This implies the willingness to make changes in their routines and habits – their mindset, their attitudes. The rest - the average ones - try to do what the elite does but fail to go deeper in the understanding of all matters concerning optimal preparation to achieve victory.

For instance, the average athlete knows about the importance of setting goals and they set them but without a deeper understanding of the most effective ways to go about it, such as internalization process, creation and implementation of an action plan, what to do in the process, what to do when they are very close to accomplishing the goals or what to do after they already achieved them. There is a very critical moment that takes place right before accomplishing a goal; if an athlete doesn't know what to do at that moment, all the effort to get to that point can be easily put in jeopardy and the result turn into failure instead of victory.

In another article I sent before I talk about visualization. And athletes are usually given the instruction to visualize themselves playing the way they want to compete…That sounds great! Does it work? It depends on many factors. For instance: is the player a visual learner? Can the player concentrate for long periods to be able to visualize in great detail the way he wants to perform? Does the player know what to do if, while visualizing, he finds himself picturing in his mind the wrong imageries? Does the player know in what state of mind (Alpha, Theta, Delta, Beta) or in what combination of them he needs to be to maximize his visualization experience? Does the player know how to prepare the content of what he wants to visualize? Unfortunately, most players and tip givers do not have a clear understanding of these matters and the answers to these questions. Consequently, the player who was persuaded to use this "proven" mental tool feels great pressure when failing to achieve positive results with it, and usually, he internalizes his failure as lacking in abilities, which jeopardizes his confidence.

Many consider desire and motivation as a key factor to achieve success. However, desire without an effective action plan leads to busy work without focus and clear vision toward one's destination. Have you ever seen a fly trapped in a small room without food, desperately using all its energy to escape, hitting itself against the closed windows that give it the illusion of freedom? In the end, it dies despite its survival effort so near the door. Clearly, like this fly many people do not fail due to lack of desire, determination, courage, goals or physical abilities. Like this fly, their failure is due to lack of a clear vision, a master plan, a blueprint that indicates the right steps to take and when and in what way to take them. In one word, they don't have a sound strategy.

In this article I want to focus on another important factor in the preparation process of an elite athlete: nutrition supplements. The body of a high performance athlete is like a race car, it doesn't matter how powerful the engine is, if the fuel and the oil that it uses are not of optimal quality, its performance is below its potential. Hence, in the case of athletes, fatigue, injuries and all the disappointment associated with them will prevail if they do not use the best fuel.

Let's start with the most familiar information regarding this subject. It is common knowledge that everybody needs nutritional supplements nowadays. Even if we eat plenty of vegetables and other nutrient-rich foods, our bodies still do not receive the proper amount of nutrients due to the depletion of the soil and other factors such as environmental pollution and all the pitfalls of agro business. So we all need to supplement our food intake. However, the needs of an elite athlete are different from the rest of the population. Elite athletes must understand the importance of going beyond and above the standards that have been set for the general population in regard to quantity and, even more crucial, quality of their supplements. Most people are taking supplements in the form of pills with fillers, gluten, artificial coloring, and binders. These pills take between two to four hours to be absorbed into the blood stream and within this time, much of their nutritional value is lost. Research shows that our body absorbs only about 20% of the supplements found in pills. This is the reason why most people do not get the benefits they need from nutritional supplements.

'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…' Hosea 4:6

I have done extensive research on this subject for many years and I would like to share with you about the importance of taking nutritional supplements in a 'isotonic' form. Isotonic, which means "same pressure," bears the same chemical resemblance of the body's blood, plasma and tears. All fluids in the body have a certain concentration, referred to as osmotic pressure. The body's common osmotic pressure, which is isotonic, allows a consistent maintenance of body tissues. In order for a substance to be absorbed and used in the body's metabolism, it must be transported in an isotonic state. That's why these supplements actually get absorbed into your body in only five to ten minutes and are not just flushed through like the others. Also there are no fillers or binders in them. Following are the different isotonic products that I recommend for elite athletes:

  • Isotonix Champion Blend Plus (vitamins and minerals to boost performance)
  • Torch After-Burn (recovery drink to be used after workouts or matches)
  • Bliss Anti-Stress Formula with Ashwanganda (relax and de-stress)
  • Prime Join Support Formula by Isotonix (decrease inflammation and reduce pain)
  • IntenseFX Quick Release energy Tablet – (3rd set energy boost)

Attached below please find a list of nutritional supplements and products that are gluten free and for vegetarians.

You can find all of these excellent nutritional supplements on the following website: nutraMetrix.com/DrJV (for those who will order from other countries besides the United States, Mexico and Canada, please use: Global.shop.com/DrJV).

For parents and those who are not putting the body and mind through the highest levels of stress like elite athletes do, I strongly recommend Isotonix OPC-3, the product I take daily, which you can also find on the same website. Below please find some information about it:

Isotonix OPC-3® is an isotonic-capable food supplement that is made from a combination of bilberry, grape seed, red wine and pine bark extracts, and citrus extract bioflavonoids, all found to be powerful antioxidants. Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) are bioflavonoids (complex organic plant compounds) found in fruits, vegetables and certain tree barks that provide exceptional nutritional benefits to the human body. Studies have shown OPCs to be up to 20 times more powerful than vitamin C and 50 times more powerful than vitamin E in neutralizing free radicals. Isotonix OPC-3 contains the only isotonic form of Pycnogenol® in the world. Pycnogenol is a natural plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree and the most clinically researched and potent bioflavonoid.*

Isotonix® dietary supplements are delivered in an isotonic solution. This means that the body has less work to do to in obtaining maximum absorption. The isotonic state of the suspension allows nutrients to pass directly into the small intestine and be rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. With Isotonix products, little nutritive value is lost, making the absorption of nutrients highly efficient while delivering maximum results.

A unique combination of five bioflavonoids, one of which is the most clinically researched pine bark extract, Pycnogenol®, Isotonix OPC-3 has been clinically studied proving its bioavailability and effectiveness. Many antioxidants claim Pycnogenol as an ingredient, but Isotonix OPC-3 has the only isotonic form of Pycnogenol in the world, adding to its antioxidant capabilities and free radical defense.* In addition, Isotonix OPC-3 helps promote cardiovascular health by helping maintain healthy blood vessels and promoting healthy circulation.* It also demonstrates anti-inflammatory activity and provides support for visual health.*

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product(s) is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Once again, the website where you find these supplements is nutraMetrix.com/DrJV or Global.shop.com/DrJV. You can benefit with cash back up to 25% for every purchase if you sign up as a preferred customer and an additional 5% discount if you sign up for auto ship.

These are the steps to sign as a PREFFERED CUSTOMER:

1) Go to Global.shop.com/DrJV
2) Click on Sign In / Create An Account
3) Enter your email and select "No, I'd like to create an account"
4) Fill out your personal information 5) Type "Global.shop.com/DrJV" when asked if a friend referred you. Once ready to shop, write the product name in the search window right on top of page.

Remember, you can sign up for autoship and save 5% and they will ship the supplements on regular basis.

I hope this information is useful. Please feel free to call me if you have any questions.

Best regards!