The Citizen (Gauteng)

Advancedsp.co.za Challenge old school beliefs

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Industries all have believed structures. These could be built on a lie and when you add a human being into the mix that has bought into the belief, it will take moving heaven and earth to help shift his adopted mindset.

Let’s take nutrition for example. We all believed carbs were critically important for carbo-loading before a big race and Bruce Fordyce was famous for eating potatoes and pasta on his couch days before a big race. At the time the belief in the nutritiona­l space was that it was necessary for peak human performanc­e.

This notion was shattered by Tim Noakes years later as credible data presented itself in research studies. Everyone’s entire belief system was in question at the time, so it was easier to burn Noakes’ ideas at stake than to actually learn new informatio­n to change beliefs.

Think about all those old wives’ tales, like if you play in the rain you will get sick. When last have you seen a profession­al footballer with 7% body fat get sick playing 90 minutes in the snow and rain? Yet, you try and tell your mom or gran anything differentl­y and see how they react.

It does take exceptiona­l people to go against the grain and test “old school” belief systems because they feel it just doesn’t work or there is a better way of doing something. Bless these people because without them, innovation would never push the human race forward.

Let’s turn to the latest craze thanks to the Netflix documentar­y The Keto Diet that every Tom, Dick and Harry is on. They successful­ly managed to change an old belief system that you need meat protein to grow and repair muscles. They believe that the plants the animals are eating are more nutritious than the meat we are consuming. Basically, why eat the cow when the nutrition lies in what they are eating?

Plant-based proteins are not all equal. They come in various nutritiona­l spectrums of low to high protein content quantities and substituti­ng a heavy protein for an easier and more nutritious substitute in their minds can add vitality to your life and sport.

Wait two weeks and ask any Keto fan why he is eating a piece of meat and then just wait for the justificat­ion and excuses as to why Keto doesn’t work. Their belief system is so entrenched in tradition that Keto becomes nothing more than a fad.

I equate starting a Keto diet to a weekend warrior that participat­es in park runs and then decides they want to run a marathon. There is so much preparatio­n work, knowledge and understand­ing needed in running a monster race like that and often you would need to seek expert advice and follow proven training programmes, yet Keto warriors just start running the marathon and then wonder why they fail.

By now, hopefully for every athlete tion here is that if you see enough footballer­s or enough rugby players getting injured, you will start to see a common pattern occurring.

The exercise doesn’t change that much so why don’t you just add this to your daily routine and reduce the risk of that injury

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