Dealing with Metabolic Dysfunction

Many athletes experience some degree of metabolic dysfunction after or during competition preparation. Females seem to be more effected by this. Some examples are slower metabolism, abnormal or loss of menstrual cycle, troubles with bloating, constipation, and new food intolerances or food sensitivities. This can lead to many troubling symptoms that can be difficult to reverse. After my last show I had many of these symptoms and realized my competition prep had taken a toll on my body. After a few long weeks trying to improve my health I seem to have things back on track. Here are some interventions that can improve your metabolic health and overall gut health.

- Drink a lot of water- this seems easier said than done. Many people think they drink enough water but when I actually started tracking my water I realized I really wasn’t drinking enough. I would recommend buying a large 2.5 L water jug to carry with you. I try and drink two of these a day as I am quite active. Water will help decrease constipation, bloating, and if you over indulged in food drinking a lot of water will help get you back to your baseline and flush out the foods you ate.

- Use of probiotics and digestive enzymes will help break down and digest the foods we are eating. You can get pro biotic in many food sources a good one being yogurt but I like to supplement probiotics in my diet especially when I am competing.

- Glutamine and gut health! Glutamine provides energy to the cells in the digestive tract, making them stronger. Glutamine also helps with water absorption the stomach and throughout the body. Glutamine is known for re building the lining of the intestinal walls. Leaks in the intestinal walls is known as “leaky gut” which can lead to many other symptoms and diseases.

A RIVALUS product I would recommend to help with get health is steam BCAA. While the BCAAs have many benefits such as muscle recovery, help promote lean mass, and decrease fatigue but they also help our gut and metabolism by increasing insulin sensitivity. Steam also has glutamine in it and as mentioned previously this can help re build the lining of the gut! Listen to your body and ensure you are getting proper nutrients and drinking enough water! As an athlete the best thing you can do to have longevity in your career is to take care of your body from the inside out! This is why I choose and will continue to choose RIVALUS products!

Brittaney Gervais