👋 Hey. Welcome to issue #124 of The Everyday Athlete Newsletter.
To wrap up 2024, I went through each newsletter from this year. Here are three of my favourite (5 min read):
The Oura ring study
A recent study of over 500 Oura ring users found…
For every extra hour of sleep we get, the chances of experiencing moderate-to-high stress decreased by 38%.
No real surprises there.
But how’s this.
They also found…
For every extra breath we take per minute when sleeping, the chances of experiencing moderate-to-high stress increased by 23%.
So if Sonny takes 12 breaths per minute, and Bill takes 13 breaths per minute...
Bill’s chance of experiencing mod-high stress is 23% higher!
So how do we slow our breathing when we’re asleep?
Wind down the nervous system: throughout the day (e.g. tech-free breaks, physiological sighing) and/or before bed (e.g. slow exhale breathing – 4 secs in-8 secs out, hot bath, foam rolling)
Nose breathing: Use tools like mouth tape and nose strips to prevent breathing through the mouth. And limit alcohol and ultra-processed foods before bed (can flare up nasal passage)
Improve C02 tolerance: Cardio training, breathing exercises
Control your breath. Control your stress.
Sensory specificity satiety
Here’s a mouthful: "sensory specificity satiety".
Which once understood, can influence how many mouthfuls of food we'll have.
(how’s the wordplay on the bloke)
Sensory specificity satiety suggests we feel more “full” when we eat the same flavours — sweet, salty, spicy, sour, etc.
And we eat more food when a new flavour is introduced.
In one study, people ate a 4-course meal. Those who ate the same type of food for all 4 courses ate almost 60% less than those who ate different foods.
And is probably why we roll out the door after a buffet. We've just downed 482 different flavours in 40 minutes.
And probably why “there’s always room for dessert”.
So how can we leverage it?
Eat more: It can be hard to get enough good fibre and protein in. So it helps to add more variety, more flavours, to help load up (e.g. fruit salad, veg skewer medley, marinate your meat).
Eat less: Or the opposite, say you have a rubber arm for dessert — try adding some natural sweetness to your main (sweet po, bitta fruit in a salad, bitta honey in a marinade). So dessert isn't a new flavour.
Make SSS work for you.
Daily foundational supplement stack
Supplements aren't necessary.
No one should make you feel like you have to take supplements.
But for many, they can help.
The ones below are how I think about getting everything I need (outside of nutrition) to feel good, perform at my best, and be confident I'm looking after my long-term health.
But — particularly with nutrition and supplementation — it's impossible to give blanket advice that works for different bodies, different preferences, and different lifestyles...
So we're going back to primary school rep try-outs with a probables team and a possibles team.
Probables:
Protein powder: an easy way to jack up daily protein intake for the essential muscle repair and growth benefits (learn more here)
Creatine monohydrate: for the body and brain health and performance benefits (learn more here)
Fish oils: for the laundry list of benefits to cardiovascular health, brain health and function, muscle growth, recovery, mood regulation, with anti-inflammatory properties, anti-aging, and more (see brain fuel)
Vitamin D: for another laundry list of potential benefits to brain, fertility, cardiovascular, mood, bone, immune health and more
Possibles:
- Multivitamin: Not super necessary if you're eating a balanced, colourful diet. But a good way to cover bases.
Electrolytes: If you're training hard and sweating, get some electrolyte tablets from the supermarket. Chuck in a bottle for training (see electrolyte energy)
Depending on specific goals, other supplements can help too. But the stuff above is what I consider the foundation.
But please do your own research (highly recommend examine.com for that).
P.s. Here's a downloadable with dosages and details...
That's it!
Have a great weekend 🤙
Matt
📬 Did someone forward this to you? I send an email like this every week. Join free here.
👇 If these emails aren't for you anymore you can unsubscribe below. No stress, they're not for everyone.
Want more? Check out the Everday Athlete Toolbox and Elite Sleep Audit
The Everyday Athlete Newsletter is not a licensed health service nor a substitute for professional health advice, treatment or assessment. The information shared in this email is general and written for a specific audience. If you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional.
0 comments