PSN No.2: The Art

Sports nutrition is an art. This relates to how you apply the science. If you’re a CSNA graduate you understand this. Remember, and please bring to mind, once you know what to do, the art has to do with the application and the actual doing of what you know to do.

And take it from me based on decades of personal experience and know how, the “doing it” is by far the most difficult part, and just because you’re a fitness or health professional makes no apparent difference, although you might think it should.

The art relates to when and if you take your vitamins on time. Whether or not you take them or certain ones in specific amounts, such as vitamin C or creatine or glutamine, is established through objective science. The consumption of dietary supplements must first and foremost answer the demands of rational use, logic and safety.

The art also relates to how we eat including how we group macronutrients (proteins, fats, carbs) and how we combine food with dietary supplements. For example, Tracy and I have at least 1-2 protein shakes every day. These delicious shakes are packed with whey protein isolate, fruit, hemp protein, hemp seed oil, glutamine, ribose, creatine, glutamine, spirulina and vitamin C.

In addition to the powder supplements added to each shake blended in water, we also use our shakes to “Shake & Take”, meaning, we take or swallow our other supplements in capsule and tablet form at the same time. This ritual makes for a splendid and extremely practical daily procedure. The art we create is equal to the benefits we receive.

The measure, the quantity, the timing, the application, the consistency, the day-in and day-out administration of the supplements we take, that is the art of sports nutrition. The art relates to constant application.

The art relates to the consistency of the application. You take your vitamins at a certain time for example. The fact that you do this is how the art is revealed. The reason why you do it is based on the science. The art of sports nutrition relates to the skill of eating, how you prepare your meals, how you segregate, combine and partition your protein, fats and carbohydrates, when you take your vitamins and when you take your shakes.

The art of sports nutrition can be compared to the skill, development and training of an athlete. You have to show up. You have to practice. Practice makes permanent (in a universe dominated by entropy 'perfection' doesn't exist). Everything new becomes old. That is the law.

Does it matter to your coach how you practice? Of course it does. Each practice is a step closer to creating athletic excellence. It’s an opportunity to refine your skills, improve technique or identify flaws in the system.

This is why doctors call what they do a “practice”. They are in a constant learning flux. The next time you visit your doctor remember that he or she is “practicing” on you. Let’s hope they don’t screw up!

The art of sports nutrition may be compared to a great painter who has a vision in their mind. They take that vision and through both learned and natural skill, transfer it onto the canvass for all to see. This is also true regarding the art of sports nutrition. We can learn the art and also apply our unique personal talent.

Like the painting created over time by a great artist, everyone you know should be able to see and clearly identify the art of sports nutrition as it’s applied in your personal life. Like for instance when you eat and how you eat. What you eat should be driven by science.

What would they see? Would you be proud or ashamed? Is what you do an outstanding example of the art in motion? Would people crowd around and gaze at your work in awe and with admiration.

Ultimately your objective is to maximize your personal health and improve your performance. If you are true to the art, then I guarantee you’ll get people talking. They’ll solicit you for advice, pay you for it and still wonder how you did it, just like how we all look and admire a painting by Picasso or a statue by Michael Angelo. Did these artists create these timeless works of art for the praise alone? No way. They did what they were motivated to do because of who they were. They were driven by their passion. And once they discovered who they were through living and suffering, they simply revealed what they always had the potential to do.

Slowly over time, once they had identified their gift, they moved their abilities forward to the next and ultimate level of mastery through the time honored tradition of apprenticeship and applying the principle of consistency and continuous practice. But they always knew why, and so must we.

“Supplements are to the diet what carbon is to steel. Steel is stronger, more flexible and more resistant to rust than iron alone.” ~ Dr.C

PSN No.2: The Art - Clinical Review (Audio Tutorial) SNU V9N11

As always...stay well and live free.

Dr.C