Elite athletes understand the importance of nutrition for optimal performance. Food, drink, vitamins, and supplements are fuels that energize the body to train and compete. Of course, some food sources are better than others. If you feed the body junk, your body won’t perform efficiently or optimally. For example, I wouldn’t recommend an athlete to eat a bucket of fried chicken and drink several litres of Coke before a competition for obvious reasons.

Have you ever found yourself thinking: “I’ll never get to do that.” “I can’t achieve this feat.” “I feel like a fraud. What if I mess it up?” If so, you’re not alone. We all have an inner voice that doesn’t always have the best intentions. Regardless of who you are, where you come from, or what goals you aspire to achieve, your inner critic will have a few things to say. The question is, can we do anything about it?

“You’re not that good.” “You probably won’t be able to accomplish your goal.” “There is no way you can beat that team.” “You are too short…. Too slow… Not strong enough.” These are some of the negative comments spewed out by naysayers. A naysayer is a sceptic, criticizer, or pessimist that injects their unsolicited opinion about what others can and cannot accomplish. Naysayers specialize in creating doubt and are usually negative about EVERYTHING!

In sports, paralysis by analysis is the state of overthinking or over-analyzing while competing. Of course, you need to take in information during a competition. However, too much data interferes with decision-making and taking quick, decisive action. At its worst, paralysis by analysis can lead to an athlete completely freezing under pressure.

Sports injuries are part of the game and on the rise, though statistics are unreliable due to the range in severity and unreported incidences. Injured athletes must manage their pain, discomfort, and rehab, but that’s only part of the battle. The physical component of being injured can be complex, but the mental challenges are much more daunting.

Have you ever tried to improve your behaviours, only to give up a week or month later? For example, you would start eating better, eager to lose weight and improve your health. But before you know it, you’re disappointed and back to old behaviours.

Mindfulness might seem like a gimmick. These days, plenty of people use the term in different contexts, so it can be challenging to understand what it means or how it impacts us. But the fact is, mindfulness isn’t a gimmick. We simply need to understand it better. To that end, we’ve put together this piece for you.

How many times have you heard “Happy New Year” so far in 2023? As the new year revs up, people get excited about the prospect of a new beginning. But how many times does a new year bring you much of the same? The same degree of happiness, the same level of production, or the same level of accomplishment.

The visualization debate has been argued for years. Does it work? If so, how does it work? Elite, Olympic, and professional athletes have visualized performances for decades. However, just because successful athletes believe in visualization doesn’t prove its effectiveness. After all, in the 1920s, cyclists believed smoking cigarettes while racing opened up their lungs. Pretty crazy, huh?

Affirmations are powerful tools to embed messages into your mind and body. Unfortunately, many times, the mental messages we send ourselves are negative, self-defeating, or self-destructive. You send yourself thousands of messages throughout the day, consciously and unconsciously. Those messages affirm or confirm a belief about yourself or your world.

Sports performance anxiety is not an uncommon experience. At one point or another, most athletes experience anxiety before or during a competitive event; however, many feel helpless to overcome it. Though you cannot prevent “nerves,” you can learn to manage your competitive anxiety. When you know you can manage or lessen anxiety, you will feel more confident about performing at your peak.

Successful and unsuccessful people often have the same goals. When asked, it’s doubtful that anyone would turn down financial success, good fitness, or more time spent with the family. Yet, some people persevere through hardship and achieve their goals, while others throw in the towel. But why is that? What makes some people successful and not others?

Do I have what it takes to be a pro athlete? It’s a question many of us have pondered at some point, but a professional athletic career is incredibly demanding. Every aspect of their lives are on the table and considered fair game when working towards the pinnacle of their sport. The price is high, and that price is required every day.

What does the “flow state” mean in sports? Some may characterize flow as “being in the zone,” “runners’ high,” or “complete absorption” in an activity. Let’s examine the flow state and how athletes can enter the zone and achieve elite, peak performance. Mental Overload . To grasp the concept of flow, we must first understand “focus.”