There are many incredible accomplishments and services you have gained and provided as a Nutrition Consultant. Can you tell us what got you started in personal fitness and your business at Power Play - what are some of the specific areas you focus on, that might be interesting for us "Beer League" athletes to know about?
I started personal training in 1995 and realized that my nutrition advice (from various home study courses) was inadequate and not scientifically sound. At this point I returned to UBC with my previous AgrSc degree and completed another BSc in Dietetics and continued to do a Master of Science in Human Nutrition. I felt that it was essential that I understand nutrition in order to best serve my fitness clients. While completing my grad studies, I also completed two years of exercise physiology and associated sport conditioning courses at UBC. Now having been a personal trainer all along aside my studies of 7 years I was well-armed to work with athletes as an expert in sport nutrition. I went on to become certified as a strength and conditioning specialist in 2005. My education and experience provides me with a unique skill set as I am highly qualified to provide personal sport conditioning and training and nutritional counselling to both the general public and to athletes of all levels.
Are you noticing any trends in fitness consulting nowadays, or do you see things moving in any new directions?
Seeking professional advice to suit personal goals has a lot of momentum, in this day of unprecedented access to an overwhelming amount of (often confusing) information. Just reading or surfing online or catching tips at the gym is not good enough and one’s confusion just grows. I think that people of all ages are realizing that it requires the advice of a professional to optimize your health and fitness/sport goals and seeking out a fitness and/or nutrition expert will be the fast track to your goals at any given age or sport. This rings true for my baby boomers that want to prevent disease in addition to excelling on the tennis court, to the NHL bound Junior A’s who recognize the competitive edge (in a extremely competitive field) of a personalized diet plan to support training and competition. On a completely different note, outdoor boot-camps are very popular and in high demand here in Toronto – I had a very successful summer/fall season and people absolutely love the outdoors. Vancouver of course allows for this through the winter too – I’ll be there!
Who are some of the most interesting (and/or famous) people you have had a chance to work with? What did you like most about those experiences?
I think one of the most interesting was a world record holding free-diver – the amount of training that can be specified to respiratory muscles to maximize breath-holding capacity is well breath-taking! And nutritional support comes into play for every sport. Famous would be numerous NHL players and some CFL players, along with my indirect connection to many of the 2010 Olympic athletes. I have also trained quite a few stunt men/women for movies filmed in Vancouver – this was very cool because they are often required to be super athletic – fast, strong, reactive and balanced
You were named the "Head Sports Nutrition Consultant for the 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Games in Vancouver." How did that come about? (And congrats too, by the way!!)
I was very privileged to receive a phone call back in 2006 from Jack Taunton (The Chief Medical Officer for 2010) asking me if I would be interested in researching and managing all of the nutrition related projects for 2010 and aid in the menu-planning. Jack knew me well from UBC as he was on my research committee for my Master’s thesis project. I also took many of his training/injury courses at UBC and I also provided sports nutrition counselling for athlete patients he saw at the Allan McGavin Sports Med Center at UBC. So I was ecstatic to be part of such an amazing journey and to experience the electricity in Vancouver during those weeks. I also co-authoured an IOC nutrition book for athletes and I was invited to a consensus meeting at IOC medical commission headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland this fall (2010) as part of a global team of experts to participate in nutrition and sport research. The proceedings will be published in The Journal of Sport Science.
A lot of us beer-league / recreational sports players don't really take fitness too seriously, apart from our regular once/twice a week skate, followed by the ever well-known health shake known as LAGER. Can you discuss why this may be kinda bad for us? (I was always thought beer was FULL of nutritious stuff!!!)
Beer in moderation is fine. It’s the 3, 4 or 5 that pose a health risk in addition to inhibiting proper muscle recovery. And beer may be a great thirst quencher but it’s not the optimal re-hydrator due to the diuretic effects. I’m actually more concerned about the wings! At least 50% of the times go for a salad to go with “a few” wings and have water or a Gatorade to replace 2 out of 3 beer! What you do on the other 6 nights will have more impact so enjoy those post-game boys nights!
There is a lot of news being put out lately about how risky it can be on our tickers to play recreational hockey (lots of fast starts & stops, followed by periods of inactivity on the bench). Do you think this has merit, or is it more luck of the draw when your time comes? AND, do you have some relatively simple suggestions to help those of us?
There is definitely some evidence that supports the fact that being sedentary with infrequent intervals of intense play can be greatly increase your risk of a sudden heart attack. We also see this at first snowfall when unfit people go out and shovel their driveway (unaccustomed to such intensity). Aim to do 30 minutes of cardio at least 3 other days of the week and take 10 minutes twice a week to boost your anaerobic threshold (near maximal outputs lasting 20-30 sec) with simple exercises like push-ups with a clap, jump squats and wind sprints (sprint 15-20 sec then rest 60-90 sec and repeat 4-6 times). Mini-metabolic boosting strength workouts of 10-15 min 2-3 times a week can change your health and your game!
With limited time to work out, or knowledge to battle "WEEKEND WARRIOR SYNDROME?" same as above and also use a sports drink (Eg Gatorade or Powerade) to keep your energy up during the game in addition to maintaining adequate glucose for the brain – mistakes and injuries are significantly increased when blood sugars runs low or dehydration sets in. For those watching clories dilute Gatorade with 30-50% water.
What about "pre game meal planning" - everyone has always heard to have a plate of pasta before a game. True? Are there better alternatives?
Pasta is great (topped with veggies not meatballs!), but you need a full 3 hrs to have the benefits. It also depends what you top it with – too much protein and/or oil can require 4+ hrs of digestion.
Any other comments you wish to share?
Be a role model for the children – exercising 1-2x per week will NOT result in a lifetime of health. Get off the couch, away from the computer and go outside with your kids daily and visit a farmer’s market instead of the burger stop! Invest in a good raincoat and some rubber boots – no excuses!
On behalf of all of us at FarParker, we would like to thank you for taking the time to provide us this great information, and we look forward to reading your upcoming contributions to our “DID YOU KNOW?” section on the site! To learn more about Nanci or her nutrition consulting business, please visit her at PowerPlay Web!
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