Core Daily

Nutrition

4 Health-Boosting Teas to Drink Right Now

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Did you know that tea is the second most consumed drink in the world (water is first)? And for good reason: Created from the leaves of the Camellia plant, tea is loaded with antioxidants that have been shown to help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of cancer, among other health-promoting benefits. But not all teas are created equal.

Herbal teas (a popular choice) aren’t really teas at all. They’re created with herbs, roots, spices, and flowers, so their antioxidant benefits are negligible compared to tea made from the Camellia plant. With the help of Athletes’ Performance nutritionist Amanda Carlson, we’ve put together a list of four teas to add to your diet right now.

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Tags: Beverages, Health, Disease

Nutrition

New Book: The Athlete's Plate

Endurance athletes are notorious convenience eaters, consuming pre-packaged products and expensive prepared foods that offer a quick fix for their ravenous appetites. Unfortunately, many of these products leave athletes undernourished, delaying recovery and preventing them from achieving their highest performance. In the new book, The Athlete’s Plate, professional chef and three-time Ironman finisher Adam Kelinson guides athletes from the grocery store to the kitchen, showing them time-saving shopping and cooking strategies to make preparing nutrition meals a pleasure. He recently spoke with CorePerformance.com.

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Tags: Cycling, Food, Triathlon, Energy, Cooking, Running

Live Better

Is Sitting a Death Sentence?

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If you think your once-a-day training session counteracts the hours you spend sitting, think again. Leading a sedentary lifestyle—even if you exercise regularly—could do a number on your health, according to an editorial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

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Tags: Health, Work

Play Better

5 Things You Can Learn Watching Hoops

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Save for a couple months in the summer, it’s never a challenge to fill an evening with a basketball game on television. While it’s easy to become caught up in the score or merely watch the guy with the ball, there are scores of plays and non-plays, all within camera shot, which aren’t commentated on but affect the outcome and can be applied to your own game. Fran Fraschilla, ESPN college basketball analyst, tells you what to focus on.

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Tags: Leisure Time, Basketball

Live Better

7 Everyday Tasks Made Easy

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Even if you’re not an athlete in the sporty sense of the word, you likely attempt daily feats that require a fair amount of strength, stability, balance and endurance. 

Aside from the threat of embarrassment, the last thing you want to do is injure yourself trying to complete a routine chore like, say, replacing an empty water cooler in your office or shoveling the walk. We’ve got you covered. With advice from a performance specialist, a nutritionist, and even a dog care expert, here’s what you need to know to perform better and reduce your potential for injury during life’s everyday challenges.

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Tags: Home, Energy, Health, Leisure Time, Weekend

Play Better

Dominate the Mountain Like an Olympian

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The 2010 Winter Olympic Games were jam-packed with inspiring performances on the snow. Whether it was Lindsey Vonn’s swift downhill moves for the gold or Shaun White's whipping Double McTwist 1260 in his victory run that caught your eye, you may be asking yourself how you can step up your performance. We’ve pulled together our best winter sport articles to help you ramp up your skills on the mountain.

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Tags: Outdoor Recreation, Skiing, Snowboarding

One Small Change

Are You Eating Enough Fiber?

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When I started this experiment on February 1, I weighed 179.5 pounds—the heaviest I’ve been since college. Since I don’t believe in diets and a particularly snowy winter was limiting my efforts at exercising more, I opted for what seemed an incredibly easy solution: eating an additional 14 grams of fiber every day.

According to the National Fiber Council, by doubling my daily fiber intake I could expect to ingest 100 fewer calories per day. (Fiber’s bulk naturally fills you up, so you eat less.) This equates to one pound lost every 35 days or 10 pounds dropped per year, assuming everything else remains constant. Not as fast as you might desire for summer Speedo season, but impressive nonetheless since no other changes are required—no extra sweat and no dieting.

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Tags: Food, Carbohydrate, Nutrients, Metabolism, Weight Loss, Breakfast

Daily Quick

Pillar Bridge Rolling

This dynamic version of the classic pillar bridge will continually challenge your core and pillar strength.

Click here to check out more exercise videos in our movement library.

15

%

Rise in chest injuries for cyclists in Colorado, according to researchers.

For more, read High Caution for Cyclists.

Workout for the Beginner Runner

Improve your endurance with this workout designed for runners that are new to the scene.

If you've been running for a while, we've also got workout for both intermediate and expert runners.

Pillar Bridge - Lateral with Hip Flexion

Try this challenging movement to help build a stronger core.

For more innovative exercises that boost strength, speed, stability and flexibility, visit our movement library here.

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Blogs

One Small Change

Are You Eating Enough Fiber?

After a month of adding fiber to his diet, author Joe Kita levels his verdict.

Live Better

Is Sitting a Death Sentence?

Sitting for hours every day can lead to poor health even if you exercise, according to studies.

Play Better

5 Things You Can Learn Watching Hoops

ESPN basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla explains what to watch for to improve your own game.

The Performance Life

February's Top Stories

Catch up on our most popular articles and videos from February.

News

Offseason Training Partners and Olympic Teammates

US Men's and Women's hockey stars Chris Drury and Angela Ruggiero both share an intense training regimen.

Secrets to Success

Olympian Workout Tips from Angela Ruggiero

The Boston Globe interviews Angela Ruggiero about training for the Vancouver Games at Athletes' Perfomance.