MOVE: June 2012

It's almost time!  The 2012 London Olympics are right around the corner!  For the general public (like us), it's something many of us eagerly look forward to every four years.  We love watching our countrymen & women proudly wear our colors as they compete with the best in the world.  Some of us even get a bit consumed, staying awake till all hours of the night, not only hopeful, but many times expecting that USA will be victorious.  We are a proud nation, and LOVE to win!

But once the Olympics are behind us, most of us refocus on what's going on in our lives, thinking little of the "Games" until they come around again four years later.  But what if your life (in many ways) WAS the "Games"?.....

For the last 12 months Pro-Activity has been happily sponsoring the New Jersey New York Track Club, and training 6 of their professional runners who are vying for a spot on the 2012 US Olympic Team.  For the majority of us, the thought of being a professional or Olympic athlete is nothing more than a child's dream, but for many in this group, it has been their sole focus since 2008.  With the Olympics around the corner, we thought our readers may enjoy an inside look at what it takes to pursue the Olympic dream!  And so we snagged a few of the group we train (Julie Culley, Kate Grace, Ashley Higginson, and Stephanie Charnigo) for a quick Q&A.  Click each athletes name for a brief bio.

Pro-Activity:  What is a typical training week like?

Higginson:  "It really depends on the time of year.  While the long-term focus is always on making the US Olympic team, it's important for us to take one step at a time and be at our peak when the time is right.  So we have heavier or lighter training volume depending on what race is coming up, and what we're trying to do in a given race, using each as a stepping stone to the (Olympic) trials in late June.  But a typical week includes about 20 hours a week of physical training...be it running, therapy, strength and core work....but if you take into account the mental preparation and focus that includes nutrition, calls with coach, drug-testing, or just dreaming....it's hard to think of any time during the week that we're not preparing in one way or the other.

Pro-Activity:  What is it like having to train for something with this magnitude and stay focused for four years.

Culley:  "Well, it definitely isn't easy.  As track and field athletes we're not exactly raking in the big bucks like some of our professional athlete counterparts in other sports, so there's always pressure and temptation to get a "real job".  Many of us sacrifice a typical career path, come out of school with lots of loans, and struggle for financial security.  Not only that, but the training and focus consumes your social life, and sometimes we even have to put relationships on hold.  It's tough because it's almost like people don't understand what you're doing and why you're doing it.  It's hard to explain that while it may have been only 2009, I was training for 2012.  It's like there's a disconnect between the Olympic year and the four years in between, as if the olympic year was the first year athletes started training for it...but in actuality, people train almost their whole life for an opportunity like this."

Pro-Activity:  Wait, you said professional athletes struggle financially?  I thought part of the perks of being a professional athlete was having shoe companies sponsor you and take care of things financially?

Grace:  "Well, the "big" shoe contracts in this sport are pretty few and far between.  Sure there are some athletes that are paid pretty well, but for many of us that are newly out of college, especially those of us who went IVY league where they don't give athletic scholarship, we find ourselves in a constant dilemma.  We see our classmates landing incredible jobs right out of school, but our energy has to be turned to training, and not many employers can provide their employees the flexibility, and ability to drop everything for our training.  Which of course makes sense, but adds another thing to juggle for us.

Pro-Activity:  Steph, you had an interesting path to get here...what about you?

Charnigo:  "Ha, yeah, if you say so.  I was just very fortunate.  I chose a school with a great Physical Therapy program and happened to be in a situation where my college coach was good friends with (NJNYTC Coach) Gags.  They talked, and thought I had what it took to take a real shot at the Olympics in 2012, and helped me work it out with my graduate program in PT to take a sabbatical for a year so that I could dedicate all my energy to train here in NJ.  I've just been very lucky to receive such incredible support from the folks back in Ohio, all the coaches and you guys here in NJ."

Pro-Activity:  Sounds like a ton of sacrifice and a ton of work, so why do you do it all?

Culley:  "Personally, I feel like I've been blessed with a gift, and not pursuing it to it's fullest would be a disservice to God who gave it to me, and my family who has supported along the way.  I think I can speak for all of us when I say we get so much self-satisfaction in knowing that we have a clear cut goal, and everyday we wake up with one thing in mind..taking one step closer to achieving it.  I think all people need that sort of thing in their life.  It doesn't have to be the Olympics, but a goal and something to pursue for sure.  

It allows us to feel like we're part of something bigger...on a journey...and an integral part of our nation.  Many of us have military service in our blood lines, and this is an opportunity for us in some way to do our part.  I see an American Flag and I well up with tears of pride.  This is our way of chasing down our American dream, and the fact that we've been given this gift, and have even the chance to represent the greatest country in the world, at the most elite competition in the world, there is nothing greater!"

Higginson - Middle Row, Seated, 3rd from Left

Grace - Back Row, Standing in Middle, White Shirt

Charnigo - Middle Row, Standing 2nd from Right, Black "NJNYTC" Shirt

Culley - Back Row, Standing, 1st from Right

We'd like to take a moment to wish the very best all members of the NJNY Track Club.  We couldn't be more pleased to play a small part in your journey to the Olympics, and will be cheering from NJ!  If you'd like to join us in cheering, please click the link below to RSVP for our "Olympic Trials" viewing parties where we'll be streaming the events live to our BaseCamp 31 facility.

June 25th - 1:50 - 5pm (Steeplechase, 5k, 800m) 

June 28th - 4pm (5k Final)

June 29th - 1pm (Steeplechase Final)

CLICK HERE TO RSVP 

Written by Eric Eisenhart, CPT, PES.  Eric is a Partner and Director of Health & Fitness services with Pro-Activity.  Some of his current client list includes a handful of the professional athletes and Olympic hopefuls pictured above.  

FUEL: June 2012

It seems like everyday there's a new study claiming the incredible positive benefits that can be jam packed into cap sized pills.  We've heard of powders and shakes, pills and vitamins, drinks for pre-workout and those for post.....there's dehydrated fruit and vegetable capsules, multi-vitamins, fiber pills, and now even manufactures claiming "drink this and you'll get a full serving of fruits and vegetables"!  With all the different variations and combinations, it can get pretty confusing about what each is supposed to do for the body.....why one would use them...and then the $29 Billion (annual revenue of vitamin industry) question.....do they really work?  In the spirit of the "Olympics" theme of this month's edition of Elements, our training staff dug a little deeper to find some of the most popular supplements used by Olympic athletes, those avoided, and why.


Few could argue that the high level of intensity with which Olympic athletes train places incredibly large demands on the human body.  Often the best athletes are those that can balance intensity, injury prevention, and recovery so that they may peak physically at just the right time.  As such, proper "Fuel" (aka nutrition) and it's ability to supplement strength, endurance, and recovery becomes an even more critical component of the preparation process. 


In the 2008 summer Olympics alone, 90% of the 11,000 athletes used some sort of sports supplementation to prepare for the "Games".  Here's the KEY that many miss....these are SUPPLEMENTS, not REPLACEMENTS (instead of whole foods and proper training).  Some of the preferred supplements used by athletes, and not found on the International Olympic Committee anti-doping list included:

• Creatine Monohydrate - a favorite among athletes, this natural occurring molecule is stored in the human body as phosphocreatine and can be taken in through powders, liquids, or naturally occurring meats.  Creatine helps with the production of ATP (the bodies main "energy") and has been shown to assist in increased strength and muscle endurance.

• Green Tea & Green Tea Extract -  can be either taken in capsule form or liquid, and there are claims that it's powerful antioxidants called catechins seek "free radicals" in the body that may cause damange to DNA, contribute to cancer, blood clots, and atherosclerosis.  Additional studies have suggested that Green Tea extract may have a positive impact on endurance (speed or time to exhaustion), similar to caffeine.

• Protein -  made up of amino acid "chains", 13 of which your body can make on it's own, 9 must be taken in through food sources.  Often used by the general public and athletes alike to optimize and efficiently repair muscle tissue post exercise or stress.

Among others, common supplements that Olympic athletes must be cautios of or steer clear from:

• Pre-workouts that contain Methylhexaneamine, a stimulant now banned by the Olympics, US Army, NCAA and many high school sports. 

• DHEA - a natural steroid found in the body but when taken as a supplement can alter hormone levels to a point that may positively impact short-term performance.  

• Caffeine at high levels can stimulate the bodies cardiovascular system, improving performance, and has been used by some to alter the bodies responsiveness to pain.  

If you or your athlete is interested in learning more on sports supplements join us for a more in depth, free research review on June 19th at 7pm!  Click Here to reserve your spot!

Written by Phil Cyphers, NASM-CPT.  Phil is a certified personal trainer with Pro-Activity Associates, and has a degree in cellular biology.


sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/12/sports/olympics-banned-substances-found-in-many-food-supplements.html
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Industry/Dietary-supplements-win-Olympic-gold
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/layne13.htm

RECOVER: June 2012

FOUND IN (SOCIAL MEDIA) SPACE

In The "found in (social media) space" article, we ask a member of our geekdom to pay attention to the social-space and string together, in some fashion, some of the themes being bantered-about "out there in space" as they relate to the elements. Sometimes these will just be lists of interesting posts, sometimes there'll be some original content.....follow along and find out for yourself.

"What's hot in the spectrum of RECOVER"

We’re surrounded by athletes.  Some who come in for training 2-3 times per week, some who are active in a sport, whether affiliated with a school or club, some are even professionals.  What do they all have in common, besides a love for physical fitness?  Recovery time.  No, I don’t mean they’re all sick (although to see the training schedules of some of these professionals, one might wonder...), I mean they all need down time.  You’ve heard of “overuse injury” or “burnout” when it comes to athletic endeavours?.  There are more and more kids who are even experiencing this phenomenon - a scary thought!  Working harder, faster and longer is almost certainly a recipe for disaster.  Working smarter which includes rest and recovery, on the other hand can keep bodies healthier and prevent breakdown.  

We found the following information helpful on how to incorporate recovery in any exercise routine:

This article explains why rest is crucial to recovery, using methods ranging from refueling properly, ice baths (brrr!), to getting enough rest.  http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sampleworkouts/a/After-Exercise.htm

"Training breaks your body down. Recovery is what builds it back up stronger", David Ertl. David explains why recovery is so very important, particularly when it comes to cycling.
http://www.cyclesportcoaching.com/Files/RestRecovery.pdf

Compression socks aren’t just for diabetics with circulatory issues; they aid in recovery by preventing lactic acid buildup (what makes your muscles sore) and improving blood flow:
http://womensrunning.com/blog/muscle-compression-machines/

In the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, a study conducted on eccentric exercise (forcibly lengthening a muscle, as in lowering a dumbbell after doing a biceps curl) suggested that using compression garments may “alter the inflammatory response to damage and accelerate the repair processes inside of the muscle”.
http://www.jssm.org/vol5/n1/12/v5n1-12pdf.pdf


Here is what's being tweeted about:

Active.com ‏@active

Tweak your nutrition with this guide to help you recover faster and get back on the road: 

http://www.active.com/fitness/Articles/Using_nutrition_to_reduce_post-exercise_muscle_soreness.htm?cmp=17-2-2617

Competitor Magazine ‏@RunCompetitor

Video: Sage Rountree explains how restorative yoga can help runners recover in between hard training sessions.http://ow.ly/bqCjL

Active.com ‏@active

Should you use icing as a recovery technique? Here's what you need to know: 

http://www.active.com/running/Articles/How-to-Ice-for-Optimal-Recovery.htm?cmp=17-2-2622

Written by Lindsay Eisenhart, a self-proclaimed Nutrition Geek.  You can find Lindsay balancing life as a mom of 3, manager of Pro-Activity's Fuel Good Cafe, and training for her third marathon (NYC '12)! 

ENDURE: June 2012

Ask the Expert:

A question was posed to one of the founders of Pro-Activity, Mike Eisenhart, and here is his response.

I had someone ask me recently, “How does 'ENDURE' fit in with the other four elements.....it seems like a negative thing compared to the more upbeat MOVE, FUEL, RECOVER and CONNECT?”. After a short moment to mull it over, the answer to me was clear.....it is ENDURE, that defines us!

“Well time slips away and leaves you with nothing mister but boring stories of......GLORY DAYS!”

Although I'd probably never consider myself a big “Bruce” fan despite living in NJ for the majority of my life, his music has grown on me over the years. That song however, has always been a good one to me because I feel like it captures one of the key realities of life.....that it moves on.....always.  To me, it doesn't so much matter if you see yourself as the former athlete or the fading beauty as Bruce depicts in his song, but instead the true power lies in the personal realization that time is moving forward, and that we are each in control of when we move from writing the story (i.e. looking and moving forward) to telling the story (looking back). 

True enough, one day, we'll all be telling stories of the the good ol' days....looking back and highlighting the legacy our past has created.  Yet the point of transition from moving forward to looking back is different for each person; and the longer you keep writing the story....the longer you ENDURE the challenges of today, the more amazing the stories of tomorrow become. It is therefore, the trial and the endurance to get through "it" that gives your story the nuance making it so long-lasting and so uniquely yours.....and the more enriching for others to hear.

We always feel very lucky to share so many extraordinary moments, as our clients, friends and members of the Pro-Activity family write their stories and define their own "Glory Days", and 2012 has been no exception. From those members of our community who are overcoming an injury or illness in therapy step-by-step, to those companies who are attempting to get their arms around an out of control healthcare system and endure a difficult financial environment.... to the athletes we've been fortunate enough to play a supporting role with as years of hard work come together with their upcoming attempt to  mark the history books of the 30^th Olympiad in London this summer....the first five months of 2012 have been pretty amazing.  And so it is in that vain that we have decided to dedicate some prime real estate at BaseCamp31 to recognizing and remembering these moments. 


As soon as you walk in the door, you will notice "Mr. P-body", the large Pro-Activity logo. We've traced 1” x 1” blocks and started to fill in pictures of some of the “amazing” moments which will (over-time) become a massive mosaic of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.....the very essence of ACHIEVEMENT. Next time you're in, look closely and you'll see pictures of finish-lines of all types, moments of triumph. If you've made this little wall of fame, know that we are SO proud of you and SO happy that you're officially part of our story.....If you've not yet made the wall, or you know someone who should have.....let us know. Nominate a friend or loved one for their achievement. We try to keep a close eye out, but sometimes the Pro-Activity and BaseCamp31 communities are giving us so much to look at that we miss a few.....and REMEMBER this is about achievement.....so regardless of the domain (music, sports, art, academics, etc it really doesn't matter) we want to celebrate and remember those moments when you worked hard....endured the trials.....kept moving forward despite adverse conditions.....endured some more and ultimately achieved. Because THOSE are always the best stories...and the Glory Days are NOW!

CONNECT: June 2012

CONNECT Through Fitness Via the Web

Activity & Nutrition Website Review

As the Olympics approach, we may all find ourselves a little more motivated to DO something.  Eat healthier, exercise more, train for an event, or challenge your friends to a friendly competition, but whatever healthy thing you are inspired to do, there are some really great options out there to help guide you and keep you motivated along the way.

Activity and Nutrition tracking websites are popping up all over the place, so we decided to review 4 of the most common sites used within our community of athletes and individuals.  These sites are increasingly becoming a way to stay connected with your community of friends and have some fun while focusing on your overall health and wellness goals.  Most importantly these sites help to guide and encourage you to make the changes it’ll take to realize your full potential.

The 4 websites reviewed with final scores are below, read on for the details:
1. MapMyRide/MapMyRun - 37.5 Points - Good for everyday users and a big community
2. Nike+ - 30 Points - makes your training fun!
3. Training Peaks - 26 Points - get serious and work with a coach
4. Garmin Connect - 24.5 Points - data hounds enter here.

"FUN"

DEVICES (3.5 out of 5):  Nike+ has an array of devices that pair with their web software.  There is the traditional foot pod for the iPod, the Nike+ GPS App for your smart phone, the Nike+ GPS Sportswatch, the Nike+ sportsband, and the Nike+ Fuelband.  Unfortunately, the site does not support connection with other GPS devices such as Garmin or Timex, but a quick google search just may turn up a 3rd party website or two that will do the conversion for you free of charge.

COMMUNITY (4 out of 5):  Nike+ has a large, global community of runners using the system.  This allows you to chat with other members, take on interesting challenges such as who can run the most miles over the next two weeks, or compare yourself against the statistics of the entire “Nike-verse”

MOBILE (4 out of 5): As talked about in the devices section, there is an App for smart phones, but at a small fee for the GPS app which uses the GPS function of the phone to track distance, elevation, and pace.  On the iPhone the app costs $2.99

TRAINING PLANS (4 out of 5):  Nike+ offers a variety of training plans for free to users who would like to complete their first event...first 5k, first ½ marathon, etc.  They are in the middle of renovating their site currently and this is one option that is not available at publishing, but was in the past and they promise it will come back.

NUTRITION TRACKING (0 out of 5):  Nike+ does not offer the ability to track nutrition.

COMPETITION/GOALS (5 out of 5):  Nike+ gives you the ability to setup competitions against a group of friends or total strangers as well as join a group randomly out there.  You can also setup goals such as running faster, running farther, or running more often, where you set the parameters and the site will encourage you and even give you a trophy when you complete it.

ROUTE PLANNING (3 out of 5): You are able to pre-plan a route using this application, but it is not quite as intuitive as some of the others.  You also have the ability to see routes others have shared to the community.

SOCIAL NETWORKING (4.5 out of 5):  Post your runs to Facebook, Twitter, and other social sites...we’ve all seen at least one friend who is.  What you may not know...if you’re using your iPhone while you run, and someone “likes” or comments on your post on Facebook, then you’ll hear the roar of the crowd through your headphones.  Now that’s uplifting, and a pretty neat idea!

VERSATILITY (2 out of 5):  This is where this site lacks.  This is a running community and doesn’t track bike or swim mileage.  However, they just introduced the Nike+ Fuelband which tracks movement of any sort.  They advertise the ability to measure yourself against others no matter what you are doing...walking, skateboarding, dancing, or even working, but it’s something that’s just getting started.

OVERALL IMPRESSION (30 out of 45): An all out blast...get congratulated by a past olympic gold medalist for your recent PR, compare yourself to the entire Nike+ community, or just look at your data in colorful fun graphics, Nike+ finds a way to make achieving feel like a fun game.  If your goal is to have fun and enjoy the social aspects of a running community, this is the site for you.

"ANALYTICAL"

DEVICES (4 out of 5):  Garmin Connect is limited to importing directly from Garmin brand GPS devices.  You can manually add activity to the site, so that’s an extra option if you aren’t using a GPS device.  Garmin has an array of devices ranging from $180 for the basic model, to $400 for the waterproof multisport model.  Garmin is often considered the gold standard when talking about GPS watch devices.

COMMUNITY (2 out of 5): Garmin Connect has a large community of users uploading data to the site which offers a good selection of local courses and events, but the site does not offer any ability to communicate with other members such as chatting, forums, or challenges.

MOBILE (0 out of 5): No mobile access for this site

TRAINING PLANS (3 out of 5):  There are no pre-packaged training plans, but it does give you the ability to pre-plan your own training and workouts including a calendar function and ability to detail a workout such as warm-up time, interval pace, etc.

NUTRITION TRACKING (0 out of 5):  Garmin Connect does not offer nutrition tracking

COMPETITION/GOALS (2.5 out of 5):  As mentioned in the community section, there are no competitions, but this site does allow you to set up personal goals and tracks progress toward completion.

ROUTE PLANNING (4 out of 5):  Garmin Connect allows you to pre-plan a route or find a local route posted by other community members using some pretty basic mapping features, but what sets this apart is the ability to upload the route into some of the Garmin devices.

SOCIAL NETWORKING (4 out of 5):  Allows posts to social networking sites which allow friends to see your route and statistics from the run.  Much more of an analytical approach.

VERSATILITY (5 out of 5):  Depending on the device, you can even use this site to track your swimming mileage.  Any endurance sport you are after works with this setup.

OVERALL IMPRESSION (24.5 out of 45): Dig into your data to really analyze your splits and go for your next PR.  The precision and detail focus of the Garmin Connect platform helps out the most serious endurance athletes.  Not as social as some of the others, but hey, do the socializing while running and biking and you’re set.

"WELL ROUNDED"

DEVICES (5 out of 5): Flexibility is key as the site links to just about every device out there or you can connect to other sites and upload your data that way.  The site has no devices of its own associated with it, but one’s not needed.

COMMUNITY (4 out of 5): A very large community with access to local routes, connect with friends or create new groups of like minded people, and setup competitions.  You can even find local endurance events or enter the community forum to talk about things only the craziest of endurance athletes find interesting.  Also connect with friends as it acts like it’s own social networking site.

MOBILE (5 out of 5): Apps exist for most smart phones and are free to members.  Track your runs using the GPS function, log your nutrition, and view your past activity.  This free app is pretty easy to use, or upgrade for a small fee for the ability to take pictures, receive audio feedback, and utilize the ipod function while mapping.

TRAINING PLANS (2.5 out of 5):  This site offers training plans, but you have to be a premium member at $5.99/mo.  I haven’t tried any of the training plans, but they are likely a little more in depth than what you can get for free on other sites.

NUTRITION TRACKING (4 out of 5): Track your daily nutrition and balance it against your daily calorie budget based on your profile settings and activity for the day.  Analyze macronutrients such as protein, fat, and carbs.  Everything needed for weight loss goals or to maximize endurance performance.

COMPETITION/GOALS (4 out of 5):  Setup challenges among your friends and track personal or decided to take on the massive challenge of the day.  If you’re just up for a quick challenge, choose from a series of courses which allow you to compete against anyone else who has tried the course! This function is currently in BETA testing, but is planning to launch soon.

ROUTE PLANNING (5 out of 5):  The original mapping website, which is still probably the easiest to use.  Map new routes, choose from the largest community collection, and save them to your frequently used routes.

SOCIAL NETWORKING (4 out of 5): Share your activity on facebook or twitter.  Nothing special here, similar to other sites, but the internal networks which show you recent friend activity is what sets this one apart from the rest.

VERSATILITY (4 out of 5):  You can use the Mapmyride/Mapmyrun sites for just about any activity, but there are separate sites for each of the different communities.  It’d be nice if it was all combined, but if you’re focusing on one discipline, this will narrow down your community.

OVERALL IMPRESSION (37.5 out of 45): For the user looking for a well rounded experience.  MapMyRide/Run offers a lot of the same features as the other top sites including challenges, social networking, mapping functionality, but also allows you to track your nutrition and has one of the largest communities around.  There are also MapMy - Walk, Hike, Tri, Fitness, & MTN.  Receiving the highest score for overall uses, it’s often not the best at any one thing, but is really good at almost all of them.

"NUTRITION FOCUS"

DEVICES (4.5 out of 5): The largest list of compatible devices, almost any training device used can be imported into the tracking platform.  Training Peaks does not have a device of its own, but does not need one.

COMMUNITY (1 out of 5):  This is one of the shallowest communities and doesn’t really offer many social opportunities or challenges, but this site is not really focused on the community aspect.

MOBILE: (3.5 out of 5):  There is a free mobile app which allows for free nutrition and activity tracking, but you have to upgrade to the premium version in order to utilize GPS tracking.  The greatest functionality of the app is the ability to scan a barcode of a food and have it automatically add to your food log for the day, aiding in ease of use and accuracy of tracking.

TRAINING PLANS (3 out of 5): There are stock training plans available, often at a hefty price, $20-$100 for a training plan, which probably is not worth it, but the true value of this system is that it allows for coaching from live individuals.  Coaches will have the ability to see all of the activity and food you are logging and give individualized adjustments.  Pro-Activity currently utilizes this program to coach remotely and utilization of coaches often comes at added cost.

NUTRITION TRACKING (4.5 out of 5):  The ability to track nutrition is similar to other sites, but you often have a wide variety of brand name items to choose from including the ability to scan barcodes with your smartphone.  The analytics of the nutrition data and the ability to have a coach analyze the data is the best of all the platforms we’ve seen here.

COMPETITION/GOALS (0 out of 5): No competitions, and only coaches can set goals. The ability to populate your own calendar in the future with workouts comes at a $20/mo. cost unless you are a coach.  It's fair to say that the true value of this platform comes from the coaching abilities and evaluation of past nutritional data.

ROUTE PLANNING (3 out of 5):  The ability to plan and store routes is available, but pretty average, and there is an ability to choose from local community routes, but it’s not easy to find. Click on "routes" and then select "public".

SOCIAL NETWORKING (3 out of 5): The standard ability to post to Facebook and Twitter if you want to, but don’t have to, and you can even post your meals and nutrition data.  You also have the ability to add any of your Facebook friends to your internal Training Peaks network.

VERSATILITY (3.5 out of 5): This platform can be used for any type of activity and the nutrition aspect is the best of those reviewed here.  The score is lowered for this one based on the premise that the activity tracking and data analysis is really standard at best in the free version of the software. However if working with a coach, this score really improves as coaches have a BUNCH of analytics at their fingertips.

OVERALL IMPRESSION (26 out of 45): On the surface this platform doesn’t appear as good as some of the others as you have to pay for a lot of the services the other sites offer for free, but this platform is really intended for the coach-athlete relationship. The true value of the free version lies in its expansive library of food choices for nutrition tracking and analysis, but when working with a coach trainingpeaks offers a lot including the ability to analyze your account remotely.  If you’re someone who’s looking to focus on nutrition for overall health, an athlete at any level who is (or will be) working with a coach, this is the site for you.



Written By:
Nick Pfaff - Pro-Activity Personal Trainer & Corporate Prevention Specialist
Amateur Ultra-marathon Trail Runner