Natural (and free!) Alternatives To PED’s (Performance Enhancing Drugs)
Here are the top alternatives to PED's with books that I've read in the past 3 years. There are many more books, but these are the ones that are easiest to understand for me.
1. Sleep (Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker)
In our culture, we value the attitude of not getting enough sleep to get things done. However, research has shown that this is the numero uno post-workout activity that one should do in order to recover and improve technique. We do not get stronger or faster during workouts. We get strong during recovery. We even dream of the sport that we are involved in during sleep which has shown that our minds actually process things faster, thus, making better neural connections for superior technique.
2. Quiet Time (10% Happier by Dan Harris)
Even the Lord (Jesus) went off to be by Himself. In my opinion, He is the greatest performer/producer of all time. His total physical presence during His ministry was just 3 years before His crucifixion. His followers were executed for years after his death. And yet here we are, 2000 years later. Many still follow Him. Non-believers still admire Him. Call it by anything. Prayer time, meditation, sensory deprivation. The most influential people still do it. Shut off the phone and TV. Sit still and be quiet. It gets you into "flow" faster. A state described in sports psychology where time slows and nothing else exists but perfect execution of technique. The book I mentioned above is just a no B.S., fun book to read on the topic.
3. Food (Wired To Eat by Robb Wolf)
I've tried Paleo, Keto, no grain, vegetarian diets. Here is my take on food. Eat whole foods. Avoid processed foods. Avoid concentrated sweets. I was on Keto for awhile. It is great for low-intensity, endurance sports. But I felt worn out during high-intensity activities such as BJJ. I even still feel worn out the next day. I recommend carbs coming from fruit and veggies if you are in a high-intensity sport. I also heard podcasts with BJJ guys that had a similar experience with Keto. Another realization I had was that the body does not produce anything bad for itself. Insulin, cortisol, inflammation are needed actually for repair and recovery. There is overproduction from lack of sleep, too much body fat, stress, and eating too much sugar/processed carbs. All of which could be controlled by enough sleep, quiet time, and a reasonable diet.
Dig deep, Level up!
In His Grip,
Jeremiah Veloso
