Professional triathlete Sarah Haskins has certainly been busy these past few years! She competed in her first triathlon shortly after graduating from the University of Tulsa in 2003, and has been going the distance ever since. Haskins, a St. Louis native, competed in the triathlon at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and is the 2011 Pan American Games Gold medalist. Despite her grueling schedule of swimming, hiking, and biking, she knows proper nutrition is key to optimal physical performance. Check out what Sarah has to say about InsideTracker and the ways in which healthy eating impacts her results.
Currently, Sarah is training to win the Hy-Vee triathalon in October 2012 and the Race to the Toyota Cup Series in September. Best wishes from the InsideTracker team, Sarah!
Q: How did you hear of InsideTracker?
A: I was recommended by Jarrod Shoemaker, who is also a professional triathlete.
Q: What did you learn from your InsideTracker experience?
A: InsideTracker helped me learn about vitamin deficiencies I had in my body. Having my body function at 100% is critical for my career. In addition, InsideTracker helped me to find food sources that would help me to boost the particular vitamins I was lacking.
Q: How did InsideTracker help your performance?
A: InsideTracker helped me improve my performance in triathlon by recommending that I uptake my iron with supplementation. Iron is essential for aerobic training and racing, and I am currently en route to my best season yet with increased iron stores.
Q: Is InsideTracker easy to use?
A: InsideTracker is very user friendly, especially with helping you find foods that fit your personal diet. My lab results were returned to me efficiently, and I was able to study the results online. This is top of the line performance!
Q: What advice do you have for people who are looking to improve their physical performance?
A: You may be surprised to find that even though you eat a healthy diet, it may not be enough to give you what your body needs. The only way to figure this out is through a blood test. Whether you want to improve performance, keep from getting injured or sick, or live a better overall healthy life, I would advise getting checked out and make sure you have all your “t’s” crossed and your “i’s” dotted.
Q: How does nutrition play a role in your life?
A: Nutrition is an integral part of my daily life and training. I have to always be thinking about what my body needs for the next workout or the next race. I have learned how much nutrition can make or break your race — it’s so important to fuel that machine properly! For example, I have a recovery drink prepared post race so that I can get the recovery process started in my body immediately. Also, eating healthy makes me feel so much better, not only in training, but in life in general.