When I talk with athletes, they always wonder how fast I can go and how many watts I push. I get a lot of questions about power meters and GPS devices. But those are just tools to measure outcomes of a few factors; good training, good equipment and good body chemistry.
Athletes are often willing to spend money on coaches or the newest training gear, but they forget that they also can invest in information about their bodies’ chemistry. As a professional athlete, I have always been interested in maximizing my performance, which often means learning about what’s going on inside my body. The best way to do this is through blood analysis; your blood doesn’t lie. Low iron, for example, affects how well your body performs. Reactive proteins appear as your muscles and bones break down and build up again. Hematocrit and hemoglobin (red blood cells) can also have important implications for performance.
There are lots of different blood markers to look at! 
Luckily, as a pro athlete, I’ve had the means to have my blood analyzed on a regular basis, but that is not the case for every athlete. A friend of mine introduced me to InsideTracker and I was immediately interested in learning more. Having my blood analyzed and then seeing the results online- awesome!
But that isn’t the best part. There is usually a reason that the biomarkers in your blood are not within normal limits and InsideTracker shows you how your diet and lifestyle can affect these markers. It provides suggestions for foods to eat- not just because somebody said so, but because your OWN body said so. What a great idea!
I am very interested in how my body works and how I can make it move more efficiently. For the past 4 years I have been working on becoming a more efficient athlete in the pool, on the bike and on the track. I have worked on changing my running stride and making adjustments in my swim strokes to improve my performance.
After years of moving my body one way, it is hard to teach it to move slightly differently. Biomechanical changes take time and persistence, but changes in diet can be made quickly and can have an immediate effect on how your body works. InsideTracker is a great way to help you figure out which dietary changes will have the greatest impact on your performance.
