I don't care how great of an athlete you may be or what your training regimen looks like, if you are not eating for Red Blood Cell production, you are training at a a deficit. Red Blood cells are the oxygen delivery vehicles for your body, bringing oxygenated blood (through the protein Hemoglobin) from the lungs to the tissues of your body. The more red blood cells are being produced and supported through your nutrition, the better athlete you will be, Period. There are key nutritional components that you need to take into account to make sure you are producing and performing your best.
Here is the laymens version of how blood cells are produced or in physiological terms, how Erythropoiesis occurs. When you are training, living or otherwise stressing you body you set off little alarm bells when fuel gets low. This goes for nutrients in your digestive process and also in your kidneys when red blood cell production is needed. Your kidneys release a hormone, erythropoietin, that stimulates Red Blood cell production in your bone marrow and the process moves down stream to your spleen and Liver to eventually provide the red blood cells you need. This process is ongoing and necessary because a normal cell death occurs after 120 days; therefore supporting your body at all times with optimal nutrition is key!
Nourishing Red Blood cells with nutrition involves 4 key aspects, that even I have been challenged to keep up on... more on that at the end. The essentials are, Vitamin B6 foods, Iron Rich Foods, Vitamin E Foods, and Folic acid.
1. Vitamin B6 foods help with the oxygen binding components in Hemoglobin itself. Without B6 foods you will have ineffective red blood cell function and even though your count may be high, there is a good chance those little machines are not working properly. Vitamin B6 consumption has other key functions including repair of adrenal fatigue and nervous system components. Some key B6 foods are;
-Turkey Breast
-Beans (black or Pinto)
-Carrots
-Tuna
-Pistachios
-Sunflower Seeds
2. Iron Rich foods are broken down into 2 different categories, Heme and Non-Heme Iron. Heme Iron is easily absorbed by the body and is found in animal products. Non-Heme iron is usually that type of iron that comes from veggies, this type is not as easily digested and used but consuming Vitamin C with it can help absorption. Oxygen delivery and battling fatigue are key aspects to optimal Iron Consumption, without it you are literally stressing your body to a level of real sickness!
Iron Rich foods;
-Grass Fed Beef, Chicken, Lamb, Poultry
-Wild Caught Seafood
-Beans and Lentils
-Spinich, Kale and other dark leafy greens
-Peas
-Apricots
3. Vitamin E is essential on the back end of Red Blood cell production. Because cells emerge and die at a pretty rapid rate, you need to help boost the system that produces them. Vitamin E has been shown to defend against free radical damage, hence all the Vitamin E supplements that pertain to cancer and skin care. Free Radicals occur naturally both inside and outside your body and can have a profound effect on your performance as well as your overall health.
Essential Vitamin E Foods;
-Swiss chard
-Asparagus
-Sweet Potatoes
-Kale
-Avocados
4. Folic Acid deficiency is linked directly to poor performance. If you are not consuming enough of this nutrient (also known as Vitamin B9), you are setting yourself up for failure in training and performance. Folic acid goes to the heart of Red Blood Cell production and assists in producing enough to keep up with your oxygen demands. You can either get Folic acid from food or supplementation but it is important to test your levels before going wild with the sups!
Folic acid foods;
-Oranges
-bananas
-Leafy Greens (all types)
-Lentils
-Beans and Rice
-Broccoli
Just over 2 months ago I had my blood done and analyzed. I had a shock when I found out that I was borderline anemic because of my inefficiency of red blood cell production. Like many things in training, this deficit can happen right under your nose. For me, overtraining, stress, constant travel, all had put my body on overload and it was working too hard to keep up with my demands. And like most of you know, I eat REALLY GOOD... or so I thought. With changing up my supplementation and focusing on red blood cell production I am back to badass. But that is why I am calling you to action now before your respective season begins.
Go get your blood levels measured and see if you are producing enough red blood cells to keep up with your training. Performance can slip without you realizing it, stay on top of your game with the best Nutrition for Red Blood cell production and feel your body instead of just pushing it hard like I was doing!
Keep Pushing to be the best possible version of yourself. Make this year a year of constant and deserved successes. I will keep dropping the most up to date and relevant information on you to give you the tools necessary for success.
With Love,
Eric
Programming Notes 1/8-1/12
1/8
Baseline:
Bike 40/30 cals
3X
10 Reverse Lunges
10 Mountain Climbers
10 Push Ups
Squat Flow: Squat Flow: Kang Squat, Internal Rotation, Ankle Roll Out, Bootstraps, PNF Stretch, Squat W/ T Spine Stretch
Strength:
Front Squat
3-3-3-3
*Heavy
-super set with ;
5X8 (4 reps each leg)
Dumbbell Box Step Ups
WOD;
4X
400m Run
15 Overhead Walking Lunges 50/35
9 Ring Dips
1/9
Baseline:
2X
30 High Knees
30 Hip Touches
30Butt Kickers
30 Squat Therapy
30 Jumping Pull Ups
*Spend 6 mins working the pull up modifications
-banded
-australian pull ups
-ring rows
-kipping
WOD:
“Cindy”
20 Min AMRAP
5 Pull Ups
10 Push Ups
15 Air Squats
Cool Down:
Couch Stretch
Pigeon Stretch
Plank Hold 2:00
1/10
Baseline:
3X
200m Run
10 Cal Bike
10 Tall Cleans
10 Barbell Press
Clean Warm Up:
7@ each
-muscle Cleans
-Front Squat + Press
-Hang Power Clean + Push Press
-Hang Clean + Push Jerks
In 7 Sets, Build to a Heavy Load>
-Hang Clean And Push Jerk
*from the ground, stand the bar up all the way, then load and go.
*reset feet between clean and jerk.
*go Heavy
3X
15/12 Cal Bike
10 Hang Clean 135/95
8 Shoulder to Overhead
6 Lunges.
*this should be a burner.. go HARD
1/11
Baseline:
2X:30
Jumping Jacks
Standing Toe Touches
Arm Haulers (begin in superman hold position, with arms elevated and extended over the head, bring them back, touch your pockets and then sweep them back forward)
Divebomber Push Ups
Jump Squats
WOD:
“Tabata Something Else”
*perform 8 rounds of :20 work/:10 rest before moving to next exercise
A) Kettlebell Snatch 53/35
B) Single Arm Ring Rows
C) Double Unders
D) D Ball Ground to Shoulder *heavy (if no D ball, use sandbag or Stone)
Cool Down:
4X :15
-L sit Hold
-Side Plank Hip Pulses
- Plank Hold
1/12
Baseline:
500m Row
2X
10 banded Good Mornings
30Banded Hip Activation Steps
10 Banded Squats
20 Banded Lat Pull Downs (see insta Story)
Hamstring Primer:
3X8
Barbell bent Over Row
Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
*building
WOD;
50 Cal Row
40 Wall Ball Shots
30 Deadlift 205/135
20 Bar Muscle Ups (scale to Jumping bar Muscle Ups)
30 Deadlift
40 Wall Ball Shots
50 Cal Row
