Athlete Health

When Gracie Gold stepped onto center stage (or ice, rather) as America’s sweetheart at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, she instantly became the face of America’s most beloved winter sport. Beautiful, blonde, Midwestern, and media-trained, she was suddenly being written up everywhere from The New Yorker to Teen Vogue to People and baking cookies with Taylor Swift.

How do we go from proficiency to mastery in sports? From average to elite. From having a “lot of moving parts” to being economical and efficient in our movements. From feeling rushed and pressured to slowing time down and acting like you knew what was going to happen all along. From deciding to take the best option available to moving to shape and change the options afforded to us. From building easily disrupted and broken skills to adaptable and even anti-fragile ones, getting stronger through being challenged.

In Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights?, physicist and award-winning journalist Alex Hutchinson tackles dozens of commonly held beliefs and looks at just what research science has - and has not - proven to be true. This myth-busting book covers the full spectrum of exercise science and offers the latest in research from around the globe, as well as plenty of practical tips on using proven science to improve fitness, reach weight loss goals, and achieve better competition results.

Well, you are not alone! Up to 35 percent of top athletes will suffer from mental health issues at some stage in their careers. Some of the greatest athletes of our time have admitted to facing mental health challenges at one point or another. The thing is, champions somehow find a way, so can you!

Whether you’re a new flexitarian or you’ve spent 8 years on the WFPBD (whole food plant-based diet), this book’s got you covered. There’s something for everyone. Even if you don’t consider yourself an athlete, you shouldn’t let your diet ruin your training efforts.

Are you looking to optimize your health, fitness, and performance with running and strength training? Look no further! Hybrid athlete training is quickly becoming the sought-after method in the health and fitness industry. Becoming strong and resilient in both running and strength training will unlock new potential for your cardiovascular and muscular fitness. “How to Train like a Hybrid Athlete” will give you a solid foundation about training concepts to achieve your endurance and strength goals.

World-renowned energy healer Cyndi Dale presents the ultimate book on applying energy concepts and practices to athletes and coaches of any age and level. Featuring more than fifty-five hands-on exercises, this comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about subtle energy and sports performance.

On the playing field, natural talent isn’t enough—there’s a mental component that determines whether athletes win the race or wipe out before the finish line. But what separates standout sports stars from the rest? In a paradigm-shifting new theory, acclaimed sportswriter Matt Fitzgerald identifies two key traits behind athletic success: strict self-regulation over thoughts and emotions and an unquenchable psychological need to pursue victory—even when it means enduring extreme mental and physical suffering.

Champions, as the familiar adage preaches, are not born—they're made. Reaching the top of any sport, or any aspect of life, takes years upon years of dedication and proper preparation. But if there's a huge pool of individuals who have undertaken the same commitment and steps towards becoming the best, what truly separates the winners from everyone else? Joanna Zeiger believes proper mental preparation is the answer. The Champion Mindset is a much-needed and long overdue look into how to program a competitor's mind to achieve optimal success.

Are you looking for unique ways to "get into the game"? To enhance your training and find focus? You aren't alone. Increasingly, athletes and coaches are incorporating mindfulness practices into their training. That's because mindfulness can help you lower your stress levels, connect with the moment, and mentally bounce back after setbacks. So whether you're a sports enthusiast or a professional athlete, mindfulness can also help you deal with physical aspects of training, such as fatigue, aches, pains, injury, burnout, and exhaustion.

In the high-pressure world of sports, female athletes often face a unique set of challenges. The expectations to be tough, competitive & to win, can conflict with the expectations to be feminine, flexible, and to conform to idealized body standards can be overwhelming. These pressures can impact performance, self-esteem, and well-being.

The Resilient Young Athlete is your ultimate guide to developing mental toughness, thriving under pressure, and mastering the mindset that sets champions apart! Whether you're a young athlete, a parent, or a coach, this audiobook offers invaluable insights into building the resilience needed to excel in the competitive world of youth sports. For young athletes struggling with confidence or anxiety, you’ll learn practical steps to cultivate a growth-oriented mindset, set and achieve SMART goals, and manage game-day stress like a pro!

In the demanding world of sports, male athletes face intense societal pressures to always be tough, never show emotion, and view failure as unacceptable. These expectations can create significant mental and emotional barriers, impacting performance and overall well-being. Positive Affirmations for Teen Male Athletes is a Powerful Resource designed to help athletes break free from these constraints, fostering a resilient and empowered mindset that promotes success both on and off the field.

Have you tried all the "get fit books" and failed and even ignored your own doctor warning you to get in shape? Do you feel hopeless, depressed, and angry? Then this book is for you. I wrote this as a motivation for myself, because I used to be struggling, out-of-shape with a sense of hopelessness, and I swore that I would never go back to that dark place. I was working seven days a week, smoking and drinking for years, until I woke up one day and realized that I was going to die and that “no one was coming” to save me.

Mental training is just as important as physical training when it comes to success in sport. Like physical fitness, mental toughness is something that can be taught and learned. Bring Your "A" Game introduces key strategies for mental training, such as goal-setting, pre-performance routines, confidence building, and imagery. Each of the 17 chapters focuses on a single mental skill and offers key points and exercises designed to reinforce the concepts.

After being on yo-yo diets almost all her life, Sue Reynolds was still morbidly obese, but decided to try one more time without much hope for positive results. But this time was different. She was tired of not being able to tie her own shoes, fit in restaurant booths, or walk more than a few feet. She was ready. The Athlete Inside follows Reynolds's journey as she lost 200 pounds and found an athlete hiding inside her body.

The captivating book fearless, expertly, and comprehensibly explains to parents and coaches how the brain and the minds of athletes work. Using specific examples, the author analyzes the impact of feedback on thinking, perception, attention, and even the quality of a player's coordination. Parents often do not realize how their influence shapes the neural network of their child. The book takes you into the depths of neuroscience, sports psychology, and provides you with knowledge and skills to be a better coach for your child.

Whether you are an elite athlete, a weekend warrior, or a non-athlete wanting to live healthily, The Athlete's Simple Guide to a Plant-Based Lifestyle will teach you how to maximize your genetic potential for athletic performance, health, and longevity.

Behind the scenes, female athletes are suffering from disordered eating and substance use; depression and anxiety; emotional and sexual abuse; racism and discrimination; self-harm, and even suicide ideation. When global tennis star Naomi Osaka and gymnastics world champion Simone Biles took breaks from competing to tend to their mental health, many were compelled to ask: What is causing this mental health crisis in women’s sports? In The Price She Pays, Katie Steele and Dr. Tiffany Brown illuminate where we are going wrong—and how we can correct course.

AthleanX puts the science into strength training. This unique strength training and conditioning program - including plans for nutrition and supplementation as well as step-by-step guides to the exercises - gives users the lean, muscular, functional bodies of professional athletes. Other fitness books and programs are based on a bodybuilding model, which can make you look stronger, but Jeff Cavaliere shows you how to hit the gym without falling into the common "bro" traps: poor posture and flexibility, muscle imbalances, joint stiffness, pain, and injury.