Serious athletes train hard to achieve their goals. They are dedicated and disciplined. Yet some plateau and never seem to get over that hump that differentiates them from the rest of the pack – and conquering that hump could well be the key to getting a college scholarship or being recruited as a professional athlete.
Dr. Matthew Zoffer, DO, a physician, researcher, performance nutritionist and former athlete who is “passionate about sports,” helps athletes clear that hurdle and become the best they can be.
Dr. Zoffer is a graduate of the International Olympic Committee Program in Performance Nutrition. The two-year post-graduate program taught him how to fuel, fortify and supplement for a wide range of sports in ways that improve an athlete’s performance while reducing the risk of injury.
“I can take an athlete and help them, their coach and team to get better [at their sport] safely,” Dr. Zoffer said. “After a comprehensive analysis of the latest research in their chosen sport and a sport-focused physical and nutritional evaluation, I work with their coach to create a customized plan that gives them a competitive edge. Utilizing performance nutrition, athletes will jump higher, run faster, lift more weight, and, at the end of the day, they train more frequently and get injured less.”
Athletes and coaches generally know that diet and performance are linked. After an in-depth multipart evaluation, Dr. Zoffer personalizes a plan that spells out exactly how much protein, carbs and hydration is needed for athletes to improve in their sport.
“You have different energy systems that you utilize in your body to turn food into fuel,” Dr. Zoffer explained. “Think about driving your car. You start it. You back it out of the garage. Then you get on the road and drive. You have used three different energy systems. You used the gas in your carburetor to start the car, the gas in the line, and the gas that’s pumped through from the gas tank.
“You have the same three energy systems in your body. The first is the fuel inside your muscles that initiates the fight or flight response. The second is the energy in glucose that supplies you for the first 60 to 90 seconds. That’s the kind of energy that lets you run really fast for a short period of time. And the third is when you have found your groove and you can run long distance. That energy provides for endurance in a sport.”
Different athletes use these energy systems differently, and knowing which energy they use can be integrated into their training.
“It’s complex,” Dr. Zoffer continued. “Take runners, for example. When I train a sprinter, I will focus on that first energy system that enables the athlete to fuel the muscles as quickly as possible. If I’m training a marathon runner, I will focus on the third energy system that builds endurance. This explains the difference in physique between a sprinter and a marathoner as well.”
Each sport has its own nuances. A soccer player runs five or six miles during a two-hour match, but they run those miles in spurts. If they are training for endurance, they will not get better. What they really need to do is train to sprint and accelerate quickly to the goal.
Golfers walk about five to six miles yet very few golfers train for endurance. Stamina, or strength over time, is what makes a golfer better. Understanding how muscles use energy is unique to each sport and is crucial to optimizing performance.
Hydration is a primary focus in Dr. Zoffer’s practice. Most athletes don’t have a hydration strategy and don’t realize that hydration can affect their performance.
“Acclimatization is the process of an athlete adapting to his environment,” Dr. Zoffer continued. “Whether the athlete is shivering in freezing temperatures while waiting for a downhill ski run or trying to stay cool in the oppressive Florida heat, there is an energy cost to his body to keep it regulated. Replacing those calories with just water will leave him fatigued and his performance will suffer.”
Athletes can lose 1 percent to 2 percent of their body weight when dehydrated, so anticipating that loss before competition can improve their performance. That can be done by analyzing the athlete’s body fat percentage and daily weight fluctuations. A state-of-the-art hydration monitor that goes on the tongue can be used real-time during competition or in between matches.
“I can predict fluid losses in my athletes before they occur, improving their performance and also preventing dehydration,” Dr. Zoffer confided. “Replacing that fluid with just water isn’t enough. When people perspire they don’t just lose water, they lose sodium. For peak performance, an athlete must drink enough to stay hydrated but also ingest enough electrolytes to offset their sweat. The amount of salt that needs to be replaced during and after exercise can be determined by the sodium concentration of a sweat sample collected during the activity.”
Dr. Zoffer is undertaking a sweat sodium level study for MX3 LAB and is looking for a local sports team to participate. The MX3 Sweat Sodium Test contains everything needed to collect a sweat sample and determine its sodium concentration with laboratory-grade accuracy. Each measurement result is used to generate a personalized sodium replacement strategy for sodium intake before, during and after exercise. If there is a local Treasure Coast team out there that wants to increase their performance, the coach or manager can call Dr. Zoffer to get the details.
Dr. Matthew Zoffer is a board-certified OB/GYN physician who received his medical degree at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York, served his internship at St. Clare’s Hospital in Manhattan, and completed his residency at SUNY Health Science Center-University Hospital of Brooklyn. He is the founder of the performance nutrition business Nutrytics. With 30 years’ experience in competitive judo and other combat sports, and 15 years as a coach, trainer and instructor, he is passionate about nutrition’s impact on performance. You can call Dr. Zoffer at 772-696-3606 or visit nutrytics.com to set up a time for him to meet you at your gym, in your home, or on your sports turf for a personal consultation.