“A good diet can not make an average athlete great, but a poor diet can make a great athlete average.” -David Costill, Ball State University, Indiana

Golf is a lifetime sport that both men and women of all ages enjoy participating in. However, for competitive golfer, it is a test of athlete’s physical and mental endurance. While equipment and physical fitness are important to game, a balanced diet is often most overlooked aspect that all serious golfers must consider.

DEFINING A BALANCED DIET

For golfers, a balanced diet begins with eating at least 50% of your total caloric intake from carbohydrates such as whole grains, breads, pastas, rice, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy. Carbohydrates are body’s preferred energy source during activity. It fuels brain and nervous system, preserves protein while helping to burn fat. Consuming carbohydrates during activity helps maintain blood glucose levels, allowing golfer to have improved concentration.

Protein is another important macronutrient to incorporate into balanced diet. Have 6 to 8 ounces of protein daily, and choose lean protein sources such as chicken, fish, round or loin cuts of beef, beans or legumes. Protein is needed for growth and repair of muscles, and helps regulate body processes as enzymes and hormones.

By Rich Lauro MAT, MES, PRS

This is first article of a series of articles to follow. In this article I will be addressing one of main core stabilizing muscles of lumbar spine and its role in back pain, as well as specific exercises that should be performed to prevent and recover faster from your back pain. You should make these exercises part of your everyday routine, just like brushing your teeth.

Words of wisdom before performing these exercises:

· Consult with your doctor before starting an exercise program or if you're experiencing radiating pain.

· Don't stop your exercise program just because your back feels better. Continue exercising to keep your back pain from returning.

· Where most rehabilitation programs fail is in selection and repetitions they prescribe to their patients. People with weak back muscles should not only strengthen these muscles but should concentrate on building muscle endurance since these muscles are at work all day long.

· Consider working with a Muscle Activation Technique Therapist to identify and correct muscular imbalances and to make sure all muscles are functioning properly.

Core Stabilizer:

Transverse Abdominal (TVA) is a very important stabilizer of low-back. It is deepest of abdominal muscles and only one that runs horizontal. It activates prior to muscles of hips and thorax. When contracted it flattens abdominal wall and compresses viscera. The TVA is required for all integrated movements. If TVA is weak it will allow bulging of anterior abdominal wall increasing lordosis in low-back and will also create a lateral bulge in (forward bending) or extension (back bending).

Researchers used EMG activity to identify timing of TVA and multifidus contraction, compared to other abdominal muscles, during movement of upper limbs in response to visual stimuli. They found that, in subjects without lower back pain, first active muscle was transverse abdominis contracting prior to upper limb. The model they developed "identified a consistent dysfunction of transverse abdominis in people with low-back pain.

Isometric Exercises Explained: