The athletes plate. The Athlete’s Plate: Optimize Your Nutrition for Peak Performance

How can athletes balance their meals for optimal performance. What are the key components of a training-based athlete’s plate. How do nutritional needs change based on training intensity.

Understanding the Athlete’s Plate: A Comprehensive Guide

The Athlete’s Plate is a revolutionary concept developed by the United States Olympic Committee in collaboration with the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. This innovative approach to sports nutrition aims to simplify meal planning for athletes and fitness enthusiasts, taking into account the varying nutritional demands of different training intensities and phases.

Athletes’ nutritional requirements fluctuate throughout the year, depending on factors such as training volume, competition schedule, and individual goals. The Athlete’s Plate provides a visual guide to help athletes adjust their meal compositions accordingly, ensuring optimal fueling for peak performance.

The Three Pillars of the Athlete’s Plate

The Athlete’s Plate framework consists of three distinct plates, each designed to meet the nutritional needs of different training intensities:

1. Easy Training / Weight Management Plate
2. Moderate Training Plate
3. Hard Training / Pre-Competition Plate

By understanding and implementing these plates, athletes can fine-tune their nutrition to support their specific training goals and performance demands.

Decoding the Easy Training / Weight Management Plate

The Easy Training Plate is ideal for days with light workouts or during periods of weight management. It closely resembles the recommended plate for the general population, emphasizing a balance of nutrients while controlling calorie intake.

Key Components of the Easy Training Plate:

• 1/2 plate: Mixed vegetables and fresh fruits
• 1/4 plate: Quality protein sources
• 1/4 plate: Whole grains or starchy vegetables
• 1 teaspoon of healthy fats
• Water or unsweetened beverages

This plate composition provides essential nutrients while managing calorie intake, making it suitable for athletes during tapering phases or those in sports requiring less energy due to the nature of their activity.

Navigating the Moderate Training Plate

The Moderate Training Plate serves as the baseline for most athletes, designed to fuel two daily workouts focusing on technical skills, endurance, or strength training.

Key Adjustments in the Moderate Training Plate:

• 1/3 plate: Mixed vegetables and fresh fruits
• Additional fruit servings
• 1/4 plate: Quality protein sources
• 1/3 plate: Grains (at least 1/2 whole) or starchy vegetables
• 1 tablespoon of healthy fats

Compared to the Easy Training Plate, the Moderate Plate features a more equal distribution of grains to vegetables, increased fruit servings, and triple the amount of healthy fats. These adjustments provide the additional energy required for more intense training sessions.

Mastering the Hard Training / Pre-Competition Plate

The Hard Training Plate is tailored for days with multiple intense workouts or competition preparation, particularly for endurance sports. It emphasizes energy-dense foods to fuel high-intensity activities.

Key Features of the Hard Training Plate:

• 1/4 plate: Mixed vegetables and fresh fruits
• Additional fruit servings
• 1/4 plate: Quality protein sources
• 1/2 plate: Whole grains or starchy vegetables
• 2 tablespoons of healthy fats

This plate composition provides the increased carbohydrate and fat intake necessary for fueling intense training or competition. It features double the amount of fat, more grains, and fewer vegetables compared to the Moderate Training Plate.

Customizing Your Athlete’s Plate: Food Choices and Portions

To effectively implement the Athlete’s Plate concept, it’s crucial to understand the food options available for each category. Here’s a comprehensive list of nutritious choices to consider:

Quality Grains and Starchy Vegetables:

• Whole grain bread, pasta, and bagels
• Quinoa, rice, amaranth, buckwheat, oats, and teff
• Sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, pumpkin, and squash

Fruits and Vegetables:

• Leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beets, and turnips
• Apples, oranges, berries, bananas, melons, and citrus fruits
• Dried fruits like raisins and dates

Lean Protein Sources:

• Plant-based options: Tofu and tempeh
• Fish: Salmon and tuna
• Poultry: Chicken breast and ground turkey
• Lean beef

Healthy Fats:

• Avocado and avocado oil
• Nuts: Walnuts, almonds, and peanuts
• Seeds: Chia, hemp, flax, sunflower, and pumpkin
• Olive oil

By selecting a variety of foods from each category, athletes can create balanced, nutritious meals that support their training goals and overall health.

Adapting the Athlete’s Plate to Your Training Cycle

Throughout the year, athletes typically experience variations in training intensity and volume. Understanding how to adapt your nutritional intake accordingly is crucial for maintaining optimal performance and recovery.

Off-Season Nutrition:

During the off-season, when training volume is reduced, athletes may find the Easy Training Plate most suitable. This allows for maintenance of fitness while potentially managing body composition goals.

Pre-Season Build-Up:

As training intensity increases in preparation for the competitive season, transitioning to the Moderate Training Plate can provide the additional energy needed to support higher training loads.

In-Season Performance:

During peak competition periods, athletes may oscillate between the Moderate and Hard Training Plates, depending on their competition schedule and training demands. The Hard Training Plate is particularly useful for fueling intense training blocks or pre-competition carbohydrate loading.

Tapering and Recovery:

In the days leading up to a major competition or during recovery periods, athletes might revert to the Easy or Moderate Training Plate to avoid overloading with excess calories while still maintaining adequate nutrient intake.

By skillfully adjusting their plate composition throughout these phases, athletes can ensure their nutritional intake aligns with their changing energy requirements and performance goals.

Practical Implementation of the Athlete’s Plate

Implementing the Athlete’s Plate concept into daily life requires planning and preparation. Here are some practical tips for athletes and coaches to effectively use this nutritional guide:

Meal Planning:

Create weekly meal plans based on your training schedule, using the appropriate plate model for each day. This proactive approach ensures you have the right foods on hand to support your training needs.

Portion Control:

Use visual cues to estimate portion sizes. For example, a palm-sized portion for protein, a cupped hand for grains, and a thumb-sized portion for fats. This method allows for easy adjustment of portions based on individual energy needs and training intensity.

Meal Prep:

Prepare meals in advance, especially for busy training days. This can help ensure you have balanced, nutritious meals ready when you need them, reducing the temptation to opt for less optimal food choices.

Snack Smart:

Incorporate nutrient-dense snacks that align with the Athlete’s Plate principles. For example, Greek yogurt with berries and nuts, or whole grain crackers with hummus and vegetables.

Hydration:

While the Athlete’s Plate focuses on solid foods, don’t forget the importance of proper hydration. Adjust fluid intake based on training intensity, climate, and individual sweat rates.

Educate and Communicate:

For coaches, use the Athlete’s Plate as an educational tool to help athletes understand the importance of nutrition in their training. Encourage open communication about nutritional needs and challenges.

By integrating these practical strategies, athletes can effectively translate the Athlete’s Plate concept from theory into practice, optimizing their nutritional intake to support their training and performance goals.

Beyond the Plate: Supplementing the Athlete’s Nutrition Plan

While the Athlete’s Plate provides a solid foundation for sports nutrition, there are additional considerations that can further enhance an athlete’s nutritional strategy:

Nutrient Timing:

Optimize the timing of meals and snacks around training sessions. Pre-workout meals should focus on easily digestible carbohydrates, while post-workout meals should emphasize protein for muscle recovery and carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores.

Individualization:

While the Athlete’s Plate offers general guidelines, it’s essential to recognize that each athlete’s nutritional needs are unique. Factors such as body composition, metabolism, and specific sport demands should be considered when fine-tuning nutritional strategies.

Supplement Consideration:

In some cases, dietary supplements may be beneficial to support an athlete’s nutrition plan. However, it’s crucial to consult with a sports nutritionist or dietitian before incorporating any supplements, ensuring they are safe, legal, and necessary.

Recovery Nutrition:

Pay special attention to recovery nutrition, particularly after intense training sessions or competitions. This may involve adjusting the ratios of the Athlete’s Plate to emphasize protein and carbohydrates for optimal recovery.

Micronutrient Focus:

While the Athlete’s Plate ensures a good balance of macronutrients, athletes should also be mindful of their micronutrient intake. Emphasize a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables to ensure a wide range of vitamins and minerals.

By considering these additional aspects alongside the Athlete’s Plate framework, athletes can develop a comprehensive nutritional strategy that supports their performance, recovery, and overall health.

The Athlete’s Plate: How to Balance Your Meals | Nutrigility

These athlete plates will help guide you to make balanced meals for your unique nutrition needs for exercise.

All athletes and fitness enthusiasts have different nutrition needs for exercise based on their sport, position, body size, the intensity of training, and several other factors.

In a given year, athletes go through different volumes of training. In season, they may reach their peak training load, while in offseason, their training load is largely reduced. The United States Olympic Committee partnered with University of Colorado Colorado Springs to create three sample athlete’s training plates to simplify the approach to fueling for exercise.

Components of the Training-Based Athlete Plates

These plates aim to help simplify the approach to achieving your needs for your exercise routine, depending on the volume of training you’re doing. Let’s take a closer look at each plate and how you can build your own athlete plate. You’ll be able to better navigate your changing nutrition needs of training. Here are lists of example foods that can fit in each category

Good-Quality Grains

• Bread (aim for at least 1/2 whole-grain)
• Pasta (aim for at least 1/2 whole-grain)
• Bagels (aim for at least 1/2 whole-grain)
• Quinoa
• Rice
• Amaranth
• Buckwheat
• Oats
• Teff

Fruits & Vegetables

• Leafy greens
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Carrots
• Beets
• Sweet Potatoes
• Turnips
• Potatoes
• Corn
• Pumpkin
• Squash
• Onion
• Apples
• Oranges
• Lemons
• Limes
• Grapefruit
• Raisins
• Dates
• Berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc.)
• Apricots
• Peaches
• Nectarines
• Banana
• Melon (cantaloupe, honeydew)

Lean Protein

• Tofu
• Tempeh
• Salmon
• Tuna
• Chicken breast
• Ground turkey
• Ground lean beef

Healthy Fats

• Avocado
• Chia seeds
• Walnuts
• Almonds
• Peanuts
• Hemp seeds
• Ground flaxseed
• Sunflower seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Avocado oil
• Olive oil

Easy Athlete’s Training Plate

Now let’s dive into the plates! This plate most closely resembles the plate recommended for the general population for a healthy eating pattern.  It is best for easy training or weight management.

From the USOC & UCCS for an Easy Day: “An easy day may contain just an easy workout or tapering without the need to load up for competition with energy and nutrients. Easy day meals may also apply to athletes trying to lose weight and athletes in sports requiring less energy (calories) due to the nature of their sport.”

Adapted from the USOC UCCS Athletes Training Plates

For an easy training/weight management plate, you will have:

• ½ plate mix of vegetables and fresh fruit
• ¼ plate quality protein
• ¼ plate whole grains or starchy vegetables
• 1 teaspoon of healthy fats
• Water and/or unsweetened beverage
• Flavorings as desired

Moderate Day Athlete’s Training Plate

From the USOC & UCCS for a Moderate Day:  “A moderate day may be one where you train twice but focus on technical skill in one workout and on endurance or strength in the other. The moderate day should be your baseline from where you adjust your plate down (easy) or up (hard/race).”

Adapted from the USOC UCCS Athletes Training Plates

For a moderate training plate, you will have:

• 1/3 plate of mixed vegetables and fresh fruit
• Additional fruit added to your plate
• ¼ plate quality protein
• 1/3 plate grains (at least 1/2 whole) or starchy vegetables
• 1 Tablespoon of healthy fats

Compared to the easy plate, this plate has:

• A more equal distribution of grains to vegetables
• Two added servings of fruit
• Three times the amount of fat (3 teaspoons = 1 Tablespoon)

Hard Day Athlete’s Training Plate

This plate is a great guide for pre-competition meals for endurance sports. Even though your plate is the same size, the food choices that you are filling your plate with should have a higher energy density, which means they have more calories to fuel your exercise. This is why you see the increase in grains/starchy vegetables and fats – they are naturally higher in energy.

From the USOC & UCCS for a Hard Day: “A hard day contains at least 2 workouts that are relatively hard or competition. If your competition requires extra fuel from carbohydrates, use this plate to load up in the days before, throughout, and after the event day.”

Adapted from the USOC UCCS Athletes Training Plates

For a hard training plate, you will have:

• ¼ plate mix of vegetables and fresh fruit
• Additional fruit added to your plate
• ¼ plate quality protein
• ½ plate whole grains or starchy vegetables
• 2 Tablespoons of healthy fats
• Water and/or unsweetened beverages
• Herbs, spices, salt, and pepper

Compared to the moderate day training plate, this plate has: 

• Double the amount of fat
• 1/6 more grains
• 1/6 fewer vegetables

You can download each original athlete’s plate PDF on Team USA’s nutrition page. If you’re a coach, you are allowed to use these for educational purposes with your athletes!

Which Athlete’s Plate to Choose

In the course of a year, an athlete or avid exerciser will follow each plate pattern at some point depending on their training schedule. This can change week to week, or even throughout each day. One of the most important factors in deciding which plate to replicate is the type of exercise done each day. 

Using MyPlate to Estimate Needs

While all athletes needs vary, and it’s best to meet with a Registered Dietitian for specific advice and nutrition plans, you can use this tool as an estimate for your calorie needs. It will also provide suggested portion amounts for each of the food groups based on your age, gender, height, weight, and activity level.

Just press start below, input your information, and at the end, click on your recommended calories to see the detailed MyPlate plan for a balanced plate.

Are Carbs Good for Athletes?

I’ve commonly seen athletes scared to eat the amount of carbs they need to fuel their exercise. With the number of fad diets that target low carb eating, I don’t blame them. One of the main reasons I love using these athlete plates is that they clearly show how carbohydrate needs change with different loads of exercise. It’s a simple equation:

Increased Training Load = Increased Carbohydrate Intake

In one of my previous posts, I provided a chart for exercise-specific carb recommendations.

Good Snacks for Athletes

While these plates are fantastic as a general guide, athletes often aren’t eating all of their meals or snacks on a plate. Remember, it’s a good habit to include water or other fluids at snack times too. Here are other examples of balanced, good snacks for athletes that contain carbs, protein, and fat:

• Nonfat Greek yogurt with raisins and walnuts
• Trail mix with an apple
• Apple, low-fat string cheese, and almonds
• Brown rice cakes with nut butter and banana
• Banana, honey, and peanut butter on whole-grain bread
• Almonds, apple, Greek yogurt, cinnamon
• Energy bar with a banana

Game Day Nutrition

Depending on your sport, you may need a different level of training plate. For example, golfers may need a moderate plate pre-competition, but need to optimize their snacks and meals throughout the long day. A soccer player should be targeting a hard day training plate about 3-4 hours before the competition.

Adapted Athlete Plate for Vegetarians and Vegans

The USOC and UCCS also created Vegetarian and Vegan Sample Athlete’s Plates.

Note that these sample plates for vegetarians and vegans say to add Vitamin D, B12, iron, and zinc supplement. It is best to meet with a Registered Dietitian to assess which supplements to take based on your eating patterns and where you live (for the Vitamin D).

Sample Day of Meals for Athletes Based on Training Time

Each of these charts show a sample day of eating based around the training time. The quantities of the foods may vary, as each athlete has different needs. However, the timing of these meals can be general guidelines.

Sample Meals: Workout in the

morning

Sample Meals: Workout in the

afternoon

Sample Meals: Workout in the

evening

The Athlete’s Plate — Top Nutrition & Performance

Katie Breazeale

February 4, 2023

Katie Breazeale

February 4, 2023

By: Katie Breazeale, MS, RD, LD

Fueling an athlete take some finesse and understanding your training days.  What is an easy, moderate, or hard day?  Have you seen ever seen the athlete’s performance plate variations for an easy, moderate, or hard day? 

I have seen these floating around for several years and many people have used them as a guide for how much to eat.  I have worked with some that thought everyday was a moderate day plate and were gaining weight, unable to figure out why.

This is my love hate with this model. It shows you a quarter of the plate is a macro, but not how big the portion size is or how many servings you should eat. This model makes it very easy to over or under fuel without proper guidance. 

Easy Day

An easy day athlete’s plate is for low intensity workouts. An easy day may contain just an easy workout or tapering without the need to load up for competition with energy and nutrients. This model can also be used during off season. Easy day meals may also apply to athletes trying to lose weight and athletes in sports requiring less energy (calories) due to the nature of their sport.

Looking at the plate model half the plate is vegetables and fruits. A quarter of your plate is protein, and the last quarter is carbohydrates. Protein is ideally lean and 3 oz, or the size of your palm, in size. The carbohydrate section varies per individual due to weight, body composition, and goals.

Moderate Day

A moderate day may be where you train for 1-2 hours/day, not a tough workout but a “typical” workout, or one where you train twice but focus on technical skill in one workout and on endurance in the other. The moderate day should be your baseline from where you adjust your plate down (easy) or up (hard/race). 

You will notice that protein is remaining the same on all the plate models. Protein is important and it does vary for every person, but it is not your major fuel source that you are trying to replenish. Carbohydrates are increasing for the moderate day training.  

Hard Day

A hard day contains at least 2 workouts that are relatively hard or a competition. If your competition requires extra fuel from carbohydrates, use this plate to load up in the days before, throughout, and after the event day.

Carbohydrates are now half of your plate giving you optimal nutrition for glycogen repletion. 

Will you use the same plate every day? Probably not. Even if you’re in season your training can look different day to day. Will you have 7 days a week of hard vigorous training? I hope not. You may have 2 or 3 days a week of hard training and 3 to 4 days of moderate with a day or two for recovery/rest.

Working with a dietitian to determine the best performance plates per your training is one way to help improve your performance and your outcomes. Check out our podcast on building a performance plate.  If you need help with your sport’s performance book a free discovery call today to learn more about our programs!  

Tagged: Sports Nutrition, Athlete, nutrition

Doctors installed six screws in figure skater Sotnikova’s spine

March 2, 2020, 02:26

Winter Olympic sports

TASS, March 2. Six titanium screws were installed in the spine of Olympic champion Russian figure skater Adeline Sotnikova. The athlete’s agent Maria Shashina announced this in the program “The Fate of a Man with Boris Korchevnikov” on the Russia-1 TV channel.

Read also

Adelina Sotnikova announced her retirement

Also on Monday, the athlete announced her retirement on air.

“Adelina now has two implants in her spine, which are connected by a plate,” said Shashina. “And this plate is held by six titanium screws that were screwed into her spine so that she could return to the ice again and please the audience.”

Sotnikova herself spoke about why her health worsened.

“There was a serious operation, nothing foreshadowed, I was afraid of operations, since my sister went through three, – said Sotnikova. – In fact, it all started in the summer, I went on tour, and I had to pair up, learn paired elements, and this is a new load.From that moment I felt that my back hurts, and in November, it was the Grand Prix stage in Moscow, I just warmed up, neck, back, I start to crunch, and something seemed to fly out of me, which means , must be corrected. ”

The hand didn’t obey

“But in December I realized that I can’t sit, sleep, I need to find a position, because the thoracic region and the arm seemed to go numb from the shoulder,” the figure skater continued. “I didn’t understand what is happening, drinking pills – nothing helps.I thought I should go and do an MRI of the spine, understand what was happening, the doctor first told me in riddles, jokes, I even laughed, and then he said that, seriously, refuse the show , we will hospitalize you, go to bed now, you might just get stuck.”

“I understood that I can’t let people down either, and I had to negotiate with doctors to help me, they told me to lower everything to the level, almost like this, raise the handle, she did not obey, took it and lowered it, I lowered jumping load, didn’t do triples,” Sotnikova said, “I performed until February, and there were everyday performances, I had to do droppers, which, in principle, did not help, perform through pain, the doctors were really afraid, and then two weeks later she called and said: “Doctor, I’m all yours. ” I was told that my situation and operation were more serious than that of Evgeni Plushenko (the athlete was worried about his back for a long time, he underwent several operations – approx. TASS). He had so many operations, his whole back was already in these plates, at the moment I have it done on my neck.”

In addition to the gold medal of the Sochi Games, Sotnikova won the silver of the European Championships twice (2013, 2014). The figure skater has not competed since 2015.

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Winter Olympic sports

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Zen

“Everything is decided by the strength of an athlete, his character.” Do new technologies accelerate the progress of results?

Before the Beijing Olympics, many swimmers dreamed of a technological novelty – Speedo LZR Racer, but it turned out that records can be set in ordinary suits / Clive Rose / Getty Images

When Brazil’s Cesar Cielu broke the world record in the 100m freestyle in July 2009, few thought his record would last 13 years. At the end of the 2000s, a new generation of wetsuits caused a stir in the swimming world, with records falling almost every week.

The revolutionary Speedo LZR Racer with neoprene inserts stood out. It cost about $550 and was first used in competitions in February 2008, and by June swimmers from the USA and Australia had broken 38 world records in it. The climax was the Beijing 2008 Olympics, where the American Michael Phelps won eight gold medals in this suit.

“In this suit, mediocre swimmers suddenly become Martians,” said the titled Italian Filippo Magnini.

Speedo didn’t just win in the pool – shares of Japanese team outfitter Mizuno fell 2.8% a day after local idol Kosuke Kitajima broke the 200m breaststroke world record in June 2008. Speedo suit. Another Japanese outfitter, Asics, also suffered losses (down 3.6%), while Goldwin, which manufactures and sells Speedo goods in Japan, rose 19%.%.

Speedo’s competitors were outraged, but the “record drop” continued, and the International Aquatics Federation decided to ban the novelty in 2010. The measure worked: the achievement of Cielu, for example, was beaten only by the 17-year-old Romanian David Popovich only in the summer of 2022.

“Suits with neoprene inserts raised the swimmer’s body higher, did not allow him to dive to a depth where more resistance is created,” says Vedomosti. Sport”, silver medalist of the 2012 Olympics Evgeny Korotyshkin. – As a result, when you jump into the water, you are already dragging, for example, not 80, but 60 kg. The athlete needed to place more emphasis on strength training than on the feeling of the water. This allowed to reduce the amount of work in the pool, but at the same time increased the load in the gym. Before the advent of these suits, I swam an average of 10–12 km per workout, after about half as much, but in the gym I began to build up strength, increase long muscles.

In 2008, Manchester hosted the World Short Course Championships, where the US team competed in the new Speedo. The Russians faced her in the final of the 4x100m medley relay. “It seemed impossible to beat them. We went out in the old fabric Revolution suits from Arena and eventually overtook the Americans, breaking the world record at the same time! Then they realized that it was not about the costumes, but about ourselves. Records can be broken, the main thing is the mood, ”says Korotyshkin. In addition, he adds, the effectiveness of a neoprene suit depends on the athlete’s physique.

“Muscular swimmers like this suit better than skinny swimmers,” Korotyshkin explains. – The powerful Frenchman Alain Bernard also broke world records in the 100-meter crawl in it, and when he put on swimming trunks, everyone overtook him. In the short pool, I easily overtook Michael Phelps in a suit, but in the 50-meter pool he had no equal. Why? In short water, it is more difficult for a thin swimmer to make turns and accelerate. A muscular sprinter in its structure, and if a suit is added, it becomes lightning fast. In addition, the suit is not sewn according to individual patterns, this is an industrial production, and if a thin athlete puts it on, there are empty voids somewhere inside. Water is poured in there, it adds weight and slows down the swimmer.”

Not so fast!

Accusations of “technological doping” were also addressed to the best marathon runner of our time, Eliud Kipchoge from Kenya. In October 2019, he became the first person to run 42.2 km in less than two hours. The International Federation of Athletics (World Athletics) did not count the Kenyan’s record and soon issued a ban on the use of Nike Vapor Alphafly sneakers, in which Kipchoge ran the Vienna Marathon in 1:59.40.

Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge was accused of using “technological doping” / Zuma / TASS

As part of the Breaking2 project to break the two-hour marathon barrier, Nike 2017-2019. released three models of sneakers. The technology was based on reducing the energy consumption of the athlete through the use of a carbon plate and a dense layer of foam in the high sole. The first two models, with a sole height of 31 and 36 mm, respectively, were very popular with professionals and amateurs, but the main goal was not achieved. Kipchoge was able to overcome the distance of 42.2 km in less than two hours only in the third model. In it, the developers have invested three carbon plates and increased the height of the sole to 50 mm. After the result of the Kenyan in Vienna, World Athletics rewrote the regulations. From April 2020, athletes are allowed to run in shoes with only one plate, and the height of the sole cannot exceed 40 mm.

The head coach of the Running Community Sergey Korneev has a positive attitude towards the introduction of new technologies, if they do not harm the athlete.

“With a leg length of 1 m, the average step length will also be 1 m, and the additional height of the sole increases the step and the length of the lever when running,” Korneev explains to Vedomosti. Sports. – This, of course, is a plus, but when sneakers get worn down, they begin to strongly deform the foot, and this leads to negative consequences for the musculoskeletal system. If the sole is higher, then athletes with insufficient training risk serious injuries, such as twisting the foot.

According to Korneev, revolutionary solutions have been proposed by manufacturers before. Mizuno changed the plastic plate in the sole to a shock absorbing “wave”, Asics made gel inserts that improve cushioning, and Newton inserted a carbon plate long before Nike. “And it was never considered technological doping,” says Korneev.

According to the coach, the future lies in biomechanics – economical running technique (“when you understand how best to run – from the heel or forefoot, how to place your hands, etc.”) and physics (wind resistance).

Magic fibers

The evolution of pole vaulting is strongly linked to the introduction of technological innovations. Initially, the pole served a person to overcome water barriers, swamps and canals, and the British came up with the idea of ​​​​competing in a similar way in a vertical plane in the 1820s. In 1896, pole vaulting was included in the program of the first modern Olympics, in 1912 the American Mark Wright set the first official world record – 4. 02 m. In 1985, Sergei Bubka was the first to fly 6 m, and in the summer of 2022, the Swedish Armand Duplantis took a fantastic 6.21 m.

The path from wooden to carbon poles has been covered in two centuries and fit several stages of technological development. The poles were first made of ash and hazel, but the great weight and rigidity forced attention to bamboo.

“Bamboo poles made it easier to perform the jump due to flexibility, because the most difficult thing is the transfer of horizontal speed to vertical,” says Vedomosti. Sport”, silver medalist of the 1988 Games Radion Gataullin. “In this sense, they were even better than the aluminum ones that replaced them, but they also had a clear drawback – they dried out quickly and, as a result, broke very often.” According to Gataullin, the lightness of aluminum allowed the athletes to increase the speed of the run and raise the height of the grip – and the results increased.

“The real revolution began in the 1960s with the advent of poles made of multilayer fiberglass impregnated with epoxy resin,” continues Gataullin. – In the mid-1980s, another novelty came out, carbon fiber poles, but most athletes still use fiberglass. At the same time, the choice of one or another model depends more on the personal preferences of the athletes than on differences in the quality of the poles. I loved the Gill Athletics carbon poles, competed on them, and now my daughter jumps on them.”

According to Gataullin, carbon has advantages and disadvantages. “Carbon fiber bends well in bending, but not so much in tension-compression, in this it is inferior to fiberglass,” explains Gataullin.

In the late 1980s, the developers made another breakthrough: the reliable fiberglass pole was lightened by inserting a layer of carbon fiber.

“I jumped 6m on both fiberglass and carbon poles, they are about the same level,” explains Gataullin. – The use of carbon changes the properties of the pole, its character. Once you get used to it, it will be hard to jump on fiberglass poles and vice versa. By the way, Duplantis jumps on UCS Spirit fiberglass poles, just like Angelica Sidorova and all American jumpers. It is the most common pole in the world and is reliable, easy to handle and easy to replace.” A large men’s pole costs $700–800, Gataullin adds, while an athlete needs 5–6 poles for competitions and another 10–15 training poles.

Rollback

In skiing and biathlon, the demand for high-tech materials in the last couple of seasons is not dictated by the most popular measure – following the environmental regulations of the European Union, the International Ski Federation (FIS) decided to ban the use of fluorine-containing lubricants from the 2020/21 season. A total ban has been delayed three times due to a protracted debugging of the fluorine detection instrument, but it is already in effect for one of the substances – perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA or C8).

“As a result of the ban, skiing will be set back by about 20 years. There is a huge difference between lubricants with and without fluorine, it’s heaven and earth. Nothing is better than fluorine, especially for warm weather conditions,” says Viktor Golovin, senior serviceman of the Russian national ski team.

According to him, in a severe frost, you can prepare skis well without fluoride lubricants, but such weather does not happen very often at competitions.

“Most races today take place at -5/+5°C, in such weather fluorine-containing lubricants are indispensable – they repel liquid that forms on the surface of the snow, allowing skis to keep their sliding properties longer. By the way, lubricants containing fluorine will work better than those where there is no fluorine, and at -10–15 ° C, ”explains Golovin“ Vedomosti. Sports. At the same time, FIS has not yet solved the problem of testing, he adds.

“The problem is that this procedure was outsourced to the local authorities,” says Golovin. — For example, last season at the Tour de Ski in Germany, a local police squad came to us and took samples of lubricants to check them for the presence of fluorine. They took 5 g of powder and made a decision: there is fluorine. But this is logical – at this stage it is in all lubricants. But the check did not reveal what kind of substance in question – already banned C8 or still allowed C6. And all because they tested a small amount of powder. For a full-fledged laboratory analysis, which will accurately determine the type of fluorine, about 300 g of powder is required.”

Approximately 5-10 cans of product are used per competition with 15 athletes. “With an average price of 100 euros per can. And these are just lubricants, in addition to them we use paraffin, special washes, accelerators, sprays, etc.,” Golovin sums up.

According to Belarusian skier Yulia Tikhonova, who specializes in marathon distances, the ban on fluorine-containing lubricants will not significantly affect the results. “I passed a lot of tests, there is definitely no failure,” Tikhonova says to Vedomosti.ru. Sports.

According to the sportswoman, she won the Marchalong (70 km race in Italy from the prestigious Worldloppet marathon series. — Vedomosti.Sport) in 2014 without the use of fluorine.