By Sharleen Hoar, PhD., CMPC

Sharleen Hoar is a Mental Performance Consultant and a member of the Canadian Sport Psychology Association with post graduate training in sport psychology, sport science and psychology.

My first experience meeting a mental performance consultant (MPC) came at a national figure skating camp. I was 15 years old and had been selected to attend based on my results in the provincial competition the previous fall. I remember the gentleman was older and kind. He asked me to complete a questionnaire that was to alert me to my mental strengths and weaknesses. It was a pleasant exchange and I think that I was surprised at how the questionnaire could reveal so much about myself that I didn’t really have words for. But that was the last time I would have the opportunity to meet with a mental performance consultant despite continuing with the sport competitively for another three years.

When sport psychology concepts are applied to performance, the term used is “mental performance”, which is understood as the capability with which individuals use cognitive processes (such as attention, decision-making, perception, memory, reasoning), and mental/self-regulation competencies (e.g., knowledge and skills) to perform in their changing environment. Examples of competencies include goal setting, planning, motivation, self-confidence, arousal/emotion/attentional control, imagery, resilience, self-talk, stress management, communication, leadership, and evaluation.

Thus, mental performance is focused on developing mental competencies, much like a strength and conditioning coach is focused on developing muscular strength and endurance. Sometimes I like to refer to mental training as “brain training”. It’s taking your mind to a “mind gym” with the intention of engaging in ways of thinking, feeling and/or behaving to develop the neural circuits needed to execute movements automatically.

Let me provide you with an example of mental performance training. It is normal for cyclists to feel pain while riding at the upper limits of their physical capacity. This results from a physiological mechanism that is directed from the brain to protect the body from injury. In other words, this a biological “hard wiring” phenomenon. However, the pain that one can withstand differs across riders. That is, some cyclists can ride with more pain for longer periods of time compared to other riders. Why is this? There are many theories to describe this phenomenon including psychological.

Sport psychology research demonstrates that riding with others can distract the attention to the pain, enabling the cyclist to push harder for a longer period of time. Other research demonstrates that stating positive words, that are regarded as authentic truths, such as “[your name] is a fast rider”, “[your name] will push to the top of this hill”, “[your name] dances on these pedals” and the like contributes to perseverance, increased problem-solving, higher levels of effort, and, in many instances, increased performance.

The crux of mental performance training is that it needs to be practiced regularly, every day. These mental competencies often are not our “natural” way of doing things. When we feel pain, we want to stop. That’s natural. However, during racing, when you are pushing your limits, when it matters to you most, you want your brain to search for those positive words to get that extra bit of physiological capacity or muscular power that you’ve trained.

Top performing athletes are healthy, happy, and physically competent to meet the demands of the competition. The mind works with the body to produce performance. I wish I had known this when I figure skated and strived to compete at the highest level in my chosen sport. I spent so much time on the ice physically training while disregarding how I was training my mind. The growth of the field and the number of professionals that athletes can now access is a testament to the importance of mental performance training for athletic performance. I feel fortunate to be working with Cycling Canada to support athletes, coaches, and staff at their stages of development on their cycling journey.

By Sarah Orban, Member of the National Sprint Team & Founder of the Sorbs Cooking Food Blog

Nutrition is an essential part of my life. As an athlete, it helps me to perform at my best and recover faster from each training session. I do my best to make fuelling my top priority, especially during a big training block. Here is what I would normally eat in a typical day:

Breakfast

I have a smoothie for breakfast every morning; not only does it kick start my day with a great source of hydration but is also easier digested and quick to make on the go when I have an early morning session. I usually finish my morning smoothie 30 minutes before I start training.

Once the session is complete, I follow it with a recovery shake, ensuring that I get the right amount of carbs and protein. Post-workout, my shake consists of almond milk, frozen strawberries and a protein/carb mix.

Morning Smoothie Recipe

• ½ cup orange juice
• ½ cup honey Greek yogurt
• Generous handful of fresh spinach
• ¼ cup frozen strawberries or any frozen fruit
• 1 banana
• 1 scoop unflavoured whey protein
• 1 tsp ground flaxseed

Lunch

I typically have lunch 2-3 hours before I start the second session, which gives me the right amount of time to digest and be fuelled up before training. I find it most convenient to have a meal cooked ahead of time and ready to go, that way there is no time wasted on training days and more time for recovering in between sessions. This is one of my go-to recipes.

Cheeseburger Quiche Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
• 8oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 4 tablespoons cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 8-12 eggs
• 1/4 cup half & half cream
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (my favourite is Valentina)
• Shredded cheese for sprinkling on top

Instructions

1. Cook the ground beef, onions and garlic in a skillet on medium-high heat until beef is browned, breaking up while it cooks. Drain fat.
2. Add the cream cheese, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and half of the salt to the skillet and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until cream cheese is melted and is well combined.
3. Spread the beef mixture into a greased baking dish. Drain the liquid from the canned tomatoes and squish any excess liquids from the tomatoes, then sprinkle on top of the beef mixture.
4. Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and whisk together with the half & half cream until combined. Stir in the pepper, remaining salt and hot sauce.
5. Pour the egg mixture over the beef and tomatoes, then top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350°F degrees for 30 minutes or until the eggs are fully cooked.

Following the second session, I have another recovery shake, again with almond milk, frozen strawberries and a protein/carb mix. Refuelling after training is crucial to enhancing performance, so I make sure to replenish my body after each training session regardless if it is low, moderate or high intensity. I will, however, adjust the amount of carbs/protein intake according to the intensity. I am always thinking about the 3 R’s of recovery: rebuild, refuel & rehydrate!

Dinner 

I find it relaxing to be in the kitchen and experiment with different dishes that makes fueling delicious. I always aim to cook a balanced meal that includes a source of protein, carbohydrate, vegetable and fat. This is one of my favourite yet simple dishes that I make on the regular while in a training block: Balsamic Sweet Chili Chicken served over quinoa.

This simple dish will have you out of the kitchen in 30 minutes or less! It’s colourful, flavourful and super easy to whip up. A combination of sweet and spicy with hints of balsamic and basil.

Balsamic Sweet Chili Chicken Recipe

Ingredients 

• 3-4 boneless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• 2 sliced peppers, red & yellow
• 1 small sweet onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped basil or basil paste
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Instructions

1. Heat skillet on medium-high, add avocado oil, minced garlic and chopped onions and cook for 2 minutes until soft and fragrant.
2. Add chicken slices and remaining ingredients to skillet, cook for about 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and simmer sauce until slightly reduced.
3. Add sliced peppers and leave on heat until the peppers are cooked to your preference.
4. Serve over cooked quinoa.

Fuelling needs are different for everyone. Personally, I have found that it takes trial and error to learn what works best during different types of training and competition. If you’re willing to put in the time and effort to learn, it can be incredibly beneficial in the long run.

To stay updated on all of my latest recipes and meal prep ideas you can check out my website: www.sorbscooking.com or follow me on Instagram: @saraheorban or @sorbs_cooking. Enjoy!