Olympic Athlete Shares His Secrets of Staying Fit at Somers Event

When Eli Bremer was a teenager, he told a rapt audience recently at Krav Maga New York in Somers, he was the worst swimmer on the worst team in school. Through unrelenting focus and hard work, he eventually became the best swimmer in his age group in his home state of Colorado.

That lesson in how the mind can will the body to overcome even severe limitations of inborn talent was one of the inspiring nuggets the Olympic pentathlete shared during a talk sponsored by Shaklee Performance products, for which Bremer is a spokesperson. The event was hosted by Krav Maga owner Davide Gristina (pictured with Bremer holding a T-shirt).

In discussing the nuances of good nutrition and training, the Air Force Academy alumnus challenged common wisdom. He explained that a gym workout in itself will not produce desired results if it is not followed up by a very specific intake of food choices afterward. The recovery period following a workout is when muscles actually develop. The purpose of a workout is to break down muscle fiber, not build it up.

With that process firmly in mind, said Bremer, it's important to customize the measured consumption of proteins and carbohydrates to the type of exercise performed. If it's a cardio-vascular day of exercise, it should be followed by an emphasis on replenishing the body's carb requirement. If musculo-skeletal sets are the focus, such as weight training, the best way to maximize results is to bulk up afterwards on protein foods.

It's a delicate balance to maintain. For example, if an excess of carbs are not broken down into energy by being paired with the proper exercise, they will turn to sugar, which quickly can become unwanted fat.

Bremer, who reached as high as No. 2 in the world ranking for pentathletes in 2006, strongly recommends everyone take a multi-vitamin every day.

For more information, visit Eli Bremer's website.