Why knowing you still have a lot to learn is a good thing (even at the age of 54!)

 I have just spent this weekend attending a virtual sports nutrition summit which was organised by the eminent sports scientist Professor Asker Jeukendrup. There were  speakers from around the world talking about a diverse range of topics such as nutrition for female athletes to the pros and cons of the ketogenic diet.  I love keeping up-to-date with scientific developments as it is fundamental to my work - I want to ensure that any information I produce or advice I give to individual clients is as accurate and evidence-based as possible.

Thinking about what I wanted to write about in this week’s blog led me to reflect on something I had heard in another online course. This was completely unrelated to science, but the speaker Jeff Walker was talking about how he felt it was his "sacred" mission to help people set up online businesses. He emphasised that he wasn't coming from a religious angle, but purely that he felt that was his purpose in life. So I guess my take on this would be that my "sacred" mission is to convey and capture my love of science and communicate this to people whether they are from a scientific background or not.

If this all sounds a bit esoteric then bear with me...

So what makes me believe this and more importantly why should you listen to me?

Right from an early age I have always been fascinated by the world around me and wanted to know how things worked. I probably got this from my dad who was dubbed a "nosey-parker" by his family doctor when he was a boy and had got into some scrape! My thirst for knowledge continues to this day and I still delight and marvel in the complexities of life and nature (a recent comment said "you have such a passion for science that it shines through big time") I am acutely aware that as one question is answered it tends to throw open a whole new range of other questions - that is the nature of scientific endeavour/research and is probably one of the main driving forces of what makes researchers continue asking those awkward questions.

Before I qualified as a dietitian and studied sports and exercise nutrition I was a research scientist and so I have first hand experience of how the scientific method works. I did a PhD at Birkbeck College, University of London where I studied potential mechanisms that lead to atherosclerosis or "hardening" of the arteries, followed by a post-doctorate at the University of California Berkeley where I was part of a large multidisciplinary team who were investigating the roles of antioxidants. 

SO I BASICALLY “GET” THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS 😀

If we go back even further in time I worked as a teacher having graduated from university after my BSc and MSc. I worked in Hong Kong for 3 years firstly in a private tutorial company where I helped children from the ages of 11 pass the science part of the  "common entrance" exam into very prestigious English public schools (like Eton), right up to 'A' level biology and chemistry and the Oxbridge entrance exam. Following this I went on to be a chemistry and biology teacher at the French International School where I taught both those subjects at GCSE and baccalaureate level (the French equivalent of 'A' levels). I am still proud to this day that all my pupils passed their exams - so I must have been doing something right!! (my grandfather was my inspiration to teach as he had taught chemistry in China in Mandarin no less…) 

So you might be thinking this all sounds well and good, but how does this benefit me? What will I get out of it?

Well good question - I would like you to think of me as your scientific guide/advocate/buddy, not in all scientific areas I hasten to add, but certainly in terms of your nutrition and how that impacts on your exercise potential and performance. Nutrition is a real minefield in terms of what kind of information is out there and everyone has an opinion.  Now I am not saying people shouldn't express their thoughts and opinions, but there can be real life health implications for you if you follow somebody's advice that isn't based on robust evidence and proper scientific understanding. There are plenty of celebrities who spring to mind, even some professional athletes (Professor Louise Burke coined a great expression “anecdata” when one athlete’s experience is extrapolated to the entire population) who quite happily pontificate about what you should or shouldn’t be eating and/or drinking without understanding the whole picture.

There is a lot of mistrust around "experts" at the moment and sure they are not deities, but it can be disingenuous and potentially dangerous to dismiss them. A “true” expert as opposed to a self-proclaimed one will have spent many years of their life accumulating knowledge and experience in their particular field of study/interest. The research they will have published will have come under close scrutiny from their academic peers. In a nutshell “ they know what they are talking about”.

So I guess if I were to expand upon what is my "sacred mission" it would be engaging with as many people as possible to help them understand and apply the information that is pertinent to them. I want you to make informed nutritional choices that not only improves your overall health, but enhances your sporting life too- whether it is achieving a PB, cycling or running further or harder than you imagined possible or training your gut so that you can take on all the necessary nutrients you need.

I would love to hear what fascinates you or holds you back in terms of what you eat and drink and how that affects how you exercise. Feel free to leave me a comment and we can start a discussion...