British Tennis Forum - Celebrating 20 Years!

Julia Carrot · All-time great

I've written a book!

Sheddie · administrator

Elegant Point wrote:
Fantastic achievement, congratulations!! IMO definitely a link. Just been reading about GLP-1 drugs - also very interesting.

A bit off point, but am doing dry January (easy) and no chocolate (hard)

Thank you! Yes, the GLP-1s are quite interesting in the context of longevity, some researchers feel that they could also become the first anti-ageing drugs. There's accumulating evidence that they can also reduce inflammatory pathways as well as helping suppress appetite. But there's also some other emerging compounds which may be even more interesting - still very early days, but there's a huge amount of investment going into lifespan-extension science at the moment.

And completely feel you - it's a very individual thing, but for me as well, I find sugar addiction far more powerful than alcohol cravings. I did one experiment for the book where I had to drastically reduce my sugar intake for several months, and for the first fortnight, it was torture, very strong withdrawal symptoms

Sheddie · administrator

Julia Carrot wrote:
Brilliant. I look forward to reading it. A subject dear to my heart.... I despair frequently with the ignorance there is of the connection between our health and what we eat, and most especially, how when we are ill the last thing we need is sweets and comfort foods but yet that is what many people resort to, and in hospitals ice cream seems to be top favourite with the frail and elderly and there is little guidance toward steering them to healthier choices. Same with sports people - how come nobody ever seems to tell them that sugar increases inflammation and they really should read the labels of anything packaged they consume.

Thanks so much Julia! Completely agree - hospital food is shocking, both for the patients and families themselves, but also for medical staff who really do need optimal nutrition to be able to cope with stressful jobs and needing to perform optimally.

Yes I think so many athletes assume that through doing so much exercise, their bodies can simply burn off anything, but it doesn't work like that. More and more research showing that diet is so important in injury prevention

indiana · Tennis legend

Tbf, elite sport has been taking diet more seriously for a fair while now, and increasingly so. I think football for example with nutritionists and other staff much more concerned about what players are eating and drinking ( maybe not so much the England cricket team! )

While no doubt they are looking at it very much from a pure performance point of view, I would think that it will be good for them healthwise in the short and long term.