In an effort to raise the level of awareness of nutrition and supplementation in The Bahamas, Olympic relay silver medalist and owner of Da Bahamian Dream sports and lifestyle nutrition stores Andretti Bain is offering free private sports nutrition seminars to teams, athletes and schools around the country.
Bain, who was recently listed as one of Oral Roberts University's (ORU) 50 most influential alumni, said although his store has only been open about three years now, he's always had a passion for sports nutrition. He added that a lack of education on supplementation and sports nutrition locally is what's keeping a lot of Bahamian athletes from reaching the next level in their respective athletic careers.
"What I'm really trying to do is just bring about awareness and education in regard to proper nutrition for athletes and the general public," he said. "Whether you're a recreational athlete or an athlete aspiring to go to college or play at the professional level, you have to have a good foundation in sports nutrition.
"What you take in determines how your body operates, and since I moved back home in 2012, I've realized that's the major difference between local Bahamian athletes and the ones training abroad. We have a poor diet here, and it shows with the high level of avoidable diseases. This is at the company's expense, but I'm meeting with as many schools and clubs as possible to try and spread the word and educate them on proper nutrition."
Bain had a standout collegiate career for the ORU Golden Eagles, setting school and conference records. The 11-time all-American added that aside from poor nutrition, the lack of education on supplementation among local athletes, as it relates to taking banned substances, is too high in a time when you have access to the lists of banned substances for every sport.
"I've taken supplements throughout my entire career, and that's one of the main reasons my career has seen the kind of longevity that it has," he said. "People automatically assume that once something comes in a bottle or in pill form, it's steroids, and that's so far from the truth.
"In a time when foods aren't as nutritional as they used to be and people eating more junk than ever, most of these supplements simply make up for the gaps in a person's nutrition, providing them with nutrients they aren't getting from food. It's hard to push your body to the limit every day without refueling it completely, which usually leads to injury."
All interested persons are asked to contact Bain at any of his two store locations - Farrington Road (601-7436) and East Bay Street (356-2348).
Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian
