Athletes and High Cholesterol

Athletes should be aware that despite being in great physical shape, they are still at risk of having high cholesterol.

It came as quite a shock to me the day my doctor informed me that a routine blood test revealed my bad cholesterol had reached higher levels than showed on blood tests of just the year previous. having spend almost 30 years training and competing in endurance events this was certainly a wake-up call for me.

Like many athletes, I assumed it was a malady that tended to affect the overweight and out of shape. This is a serious misconception.

It hardly seemed fair that this would happen after over 35 marathons and many triathlons and all the training and dieting over the years that went into the preparation for these events.

As I was to learn, high cholesterol can be hereditary and in that case has nothing to do with your level of fitness. I was fortunate in the sense that the results were not at the stage where drugs were the only option to bring my cholesterol readings down to an acceptable level.

Whenever possible, I believe it is wiser to exhaust all options before resorting to prescription medication no matter what ailment one is dealing with. Prescription medication often comes with side effects that can also cause serious problems.

Paying attention to your diet is an excellent choice when it comes to lowering your cholesterol. Avoiding high glycemic carbs like white rice, potatoes and white pasta is a good start. Better options are brown rice, sweet potatoes or yams and whole wheat pasta and bread. Studies have also shown that a serving of oat bran or oatmeal everyday will significantly lower bad cholesterol, as will a few handfuls of almonds on a daily basis. It is reported that just those two small changes can lower cholesterol by over 12%. So certainly it is worth a try before resorting to drugs.

Most important of all however, is that regardless of how slim, fit and healthy you are, its important to get blood tests on a regular basis so your cholesterol can be monitored. Don't fall into the trap that it can never happen to you--because it can.