Written by: Jonathan Toker, Ph.D., developer of SaltStick product

Consumers generally take for granted that the contents inside a bottle of supplement X matches exactly the label on the outside. Fortunately and for the most part, thanks to the rules currently in place, this is true. However, there are multiple opportunities during production where the contents of the bottle may no longer be represented correctly by the label. Somewhat analogous to bicycle frame builders, most brands of nutritional supplements are manufactured in a limited number of facilities, or contract labs. It’s not economically feasible for a small company with a product line of nutritional supplements to have its own production facility.

Contract labs specialize in production of supplements, analytical testing, and packaging. These labs can be either cGMP or non-cGMP compliant at this time, and the resulting product could be affected by the way the company treats each batch of product being produced. Until 2010, supplements can be legally produced in non-cGMP facilities. The actual contract lab used by any given supplement company is usually a guarded secret as part of one’s competitive advantage. Therefore, rather than looking to the name on the bottle, one must look at the actual contract lab as the source of the product, and the inherent production risks.

From start to finish at a contract lab

a) Starting Materials

Most contract labs source their raw materials from a wide range of outside suppliers, many of whom specialize in certain classes of materials, such as amino acids, protein powders, minerals, etc. Each supplier provides to the contract lab a certificate of analysis (COA) that is issued for each and every lot (batch) of raw material. Suppliers can be located overseas or domestically with the actual starting material produced anywhere around the world.

When raw materials are received by a contract lab, they should be positively identified. This is usually done easily and quickly by near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. By matching a characteristic fingerprint spectrum of the raw material with a reference spectrum for the material, identity can be confirmed. Purity (the percent active content of the material) is not usually assayed at this time, depending on the COA of the material for this and any other details. This is the first intersection where impurities that originated in the starting material factory or packaging would enter the contract lab undetected. Note that the NIR identity confirmation is not sensitive to pick up foreign matter in the raw material and is a bulk test only. 

An entirely different set of concerns arises with herbal ingredients. Many materials such as St. John’s wort, royal jelly, ginkgo biloba, yucca root, grape seed extract, and many others originate from plant extracts. Currently, there are few standards in place to qualify these raw materials for potency or purity. This means that a bottle containing 100 percent St. John’s wort may actually have 5 percent active while another labeled the same way may have double or triple that amount. The FDA final rule guidance on these materials is still 100 percent identification testing, which is problematic due to current analytical testing limitations of some of these materials. At this time, manufacturers can apply for an exemption to this testing. It is hoped within the herbal industry that further clarity on this situation will arise before the FDA final rule takes effect.

As a result of these regulations, products containing herbal ingredients are generally non-standardized and consumers need to be especially aware of potential issues with these products. As a visual rule-of-thumb, if the “Supplement Facts” panel indicates “Daily value not established” for a given ingredient, it is likely that less than adequate information is known about that particular ingredient. Not only are herbal ingredients of often unreliable content, but their toxicity and benefits have generally not been tested in clinical settings, which further prompts the warning: buyer beware.

b) Processing of ingredients

Once the raw materials are identified upon receipt, the contract lab prepares the formulation according to specifications required by the supplement company. This can include dry mixing, wet mixing, granulation, and other physical handling steps. Containers used for these processes are part of machines that can be manually or automatically operated. Often made of stainless steel parts, these complex mixing bowls are used for a given batch and then cleaned and readied for the next product, one that may be totally distinct from the batch before and after it. cGMP contract labs will follow a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that dictate how the machine is to be cleaned, rinsed, and dried. Some facilities conduct a “cleaning verification” whereby some of the rinse wash is tested for the active ingredient from the previous batch. Possible source of contamination #2 arises if a machine is incompletely or incorrectly cleaned leading to carryover from one product to another. In this way, for example, a steroid material from one product batch could be carried over to a protein supplement in the next batch of processed product.

c) Encapsulation/bottling/packaging of the product

The final step within the contract lab takes the mixed product into its final form for the consumer. This can include bulk powder in plastic tubs, pressing powder into pills, or filling capsules with powder. Once again, industry-specific machines are used for this step. Careful cleaning between batches of different product is critical to ensuring no cross-contamination between products. Once the product is in its final packaging, a quality control (QC) unit serves to qualify and inspect the final product. Once again following SOPs, the QC analyst inspects the product against specifications that can include fill weight, color, particle size and other physical characteristics.

Testing of the final product for quantitative content of active material is currently not required, but is coming into place with the new regulations by 2010. What this means is that upon QC approval and issuance of a batch-specific certificate of analysis (COA), the product is ready to be released to consumers. What is not positively known at that time is: Was production and mixing even and complete across the batch? Are there any foreign contaminants in the mixture? And most importantly, do the contents of that bottle match the writing on the label? Fortunately, the FDA final rule of June 22, 2007, requires manufacturers to address these questions. For contract labs already following cGMPs, implementation of these rules should be fairly straightforward, although costs to producers are likely to increase due to additional analytical work required. Expect non-cGMP contract labs to get in gear with the rules or face the prospect of shutting down in the coming years.

WADA and the difference between illegal and prohibited substances

At this juncture, it is worth defining the difference between an illegal substance and a prohibited substance. We are all familiar with materials that are regulated by the government that can include cocaine and other opiates, prescription products such as antibiotics, anti-seizure, antidepressants, etc., that are regulated as suitable for certain applications only, under the administration or prescription of a physician. Some of these materials are illegal under any circumstances while others can be used as needed by those to whom permission is granted (usually by a doctor’s prescription).

WADA has defined a list of substances for which their consumption has deemed to be “against the rules” of sport. Athletes who fall within a sport governed by WADA rules are responsible for observing the WADA prohibited substance list. To be clear: WADA-prohibited substances are not necessarily illegal from a regulated standpoint, but are listed because they can provide an athlete with an unfair advantage in sport. The consequence is that some WADA-prohibited substances can legally be produced in the same contract lab as other nutritional supplements. Looking back to the production discussed earlier, one can quickly determine how cross contamination between products can present an otherwise compliant athlete with a tainted product.

Does natural equal safe?

 Health food companies and pundits for healthy living often cite that something is “natural”, implying that this automatically equates to “good” or “safe.” It is worth noting here that the most toxic substances in the world are natural (botulism toxin, and other plant and animal toxins such as from the puffer fish and poison dart frog). In the context of nutritional supplements, your body does not know the difference between purified calcium carbonate from the White Cliffs of Dover and purified chalk produced in a laboratory. While allowing for certain unique natural preparations available only in nature, at a chemical level, there is no difference between a substance in “nature” vs. the “lab.” CaCO3 is CaCO3 wherever you find it. With the above under consideration, it is worth keeping an open mind on both synthetic and natural ingredients, and selecting one over the other as needed and on a scientific basis alone.

Who cares?

With the vast majority of athletes competing at the amateur level, one must ask if it matters if a little bit of X gets in my supplement? Focusing specifically on triathlon, age group athletes are not tested currently at any race except the annual ITU World Championship. Therefore the vast majority of triathletes will never see a drug test. Are they willing to pay a little bit more for a supplement that had been prepared in a cGMP contract lab and tested for WADA prohibited substances? The professionals are tested much more frequently and races worldwide. National governing bodies (NGB) such as USA Triathlon inform their athletes that they must comply with the WADA prohibited substance list, informing athletes that it is their own responsibility to do so. However, other than conducting their own testing or avoiding all nutritional supplements altogether, there is no way that a dedicated professional athlete can ensure that neither the food that they eat nor the supplements they consume are clean. Until now…

Sleep is often the most overlooked factor when considering injury prevention.  Sleep is without question the number one strategy for staying healthy in all respects and these days we get less and less of it.  Consider the average Ironman athlete who is juggling full time work with a family and 20+ hours of training per week.  No wonder we have become a nation addicted to caffeine!

Among other things sleeps primary function is to allow recovery on all levels.  Sleep is a heightened anabolic state, accentuating the growth and rejuvenation of the immune, nervous, skeletal and muscular systems. It is observed in all mammals, all birds, and many reptiles, amphibians, and fish.  So if you’re not getting enough sleep this is the first place to start if you want to avoid injury or illness.

Nutrition

People don’t often make the connection between nutrition and injury prevention but it might be one of the most crucial factors to consider.  Training involves a systematic breakdown of the body both physically and mentally.  Endurance sports (stress) triggers the release of cortisol, a catabolic hormone (meaning it breaks down molecules into smaller units).  We need cortisol to help metabolize sugars fats and proteins but it also suppresses the immune system and decreases bone formation.  Cortisol has the opposite effect of sleep by creating a catabolic (opposite of anabolic) state in the body.

If we don’t replace what we have lost after a training session it can be a recipe for injury.  What we ingest provides the building blocks for restoration.  This includes everything from water to solid food and of course supplementation.  We need to provide a steady flow of macro and micronutrients to allow for this recovery and effectively prevent injury.

Get a Coach

If you are considering tackling any kind of sport one of the best things you can do is employ the expertise of a good coach.  Endurance athletes in particular have a tendency to overdo it on a regular basis.  The “more is better” philosophy seems to be ingrained in our psyche not matter how flawed it actually is.  A good coach will offer two things.  First and foremost, smart planning.  A good coach will structure a program to allow for periods of work and periods of recovery and if it’s done properly your body will adapt and get stronger after each load.  Secondly, a good coach offers an objective look at how you are actually doing.  Sometimes it’s tough to make smart calls on your own.  A good coach can see what’s happening from outside of your “box” and help you make the right call when your body is breaking down.

Great Technique

Sports by nature are very repetitive.  Endurance sports in particular lend themselves mainly to overuse injuries.  Overuse injuries can be caused by too much of a good thing or simply poor technique.  Proper biomechanics and technique are critical when you are repeating movements over and over again.  It’s important to consider technique all the way up the chain from your feet to your upper body.  Take cycling for example.  Not only is it important to learn how to pedal properly but it’s also crucial to be set up on your bike and in your shoes in such a way to allow you to pedal properly.  How your feet interact with the shoe and pedal is as important as the actual training.  Technical practice is as important as energy system practice.

Be Cross Fit- Be Athletic

Endurance sports have a nasty habit of getting people moving in one plane and in very fixed positions.  Sports such as running and biking require a more or less fixed position whereby the legs and arms move linearly with very little variation.  Counter balancing these movements with alternate exercises is very important when considering injury prevention.  It’s important to work opposing muscle groups on a regular basis.  In the off-season one strategy is to become cross fit.  Try different activities that challenge you muscularly.  When you are in-season make sure you pay some attention to opposing muscle groups so you don’t overdevelop your prime movers.

Good Pain vs. Bad Pain

The expression “listen to your body” is used regularly but what does it actually mean?  When considering injury prevention it means everything.  It means acquiring the ability to know the difference between good pain and bad pain.

Discomfort is necessary in sport in order to move to higher levels of performance,  we need good pain.  Good pain occurs with normal physical exertion and includes things like increased breathing rate, lactic acid build up and muscle fatigue.

Bad pain is anything that doesn’t feel “right” and can often be pinpointed directly as in “it hurts here”.  Bad pain is anything that causes us to move out of our normal range of motion or biomechanical pattern in order to compensate for the pain.

The best athletes know when to push through good pain and when to recognize and heed the signs of bad pain.

Use an injury prevention specialist

Believe it or not there are professions that specialize in recovery and injury prevention.  Massage therapists, Physiotherapists, Chiropractors and Yoga instructors are all examples of professionals in the recovery and injury prevention business.  Massage therapy for example increases blood flow to muscle groups, which provide oxygen and nutrients that help repair damaged tissues.  Chiropractors focus on the spine and nerve pathways to make sure you are firing properly.  Physiotherapy focuses on maintaining proper movement and function  throughout the body.  Yoga is a form of physical and meditative practice that has been used for its restorative properties for thousands of years.  So when considering injury prevention, remember that you can and should seek the advice of a professional.

This recipe makes about 50 cups of granola. Exact quantities and type of flake, nut or dried fruit doesn’t seem to matter too much, so long as you end up with the correct balance of wet/dry and sweet ingredients. A batch this size will last at least a couple of months and costs less than $100. If you are a smaller family it is easier to make half a batch. It can be frozen to be enjoyed later.

1) Mix together in a large bowl or big rubber maid storage totes (C=Cup):

8 C oat flakes (old-fashioned rather than “quick oats”)
5 C triticole
6 C rye flakes
6 C wheat flakes
6 C other flakes (wheat germ, kamut, soy, rice, etc)
6 C oat bran
4 C bran flakes
4 C pumpkin seeds
2 C walnuts or pecans
1 C cashews
2 C pine nuts
2 C almonds

2) Mix and add to the grains:

5 C brown sugar
2 C maple syrup
3 C oil

3) Spread out a layer of the raw granola in a cake pan and on a cookie sheet (we usually use large reusable alumina turkey pan) and bake at about 350 for about an hour, stirring every fifteen minutes. The average-sized oven will allow you to bake four 8 x 11 inch pans at a time.

Hint: While cookie sheets are fine we tend to use cake pans because less of the granola ends up on the floor!

4) When granola is cool add raisins, dried cranberries, chopped fruits like figs, dates, dried papaya or apricots and such. Ollie uses about 10 cups of fruits for this amount of granola.

5) Freeze extra granola to keep it fresh.

Everyone is different. Endurance athletes have different bodies, different training programs and different race day needs. It makes sense that people will need different amounts of carbohydrates, proteins and electrolytes in their nutrition product. Sure you can vary the number of gels you take, add water to your Gatorade and carry salt tablets with you, and with some trial and error figure out how to make that work. But you don’t need to do that anymore. We have found a product that does that for you – INFINIT Nutrition.

INFINIT helps you take care of your personal training and racing macro-nutrient and hydration needs in a way that no other product can. INFINIT allows you to adjust total calories, flavour, protein, electrolytes, caffeine and amino acid levels, and even fine tune the blend of three different carbohydrates to match your chosen sport, distance and personal needs. INFINIT puts you in the unique position of being able to fuel yourself with exactly what is right for you and choose a flavour that you will be able to consume. We have been really impressed with how easy their system is to use – visit their website, do an initial questionnaire that asks specific details about you and your needs or go straight to the formula section and adjust the amounts of each item. They even offer phone support to help you figure out your optimal formula. You can make different formulas for training and racing and can even save your formulas for easy access on subsequent visits or to adjust as required. What a great idea.

Forget figuring out how many gels, bars and salt tablets you need. You can get it all in one drink in a formula that meets your specific needs to help avoid any gastric distress, cramping or bonking that might occur from using a generic product. AND it is all liquid, so if formulated at the right concentration it will be emptied freely from the stomach and then readily absorbed into the small intestine. We like products that are backed by science, and this one is.

For more information, visit http://www.infinitnutrition.ca/

Because the bones gradually become weaker, they will probably break in a minor fall or, if left untreated, even from simple things like a sneeze.  The most common fracture sites include the hip, wrist and spine, although any bone in the body can be affected.

A diagnosis of osteopenia or osteoporosis could be scary, leading some people to quit exercise due to fear it will cause fractures. 

The reality is that those with low bone mass should make sure to exercise often. Being active may not simply aid the prevention of osteoporosis, but slow bone loss once it has already begun.  Before beginning a training program, it is important to talk with a medical expert for guidelines, as degree of bone loss determines exactly what workout is best.  Physicians can assess bone mineral density and fracture risk by scanning the body by using a special kind of X-ray machine.

As well as exercise, treatment may include dietary modifications and/or estrogen replacement therapy.  The more you know concerning this condition, the more you can do to help prevent its onset.

To create strength and bone mass, both weight-bearing and resistance training exercises are ideal.

Weight-bearing workouts are those that require the bones to fully support your weight against gravity.  Examples are walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing or using an elliptical machine.  Non-weight bearing exercises include biking, swimming, water aerobics and rowing.  Weight-bearing activities such as walking as little as 3 x per week will benefit the bones.

Resistance training places mechanical force (stress) on our bodies, which in turn increases bone mineral density.  Start by lifting light weights, moving in a slow and controlled manner, increasing resistance when you become stronger.

It is usually highly recommended that individuals with osteoporosis avoid the following kinds of activity:

• Step aerobics and high-impact activities including running, jumping, tennis.
• Activities that involve rounding, bending and twisting on the spine.
• Moving the legs sideways or across the body, particularly when performed against resistance.
• Rowing machines, trampolines.
• Any kind of movement that involves pulling on the head and neck.

Exercise Tips:

• Even if you don’t have osteoporosis, you should seek advice from your health care provider prior to starting a fitness program.
• Remember to warm-up before starting and cool down at the conclusion of each exercise session.
• To find the best benefit to your bone health, combine several different weight-bearing exercises.
• When you build strength, increase resistance, or weights, instead of repetitions.
• Remember to drink a lot of water whenever exercising.
• Vary the types of exercise that you try every week.
• Combine weight bearing and resistance exercise with aerobic exercises to help increase your overall health.
• Bring your friend along to help you continue or better yet, bring your family and encourage them to be healthy.
• Add more physical activity in your day; take the stairs vs. the elevator, park further way, and walk to your co-worker’s office instead of emailing.

Put LIVE into action!

L – Load or weight-bearing exercises make a difference to your bones

I – Intensity builds stronger bones.

V – Vary the kinds of exercise and your routine to keep interested.

E – Enjoy your exercises. Make exercise fun so you will continue in to the future!

Specific factors boost the probability of developing osteoporosis.  While a few of these risk factors are controllable, others are not.  Risk factors that could be controlled are: Sedentary lifestyle, excess intake of protein, sodium, caffeine and/or alcohol, smoking, calcium and Vitamin D deficiencies and taking certain medicines.  Body size (small frame), gender, family history and ethnicity are risk factors that cannot be controlled.  Women can lose up to 20 percent of their bone mass in the five to seven years after menopause, which makes them more vunerable to osteoporosis. 

It is never too soon to start considering bone density. 

• About 85-90 % of adult bone mass is acquired by age 18 in girls and 20 in boys. 
• Nutrition and Exercise are critical for Healthy Bones in childhood and Adolescence
• Much of the reserve of healthy bone is built in youth and before the age of 30.
• Women may be more susceptible to an inadequate foundation process at this time than men.
• Sufficient calcium intake,a balanced diet with a lot of fruit and veggies and load-bearing exercise will be the recommendations for solid bone growth when you’re young.

Even if you do each of the right things while maturing and into adulthood, your inherited characteristics- your genes -can present you with bones that are susceptible to osteoporosis. This is even greater reason to maximize your lifestyle to prevent poor bone health.

Writer’s note: The info provided on this article are designed to support, not substitute, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her physician.

Michelle Aultman writes for the elliptical machine blog, her personal hobby blog dedicated to guidelines to prevent osteoporosis trough fitness at home.  She has no professional intent and does not accept direct source of advertising coming from health or pharmaceutical firms, doctors or clinics and websites. All content provided by her is based on her editorial judgment and is not driven by an advertising purpose.

Eating bacon, sausage, hot dogs and other processed meats can raise the risk of heart disease and diabetes, U.S. researchers said on Monday in a study that identifies the real bad boys of the meat counter.

Eating unprocessed beef, pork or lamb appeared not to raise risks of heart attacks and diabetes, they said, suggesting that salt and chemical preservatives may be the real cause of these two health problems associated with eating meat.

The study, an analysis of other research called a meta-analysis, did not look at high blood pressure or cancer, which are also linked with high meat consumption. “To lower risk of heart attacks and diabetes, people should consider which types of meats they are eating,” said Renata Micha of the Harvard School of Public Health, whose study appears in the journal Circulation. “Processed meats such as bacon, salami, sausages, hot dogs and processed deli meats may be the most important to avoid,” Micha said in a statement.
Based on her findings, she said people who eat one serving per week or less of processed meats have less of a risk.

The American Meat Institute objected to the findings, saying it was only one study and that it stands in contrast to other studies and the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. “At best, this hypothesis merits further study. It is certainly no reason for dietary changes,” James Hodges, president of the American Meat Institute, said in a statement.

Most dietary guidelines recommend eating less meat. Individual studies looking at relationships between eating meat and cardiovascular diseases and diabetes have had mixed results.
But studies rarely look for differences in risk between processed and unprocessed red meats, Micha said.

She and colleagues did a systematic review of nearly 1,600 studies from around the world looking for evidence of a link between eating processed and unprocessed red meat and the risk of heart disease and diabetes. They defined processed meat as any meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or with the addition of chemical preservatives. Meats in this category included bacon, salami, sausages, hot dogs or processed deli or luncheon meats. Unprocessed red meat included beef, lamb or pork but not poultry.
They found that on average, each 50 grams daily serving of processed meat a day — one to two slices of deli meats or one hot dog — was associated with a 42 per cent higher risk of heart disease and a 19 per cent higher risk of developing diabetes.

They found no higher heart or diabetes risk in people who ate only unprocessed red meats.

The team adjusted for a number of factors, including how much meat people ate. They said lifestyle factors were similar between those who ate processed and unprocessed meats. “When we looked at average nutrients in unprocessed red and processed meats eaten in the United States, we found that they contained similar average amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol,” Micha said. “In contrast, processed meats contained, on average, four times more sodium and 50 percent more nitrate preservatives,” Micha added.

Last month, the Institute of Medicine urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to regulate the amount of salt added to foods to help Americans cut their high sodium intake. The FDA has not yet said whether it will regulate salt in foods, but it is looking at the issue

A main area of consideration for dental health for endurance athletes is tooth structure health.  This area of health relates to tooth decay and erosion.  Both involve loss of tooth structure.  Decay is loss of tooth structure from bacterial acid production.  Erosion is loss of tooth structure from dietary acid or gastric (stomach) acid.

Long periods of training or racing cause metabolic events that can reduce salivary flow.  Saliva has a cleansing and buffering function for both acid and bacteria.  As salivary flow is reduced, the oral environment may become more acidic.  Dentists now believe that decay can happen because of many (possibly more than 300 different types of bacteria).  The process is due to the biofilm on teeth.  The pH of the mouth can select for bacteria.  The more acidic the oral environment the greater the selection pressure for bacteria who produce and live in an acidic environment.  This can lead to increased risk of decay.

Sport drinks are often low pH.  Some energy drinks  have a pH of battery acid.  In addition, they may contain citric acid which binds calcium.  This is a serious problem as the acid dissolves calcium from teeth and the citric acid binds it and takes it away.

To ensure that endurance sport activity does not have a deleterious effect on tooth structure, it is best to consult your dentist.  There are tests available to determine the decay risk of an individual’s bacterial biofilm.  There are management protocols to break up the biofilm, increase the pH and put selection pressure for healthier bacteria in the oral environment.  This can reduce the risk of decay.  Your dentist can also advise you related to use of sport drink and maintaining dental health.  The goal should be to enjoy the health benefits of endurance sport and not compromise dental health.

Dr. Derek Hopkins (DMD, MS, RDT, FRCD(C)) is a restorative dental specialist practising in Victoria, British Columbia.

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Line 2-3 baking trays with parchment paper.
• Combine dry ingredients; from oats to raisins.
• Combine wet ingredients: from water to soy milk.
• Stir dry and wet together until just combined.
• Portion cookie dough using 1/3 C measure and place on baking tray.
• Gently flatten cookies.
• Bake for 24 minutes or until lightly browned.

“It’s an amazing experience that is hard to describe in a few words. I think Howard best described it when he said : Some of the best moments are taken from the worst times.  Mother Nature throws everything possible at you; storms, negative drift, whiteout, thin ice, high winds, extreme cold. You name it, we survived it.  Our team was strong, we worked together well…during the last 5 days, we only slept 11 hours in order to best the southern drift and reach the Pole as expediently as possible.

With the support 7SYSTEMS provided our bodies during the expedition, I now want to start offering it to all the polar expeditions I train.  I really believe it makes a difference.”

7 Questions from 7SYSTEMS

1. What accomplishment are you most proud of in your athletic career?

RW: In 1995 my Russian friend and I skied from Canada to the North Pole and back to Canada with no outside assistance. It took 122 days. It is the only (verified) expedition ever to go to the Pole and return without outside assistance.

2. What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?

RW: Great things are done by a series of small steps brought together.

3. What motivates you to get up every day and kick your own ass?

RW: At my age I do not have to kick my ass – it comes naturally.

4. Who is the person you look up to most and why?

RW: Roald Amundsen. “Adventure is bad planning”

5. If you were stranded on an island what book would you want to have with you?

RW: A survival book!

6. What’s your favorite unhealthy snack?

RW: Nachos

7. What is the best restaurant you’ve ever been too and what did you eat there?

RW: Les Fougeres in Chelsea Quebec is my favourite restaurant.

Read more about the Weber Actic Expedition to the North Pole.

Jen knows a lot about health.  After spending her high school years competing in multiple team sports, Jen went to Queen’s University, where she competed on the varsity cross-country and swim teams. It was during this time that she joined the triathlon club, and began to focus her athletic attention on triathlon. While in her third year at Queen’s, Jen accompanied a friend to a World University Games qualifying race, and ended up earning herself a spot. This first international exposure gained her entry to the National Triathlon Centre, where she remained  a resident athlete from 2000-2004. During this time she raced ITU events around the world, with results including 3rd place at Canadian Elite Nationals, 1st at University Championships, and ITU finishes as high as 8th. Jen twice qualified to represent Canada at Elite U23 World Championships, and was later a member of the Canadian National Development Team. After taking five years off of racing triathlons to do her Master’s and start her career as a Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Jen has recently returned to triathlon, and is training with Human Powered Racing in Victoria BC.