12 September 2024
In episode 6 of “On Protein” we talk to Ivan Nedelchev – an expert in the field of sports and healthy lifestyle, who shares valuable experience on the proper use of supplements and the importance of physical activity. From workout boosters to preventative health – learn how supplements complement your daily routine and why activity is the key to longevity.
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We’re experimenting with the welcome drink again and we whipped up a nitrogen booster in the shaker this time. What is it? It’s a product that is taken before a workout so it can give you more focus, strength and energy. There are different types of boosters and are usually taken when you’re feeling sluggish and want to put 100% into your workout.
Now let’s get to the meat of the episode, starting with the question – Who is Ivan Nedelchev? Many of you already know him and have even seen him in our halls, but let’s find out how he answers this question.
Ivan Nedelchev is a very ordinary man, in love with sports. I have been involved in sports for 30 years. From a hobby it has become my profession. I teach at several universities, I’m a personal trainer, I’m interested in nutritional supplements, and I go into schools to educate kids about the importance of physical activity and the importance of proper nutrition. I dare say I have found what makes me happy.
Nutritional supplements come when a person has done everything right. That is, he has sorted out his nutrition, recovered, gotten some sleep, organized his workout stuff, gone to the gym and wants to take it up a level – to improve his performance. For example, now we’ve been drinking a nitrogen booster, it’s got various stimulants in it, which most commonly contain caffeine, synephrine, beta alanine, l-arginine, sitrolin etc, which have different function and role. What does this mean? We will choose a different nitrogen booster depending on whether we are going to lift weights, do strength training, or go to a group workout. You also have to take into account that not every nervous system allows a large amount of caffeine.
When we say dietary supplements, we should first note that they are ADDITIVES to food and secondly – we can’t blindly like something like that. I’m out – I take this for energy or I want to gain muscle mass and I take this to lift more in the gym.
Personally, I divide supplements into two – those to complement a healthy routine and those to enhance an athlete’s performance.
Nutritional supplements don’t claim to cure diseases, illnesses, or solve medical problems. They are where prevention and prophylaxis is, they come from nature and are implemented into the human daily routine by the most proper mechanisms of healthy living.
I will tell you how I work. First – every trainer and every self-respecting trainer should know what food the person who trains with him/her takes. For every single person training with me, I know what they take in as food, and therefore I know what works to supplement them with the right nutrition. I have clients who work 12/14 hours on the computer and will take a protein shake instead of junk food. I also have clients who have more intense jobs, like working construction, and I give them a whey protein gainer. I manage these people as systems – I know their routine, I know their nutrition.
To me, that is my mission in life. 20 years ago I decided to become a teacher, and I started writing books about fitness. It may sound far-fetched, but I see how as a fitness trainer I save lives. I’ve worked with kids who smoke weed or drink alcohol, gamble, and through the power of sport I’m pulling them out of that environment. I see how seniors in their 60s or 70s, through exercise, herbs and supplements, can live out their old age with dignity, function and quality.
In Bulgaria, a person starts exercising and taking care of his health when the doctor has said that he already has a problem. We do not have this prevention and prophylaxis.
My favorite thing is when someone says to me, “I don’t have time.” I immediately tell them to replace it with “I don’t care”. We need to understand that health is our most valuable asset and that there is no better prevention and prevention than exercise. All medications taken together cannot replace movement.
I’ve been taking supplements for maybe 20 years and I can tell you that I had a big problem with my parents when they threw my first protein in the basket. It was a drama for me, I suffered a lot. You can’t imagine what it was like 20 years ago to buy your first protein. My parents were fighting with me, they wanted me to throw away everything they saw me drink. They didn’t understand what I was doing and it was normal. Then in school, when we started bringing protein in between classes, eggs, fish… It was a huge party! Huge passion! Without fully understanding it, we were attracted to this thing and it kept us off the streets, off the crime, off the negative behaviors.
Children don’t play sports. The cheapest, the lowest quality and the most harmful food is sold in the canteens. Why? The trader who gives the cheapest price to serve that stall wins. What is sold and why – nobody knows. There is also absolutely no regulation around schools. We have turned children’s health into a business. We are losing this battle. Is the fitness industry evolving? Yes, it is developing. However, people continue to become obese, continue to live less. We are doing something in our one small community, but the big picture we are losing it.
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Watch the whole episode because there’s a new one coming up this weekend and you have some catching up to do if you haven’t already. Lots of exciting and interesting topics and guests await you in our studio.
Stay tuned for your Next Level! 😉