He used to carry soft drinks and junk food on his boat; now it’s protein bars and homemade sports drinks. That’s Takahiro Omori — a man who realizes that what he puts into his body affects what he pulls from the water. Since enrolling in IMG Academies seven years ago, Tak has invested much time and effort in a broad range of physical and mental conditioning designed to optimize his performance and put him in contention to add another Bassmaster Classic trophy to his 2004 prize. Most important, he said, has been learning how to fuel his internal engine.
“Day in and day out, whatever you do, the basic thing is that you have to be healthy,” Tak said. “Whatever you eat, that’s what you are. I’ve learned so much from IMG because they take care of the world’s top athletes.”
To this end, Tak makes regular visits to Natalia Garcia, Head Nutritionist at IMG. From using visual aids to demonstrate good and bad meal choices, to explaining how the body metabolizes food, she’s invested significant effort in raising Tak’s awareness of, and appreciation for the profound effect that proper nutrition can have on his performance.
“I want Tak to know that his sport requires a lot of energy, and he needs to stay energized throughout the hours he’s on the boat,” Garcia said. “I know it’s challenging for him to have certain foods on board, but in order to do his best, he needs to be snacking on the right foods throughout his day.”
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