The salmon cycle
Independent Scottish producer, Loch Duart, provides financial and dietary support to Kerry MacPhee, who is from South Uist and will be the first female Hebridean athlete ever to represent Scotland at the games.
Her selection follows successive wins at the Scottish Offroad Mountain Bike Championships and performances in 2014 which pushed her to the top of the British rankings.
Hearing about her selection, Kerry said: “I’m thrilled to be the first woman from the Hebrides at the Commonwealth Games. It’s a great honour and a wonderful reward for years of non-stop training. I have many people to thank who’ve supported me – family, friends, my equipment suppliers and my sponsors, Loch Duart, whose wonderful salmon is an essential part of my training and competing diet.”
Having graduated in Physical Education and Sports Management at Stirling University, Kerry is keenly aware of the importance that nutrition plays in an elite athlete’s performance. Salmon is an ideal food for anyone practising sport, whether competitive or recreational, as a healthy fatty acid balance is essential. A diet which includes sufficient Omega 3 fatty acids helps to support heart and brain function, prevents inflammation of injuries, enhances focus and promotes the combustion of fats to supply energy.
For serious athletes like Kerry, the right quantities of Omega-3 EPA and DHA increase fat breakdown, improve muscle synthesis and reduce exercise-induced muscle soreness, asthma and bronchoconstriction. They also improve mental focus and concentration and heart parameters during prolonged exercise by reducing heart rate and improving oxygen delivery to the heart.
Regular supplies of Loch Duart’s farm fresh and flaky smoked salmon are an essential part of the sponsorship agreement and, it’s more than just sports nutrition.
As Kerry says: “To be able to get such high levels of Omega-3 from food I really enjoy eating is a great bonus. You can be sure I’ll be taking a plentiful supply with me to the games village.”
