The importance of sponsorships to athletes

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 Athletes need sponsors to help fund their training and equipment, entrance to various competitions, food, housing, and other necessities as they strive for excellence in sports. The 2012 London Olympics is among the many events that show how lucrative sponsorship deals offset the high cost of sports. The International Olympic Committee’s Rule 40 prevents athletes from wearing logos of non-sponsors to prevent the so-called ambush marketing, which Olympic athletes deemed to be limiting their potential to receive sponsorships that were crucial in paying off the high fees. For the non-sponsors, the rule afforded them less exposure which affected their bottomline.

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In any competition, there should be a balance between the rights of the respective parties, says Paul Geoghegan, senior solicitor at Morton Fraser, LLP. The partnership benefits both the sponsor and the athlete, but these benefits entail hard work. Sports committees should help both parties experience these benefits without the expense of neither. Athletes are expected to perform well and do their duties such as endorsing products, attending PR events, and everything that will enhance the reputation of the sponsor; or else they may suffer what Lance Armstrong went through because of his doping issue.

While it is money, not talent that can pay for their necessities, athletes should never disregard their public image in signing deals. They need to ensure that the brands they signed on with don’t alter their image, but rather promote it. NFL Super Bowl Quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s deal with Brad Pyatt’s athletics company MusclePharm is an example of a sponsorship that truly complements the public image of the athlete and of the brand as well.

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MusclePharm Founder & CEO Brad Pyatt said that Kaepernick’s reputation as a workout fanatic coupled with his amazing physique makes him an ideal fit for the brand. Visit this

The makings of an athlete: How to train yourself like the pros do

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Athletes, as per their job description, have to be in top physical form for every game. For them, fitness is more than just a way of life. While many regular people do not depend on being in top physical form for their bread and butter like athletes and many others do, there’s no denying that many of them admire star athletes for their accomplishments anyway.

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And often, these stars of sport are the first to tell others that keeping themselves fine-tuned for the next game is no spring picnic. Athletes do not achieve their success overnight and often dedicate a lot of time training their bodies physically and mentally as well as ensuring that they fuel themselves up with the right stuff each time.



While only a few people could actually give professional athletics a try, the spirit of athletic commitment can still be applied by those who want to adopt a more health-focused lifestyle, particularly when it comes to saving money and choosing the food in one’s diet.

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Mayo Clinic nutritionists Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., list a few of these ways by which regular people can practice their own fitness regimens like pro athletes:

• Targeting areas for improvement;

• Identifying available resources;

• Planning to overcome obstacles;

• Celebrating successes; and

• Reevaluating and resetting when the need arises.

The full article can be read here.

In his NFL days, Brad Pyatt had tried many nutritional supplements that turned out to be detrimental to his performance. To provide other pro athletes with far better nutritional supplements to aid in their training, he founded MusclePharm, which is currently based in Colorado. Visit this website for more information.

The consequences of doping

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Every day, Lance Armstrong loses one medal from all the accolades and praises he has received during his heydays. And each day, the world seems to become more and more unstoppable from belittling the once-extoled cycling superstar by making him a regular in evening news headlines.

But everyone understands the public rage. Armstrong has had to lie a hundred times in front of the camera before he came to a conclusion that saying the truth is the best thing to do.


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In sports, doping related-cases aren’t really that big in number since a case has to undergo a series of investigations before it can be considered as such—otherwise, it remains a sheer accusation, like those of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and of Manny Pacquiao. What is growing is the number of pharmaceutical companies and athletic organizations that are partnering with each other to eradicate the numbers of legal drugs that seem to become illegal due to some athletes’ misusage, like in Armstrong’s and other cyclists’ case. GlaxoSmithKline and Roche have already volunteered to share their products’ information to World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for its potential to be used by athletes, which, according to many sports analysts, is a great start that would coax many drug companies to do the same thing.

In that regard, the Armstrong case has given the sporting world a piece of good news.


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For a glimpse into sports and athleticism, log on to Brad Pyatt’s company website.

Take it from the bullied Belarusian: Andrei Arlovski and winning in front of someone else’s home crowd

Every father hopes for a son that would take the ropes and soon fulfill his athletic aspirations. However, this was not the case with Andrei Arlovski’s father for his own kid was a scrawny little one.
Yes, Andrei Arlovski, former Ultimate Fighting Championship Heavyweight Champion and known as “The Pit Bull,” was not one of the fiercest kids at school.

It was actually the opposite.

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Unfortunately, although he wasn’t the studious-type, he did not manage to escape the inevitable fate every underdog has to experience before receiving the glory: He was bullied, and he had to wait 14 long years to retaliate. When he turned 15, he decided to lift weights and gain some unimaginable pounds—and learn the nasty art of fist fighting and bone smashing.

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He eventually became a feared warrior in the octagon. Representing his native land Belorussia, he knocked every opponent that came his way, be it a fellow Soviet or an outsider. Then, after three years, fueled by a bully story he himself has experienced and inspired by a Belarusian stimulation, he went to America and continued beating the present bullies of the league—Ian Freeman, Vladimir Matyushenko, Paul Buentello, and his archrival, Tim Sylvia—in front of their respective home crowds, humiliating them with his blood-smeared fist apiece, with victory.

His success landed him on a TV show and a straight-to-DVD movie; the latter casts him as a villain with the angsts (countenance-wise, at least) of a bully-beater, while the former showcases him as a bullying victim and survivor, giving out anti-bullying lessons and mixed martial moves on counterattacking approaching adversaries.

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Brad Pyatt’s company website offers more information about mixed martial arts and athleticism.

Awesome pro athletes turned CEOs

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A career in sports won’t last forever. Athletes may be the pillar of endurance and athleticism in their heydays, but as the years pass by, they may suffer from major injuries or may need to retire from the active lifestyle because of old age.

While not a few athletes have been unfortunate to retire without a penny in the bank, there are those who have invested their money on business ventures and have succeeded.

The following are four of the most popular sportsmen who have made an impressive career shift from being athletes to entrepreneurs:

Oscar De La Hoya, the “Golden Boy” of boxing, is an Olympic gold medal winner and the youngest boxer ever to win five world titles. Today, he owns 50 percent of the international boxing management company Golden Boy Promotions, which generates more than $100 million annually, according to CNBC.com.

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American basketball legend Michael Jordan is considered as the best player in the history of basketball. His gravity-defying stunts in the court have earned him the title “Air Jordan.” Most remembered for playing for the Chicago Bulls, he is the current owner of the basketball team Charlotte Bobcats. He is also the spokesperson for Nike’s Air Jordan sneakers.

Legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk started his game at the age of 12 and became a professional at 14. He won 73 professional skateboarding competitions during his career and has made more than 80 tricks. After retirement, he founded two skateboarding companies, Birdhouse and Hawk Clothing. He also created the best-selling Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Video game (in partnership with Activision).

Brad Pyatt is a former National Football League player who played for Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins. After his four-year career in the NFL, he founded MusclePharm, a nutritional supplements company, which has grown at an average annual growth rate of 626 percent since its inception in 2008, making him one of the youngest pro athletes-turned-entrepreneurs at the age of 32.

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MusclePharm’s official website provides more information on Brad Pyatt’s career shift, as well as a complete list of its products.

Avoiding deficiencies: Nutrition tips for vegetarian athletes

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While many athletes, such as Manny Pacquiao and Brad Pyatt, normally include meat and fish in their diet, there are others who prefer vegan discipline.

Athletes like the aforementioned are required to maintain a balanced diet to keep their bodies in shape and make them deliver high-quality performance. In most cases, protein is a staple on their diet. However, there are a number of athletes who choose vegetarian lifestyle, making it hard for them to eat meat, the most common source of protein.

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The following are basic food recommendations for vegetarian athletes to help them avoid deficiencies and meet protein (among other nutrients) requirements without the need to deviate from their vegan diet:

• Low-fat dairy products and plants, like soy, are excellent alternative sources of protein. Heme iron, which is normally found in animal protein, can also be obtained from plant-based food items, such as wholegrain cereals, leafy green vegetables, figs, lentils and kidney beans, and some dried fruits.

• Ascorbic acid, commonly known as Vitamin C, is another required nutrient for athletes. Citrus fruits and Vitamin C-rich vegetables help synthesize non-heme iron from other foods. Hence, it is ideal to have a serving of citrus juice or vegetable salad in combination with iron-fortified wholegrain cereal or beans.

• Vitamin B12, a nutrient crucial in blood formation, is one of the most common nutrients missing from the diets of vegetarian athletes since it is only available in animal products. To get enough of this nutrient, B12-fortified foods like soymilk and cereal can be eaten and added to one’s meal.

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For more information on sports nutrition, log on to www.musclepharm.com.