'Athletes eating the right foods 'don't need no stinkin' steroids'

(Colorado Springs, CO August 4, 2006)- Worried about the effects that media coverage of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) is having on youngsters, one of the most heralded "nutrition coaches" in college and professional sports is showing athletes how to squeeze more strength and endurance out of natural foods.

"Performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) are merely shortcuts, illegal and unethical shortcuts," says Dave Ellis, a registered dietitian and nutrition counselor to 25 college and professional teams.

"Athletes who take the time to learn the proper way to eat, and exhibit the discipline to consistently eat the right foods at the right times, don't need no stinkin' steroids to play up to their full potential."

While steroids were emerging worldwide in sports during the 1980s, Ellis was developing a 3-step sports nutrition system for athletes called Fueling Tactics as a "food-first" alternative to performance enhancing substances. Coaches credit Fueling Tactics for simplifying nutrition for athletes, and making it more relevant by demonstrating how athletic performance can be improved by calibrating food intake.

Ellis has coached and counseled about 100,000 athletes during the past 25 years, conducting and recording about 25,000 body fat tests along the way. He says his records clearly demonstrate that a structured nutrition plan will enable athletes to achieve their goals, naturally, ethically and within the rules of sports.

"Athletes require about twice as much time to achieve the strength and muscle mass gains with healthy foods and fluids compared to using illegal steroids or other PEDs, but it's worth the wait," Ellis says.

For the first time since he began working with football players at the University of Nebraska in 1982, Ellis packaged his three-step Fueling Tactics sports nutrition system into a one-hour DVD for athletes and a two-hour version for strength coaches, athletic trainers and others who teach athletes.

USA Hockey, the national governing body for the sport, was the first to adopt Fueling Tactics as its nutrition system, giving the one-hour Fueling Tactics DVD to 1,500 of its top 14- to 18-year-olds this summer.

"Dave's 3-step Fueling Tactics system helps athletes outwork the competition with the power of food," said Mark Tabrum, Director of Coaching Education for USA Hockey.

Ellis, a father of three, is concerned that young athletes have been getting the impression from extensive media coverage about PEDs that great athletic performance is based on illegal drugs.

"We need to be constantly reminding young athletes that they can best achieve their goals by learning food fundamentals and taking a disciplined approach to nutrition and physical exercise," Ellis said.

Ellis teaches that athletes who switch from simple sugars and saturated fats-common ingredients of the standard American diet-to fresh produce, lean proteins and complex carbohydrates are going to experience profound benefits over a period of weeks and months. He says healthier foods offer more resistance to common illnesses, generate more energy, and help athletes recover faster from hard workouts.

"A well organized approach to educating and feeding athletes can make a difference, especially at the highest levels of sport," confirmed Bill Belichick, head coach of the three-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. "Dave's Fueling Tactics system is a time-tested performer."

The one-hour DVD ($20 plus shipping) comes with two copies of a cleverly designed poster that prioritizes foods based on nutritional value; and the two-hour version ($99 plus shipping) comes with 25 food posters. Both DVDs are available for preview and purchase at www.fuelingtactics.com.

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