The next Purora everyday hero is here. We were able to visit former Nordic combined athlete Bernhard Gruber in his hometown of Bad Hofgastein, where he lives with his wife and two sons. Bernhard has celebrated many great successes in his career, for example he won a gold medal in the team competition at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, as well as a bronze medal in the individual competition. In 2021 he had to end his career for health reasons and is now a coach at the Salzburg State Ski Association and the Bischofshofen Ski Club. He is also a passionate musician (guitarist). We talked to him about his life after the end of his career, about healthy eating, about top-class sport and what role Purora plays for him.
Purora: What does a high-quality diet include for you and why is it so important not only in top-level sport?
Bernhard Gruber: For me, a high-quality diet means a diet with foods that have the highest possible nutrient density. Good foods that are easy to digest and, for example, also have anti-inflammatory properties - so-called superfoods. And if you also incorporate foods like these into a normal, balanced diet with lots of vegetables, readily available carbohydrates and proteins, then that is a high-quality diet for me. For me, a high-quality diet is rounded off with Purora products, soups , smoothies and toppings . We like to add the toppings, which already have a very high nutrient density thanks to the superfoods, to our porridge in the morning. Our sons, who are now five and seven, also like to eat them. That way you have a good basic supply for the day ahead, packed with nutrients that your body will benefit from all day long.
Purora: What experiences have you had with superfoods?
Bernhard Gruber: In my opinion, people know the term "superfood", but they don't really know what it means and don't really know what superfoods actually are and what they can do. Superfoods are very valuable in nutrition. It's always about the same principle, about nutrient density. The greater the nutrient density, the more the body can do with it and the better the body can work with it and I always say "the rounder the wheel becomes". And if the wheel is a little off, something is wrong somewhere in the body. Then you should optimise your diet. Superfoods simply start at the base, for example if you have physical complaints. Because Hippocrates already said "Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food" and he was right back then. Because if you eat healthily, you can lead a healthy life in a healthy body.
Purora: Which Purora product should you not be without?
Bernhard Gruber: For me, the elixirs are the icing on the cake of a healthy diet. Because you can use them drop by drop wherever you need them. For example, I like to use the energy elixir before a tennis match so that my senses are sharpened.
Purora: What does it mean to you to know your body and to what extent does nutrition, sport and mental training play a role?
Bernhard Gruber: Knowing your body is a very positive aspect and has many advantages. As a former competitive athlete, I was able to get to know my body on a different level for years. But it is also very important that you get to know your body in general. For example, that you know what signals your body is sending out and where you should be more alert. I have experienced both sides: times when I didn't listen to my body very much, times when I trained too much, was under a lot of stress and competed in quite a lot of competitions. My body would then say that it couldn't go on like that and I would get sick straight away. That is why you should definitely follow the signals and needs of your body. It is the same in everyday life: if you expect too much of yourself and ignore your own body feeling, it becomes a bit dangerous. You should develop a certain body feeling and I associate this with a healthy diet. Because if you eat healthily, you generally have a much better body feeling and you perceive the signals from your body much better. And it's exactly the same with the mental component, because if you have a healthy lifestyle and eat healthily, then the intestinal environment is also good and the intestines and brain are very closely connected. Then you are always at the highest mental level, your senses are sharpened and you can perform well.
Purora: You train young people, to what extent do you incorporate your knowledge and personal experiences?
Bernhard Gruber: I really enjoy training young people. We have very talented people in Austria and in the state of Salzburg. Of course you have to challenge the young people, but you can't overdo it. You have to introduce them to them in a targeted way and train them in a targeted way. And on the other hand, you can of course do a lot with a healthy diet. As a coach, I have the responsibility to ensure that I prepare my charges as well as possible, both in terms of sport and nutrition. Of course, you can indulge yourself now and then, but I notice when my charges have not had the best diet. They simply get tired more quickly, can no longer concentrate as well, especially on the ski jump, and the jumps just don't go as well. There are three of us coaches and we work really well here. I have also made my charges aware that a healthy diet improves the physiological component, which means that they are better on the ski jump, they can control themselves better, including in terms of nerve stimuli. And secondly, a healthy diet also improves the mental level, you are more focused and your thoughts are clearer and sharper. And so you can work on a completely different level here and my protégés have already felt this for themselves. We are currently in the process of implementing and optimizing these behaviors.
