Functional mushrooms can help make this pre-season count

For most people, summer lasts well into August until you or your kids go back to school. But for athletes, it’s time for training camp.

Every year around this time, all I can think about is going back to work. I have a little bit of residual mix of excitement and dread. Because when I was a pro, my work year always started in the last week of July, when I had to report to the Denver Broncos pre-season.

The first day of NFL training camp signifies the end of life as we know it. No more walks in the park, bike rides in the evenings, swimming, fishing, hiking, or barbeques with friends on the weekends. Training camp marks the beginning of the nerves, anticipation and excitement for the start of a new NFL season! All 32 teams have a Super Bowl title in their sights but first they have to go through training camp, a demanding 4-week event that precedes and prepares us for the long and grueling 18-week season — and, with any luck, a post-season too.

Greatness Begins in Preseason

For better or worse, there really is no off season anymore. NFL athletes spend most of the time between the last game of the season to the start of training camp rehabbing injuries and working with a trainer somewhere warm and sunny. They work out year-round and spend countless hours honing their craft in anticipation of the upcoming season. During this off season, working out is usually fun and just part of the flow. Every athlete is responsible for getting their minds and bodies into tip top shape — and making sure they are fresh and optimistic about the upcoming long season.

I never liked the preseason games. They were necessary to get timing down and go through the gameday process as a team, but I always felt like the risk of injury didn’t outweigh the rewards. Mix these preseason games in with the demands of training camp and before I knew it I was tired, sore, run down, and needing some really good sleep.

Jake's Advice for Training Camp

If I could go back and give advice to my younger self as I started up Broncos training camp, I would tell myself about functional mushrooms. Wow, I wish I had known about them back then. If you’re in training camp right now, do yourself a favor and check them out. They’re absolutely a key for better performance and recovery, a key to making this preseason as productive as possible.

My advice for training camp is to use these functional mushrooms:

Lion’s Mane and Cordyceps for better performance

An all-natural way to amp up the mind and body. Lion's Mane helps sharpen cognitive function and Cordyceps is an all-natural energy booster. 

Reishi and Turkey Tail for better recovery

An all-natural way to calm the nervous system and boost immunity. Reishi helps to calm the nervous system and Turkey Tail acts as a prebiotic to support "second brain" gut health and all the immune cells that are in the gut. 

I’m certain that using these functional mushrooms would have made a huge difference in my career. And they would have helped me ease into my post-career better prepared for long-term health and wellness.

I see so many of today's pro athletes turning to nature as they pursue greatness. You should use them too. The NFL has a long list of banned substances and performance enhancing drugs, but the beauty of these functional mushrooms is they are completely legal, non-psychedelic, easily accessible — and backed by nature!

Let me know how training camp goes for you this year! Make it a great one. 

Peace, love, and mushrooms, 

—Jake Plummer