It is my opinion that one of the most effective
ways to help performance is to utilize Dr. Peter D’Adamo’s
book. Live Right for Your Type, which highlights some
interesting research about why the blood type of a individual
has a relationship with a specific gene that controls stress
response. When the body of research on stress and blood
type is examined, we see clear differences in the ways humans
respond to stress and recover from it. Knowing your blood
type and understanding more about the type of machine, i.e.
body, you have, is immensely valuable for customizing diet
and physical training for optimal fitness.
For example, those with Blood Type A have a
physiologically higher state of adrenal stress all the time.
Those with Blood type O tend to secrete higher levels of
catecholamine and adrenaline, which enable them to respond
quickly and efficiently to danger. They need a longer recovery
because it takes them longer to break down the catecholamines.
Blood Type Bs are close to the Blood Type As but have the
ability to be emotionally centered and have a unique stress
profile that enables them to recovery quickly. Blood Type ABs
are more like Blood Type Os in their response to stress. How
this can impact performance fitness is as follows: Type A can
easily over-train and feel worse because of higher levels of
cortisol. Blood Type B can and does well with intense training,
especially with the addition of stress reduction activities like
yoga twice a week because of an amazing ability to recover
from stress. All physical activity, even when it is not exhaustive,
usually leads to increased levels of blood catecholamine and
cortisol. Each different blood type will respond differently to
the stress of exercise. There are many chemical and hormone
differences in each blood type that make a difference in how to
reach opt