And now, she has some advice for young women who might want to follow in her footsteps.
What are your sleeping tips, especially the night before a big match?
I’m not myself when I don’t get the proper amount of sleep.
I know I need optimal sleep to be able to perform.
Now, Ive been through that scenario enough to know how to completely prevent it.
I will do everything to avoid it, and that starts with the lead-up to bed.
My evening routine starts a few hours before bed.
For me, it’s so hard to just make that switch.
Im very big on mood.
Ill put on soft music or some chill podcast.
I always travel with my own favorite teas.
I need to have some kind ofchamomile teaor some other wind-down tea.
The other thing I do is that feature on the iPhone that reduces blue light.
I started doing it and noticed the biggest difference.
I didnt realize how much blue light was affecting me until I switched it off.
It makes you put the phone away.
Then Ill start with my skin care routine.
Once I start my skin care routine, that means its time for bed.
Im washing the day off.
Im getting in the zone.
Then when Im about to knock out, Ill put on myManta Sleep Maskandearplugs.
I swear by them.
Ive tried so many different eye masks, and these are the winner for me.
Honestly, I usually fall asleep in the middle of that.
mbg: what meals help you feel strongest?
Humana-Paredes:When I think of a meal that makes me feel the strongest, I think of breakfast.
I usually have two breakfasts.
One before my training session and then immediately after my training session.
I have different types of breakfast optionssweet and savory.
And I like to alternate between the two.
Then for something savory, I like toast with eggs, avocado, vegetables, and potatoes.
Those are my two go-to meals.
They’re so they’re adjustable to your needs and they hit everything.
You have your carbs, fats, and protein.
Personally, Im very protein conscious because I have torepair my muscles.
In every snack or meal I have, I need protein.
For meals, I gravitate towards chicken and fish.
And there is no shame in having aprotein shakeas a quick solution.
Thats something I have between sessions all of the team.
Sometimes after a training session, Im exhausted and I cant really even think about food.
I need time before I can eat a meal, but I know I need protein.
And a shake meets all my needs.
mbg: what is the most intense thing youve tried in the hopes of optimizing your performance?
Humana-Paredes:Cold plungingreally takes a lot of mental turmoil to prepare to get into, but.
It saved me in the Tokyo Olympics, which is the hottest Olympics ever recorded.
Before and after every training session and game, we would be in the cold tub.
I would look forward to it because I just needed my body to cool down.
mbg: Do you have any favorite daily habits?
Humana-Paredes:Oh, I do have a big supplement routine.
mbg: Lets hear the highlights.
Humana-Paredes:The three daily capsules I take arevitamin D,Omega 3s, andprobiotics.
For powders, I docreatine, a greens powder, andcollagen.
I also take tart cherry and turmeric for recovery.
I also absolutely love electrolytes.
I wont go anywhere without them.
I also love adaptogenic mushrooms in the form of teas to help calm me down for the nighttime.
When I travel, my suitcase is half filled with supplements.
Some people think Im crazy, but I think its a necessity.
mbg: What workouts do you love that have nothing to do with your sport?
Humana-Paredes:A few years ago I discovered Lagree Pilates on the reformer.
It is so different from my sport, and it is so humbling.
Its one of the most humbling workouts Ive ever done.
It just works all the little muscles that we don’t work.
We’re using our big muscle groupsour quads, our hamstrings, our glutesand these go deeper than that.
mbg: Okclearly you do a lot of work to prep for games.
Lets talk about what comes after: Whats your recovery routine?
Humana-Paredes: Immediately after a gamewithin 30 minuteswe’re getting our nutrients in via shake.That starts the recovery process.
That nutrition piece is often forgotten.
If we’re lucky, well have a physiotherapist on tour, so we’ll do a session.
Its usually some kind of soft tissue work and working through sore points.
Well also doNormatecas well, which are these air compression boots.
Theyre fantastic between games to give your body a boost and some lymphatic drainage.
I also travel with massage guns.
If theres an opportunity, I go into a pool or do some kind of water therapy.
And then Ill do a cold plungeagainst my will, but I’ll do it.
But of course the ultimate recovery is sleep.
I can’t compromise on that.
And that’s the one thing I prioritize.
I will scrap other things in my routine that I just mentioned so that get more sleep.
mbg: I think resilience is such an important part of being a top athlete.
Humana-Paredes:Especially at the level that I play at, everybody has the physical attributes.
Everyone can play volleyball.
Everyone has the skills.
But its the mental part that makes the difference.
Its about how youre going to be able to bounce back.
Everyone has different routines.
One of our most important team members is our sports psychologist.
Its important to have someone who you’re able to walk through all that with.
Athletes have moments of weakness and insecurities that we’re all fighting through.
Even in the moments where they look the most calm, they might be fighting something inside.
A lot of the work that I do is mental imagery, which helps build resilience and confidence.
It’s really just what you’re saying to yourself and how you see yourself most of the time.
You have to speak to yourself kindly, like you would a friend.
Because what you say, you will internalize.
It takes time and it takes practice to be able to manage those negative thoughts and manage those insecurities.
And, of course, they’re okay to have.
What makes a good teammate to you?
How do you show up for your teammates?
Humana-Paredes:Yeah, in beach volleyball theres only one other person thereand theyre counting on you.
So I do feel a bit more responsibility to be my best self.
I’ve been so fortunate.
I’ve had so many different great teammates in my life.
We know where each other has come fromfrom our childhood to how we got to where we are now.
There’s full on appreciation and admiration for our paths.
And they’re completely different paths of how we both got to this place that we’re in together.
Compassion and respect will get you very far in life with people that you work with.
But I think the most important thing in a good teammate is vulnerability.
I dont think you’ve got the option to build trust or that foundation without vulnerability.
Its scary to kind of show your true colors.
You have to talk about big, scary things: What are you afraid of?
What makes you tick?
When things are going bad, what is the best way to talk to you and help you?
What are the things you need?
Everybody has a different list of things that they’re looking for in sports.
Some people want to just get better and venture to reach their true potential.
Someone else might have a different goal, and they just want to win absolutely everything.
Theyre putting their head down and that’s their only goal.
Or someone just wants to go and be a really great leader and really good teammate.
Everyone is different, but you gotta find out your why.
What do you want to get out of this?
What do you want to leave behind?
Those are really important questions to ask.
It will keep you clear on your path and grounded.
