Harper’s work with Patriots players goes far beyond managing weight, though.
Gilmore struggled with cramps leading up to his time in New England, as well as early on in his stint with the Patriots, forcing him to miss snaps as games progressed. Harper and the Patriots strength and conditioning staff came together to evaluate his hydration and weekly workload to troubleshoot the issue. Once Harper devised a hydration and supplement protocol to ensure Gilmore was getting sufficient fluids, electrolytes, and buffering agents, cramping was no longer an issue.
Harper enjoys success stories like these, because it’s easy to see his work have an impact on game days.
Sometimes, the stakes were much higher, though.
Leading up to Super Bowl LIII, Harper caught wind that Dont’a Hightower was experiencing a serious case of food poisoning after leaving the team hotel for a meal in the middle of the week.
Belichick and Jim Whalen, the Patriots vice president of sports medicine and performance and head athletic trainer, tasked Harper with making a detailed protocol that would help get Hightower feeling better as soon as possible. The linebacker couldn’t keep food down initially and was dehydrated, so a plan was set to refuel and rehydrate.
“Hightower and I were basically tied at the hip from mid-week to kickoff, working together to get him feeling better,” Harper said.
“Every ounce of fluid, the quantity of electrolytes, the specific foods he needed to eat, and the specific quantities of food to consume in a given amount of time were all thoroughly mapped out for Hightower to help feel better quickly and to help him visualize what needed to be done nutritionally. The entire process needed to be slow and intentional to where each gradual step within his nutrition plan was double checked to make sure nothing within the plan set Hightower’s recovery back. This was a process that, unfortunately, couldn’t be…
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