Many people might think being a racing driver doesn’t take a lot of physical effort. You just sit behind the wheel, hit the gas pedal, and let the car do all the work, right?

Jaden Lander, a GT4 racing driver from New York City, says this is simply not the case. Auto racing is as much physical stamina as it is mental fortitude.

“You need to prepare your body and mind to function under extreme heat for a prolonged period,” Jaden says.

Driving with the Krugspeed Racing team during the 2022 season, Jaden has had a busy year competing in the SRO GT4 America Series and Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour. 

Although racing has brought him both highs and lows, he says it has taught him lessons in perseverance, patience, and hard work.

To prepare for the intensity of the cockpit, he works out twice a day during the week with a regimen of cardio and strength training.

“I needed to switch my focus to this because of the heat and time spent in the cockpit, as well as the G-forces I’m under,” he says. “This type of training also helps me train my mind to focus for much longer periods of time. Having my body up to par allows me to move my focus in the cockpit to driving.”

Although his workouts are varied, he manages to fit in an hour of strength training five times a week, 5 to 8 miles of running three times a week, and a long 50-mile bike ride on the weekend.

“I really enjoy cycling, especially when I ride with good friends,” Jaden says.

He says he unwinds with a cold plunge in a pool, a long sauna session, a nice walk, or a nap. His Sundays are strictly reserved for recovery.

“I have come to learn that recovery is the most important aspect of training,” he says. “Without good recovery, you can’t train as hard as you want, and you risk injury.” 

His recovery protocol involves stretching, sleep, and supplements. 

Stretching

Long days cramped inside the cockpit leave him feeling stiff. 

“I used to hate stretching and never did it,” he says. “I was extremely tight, I couldn’t get full range of motion, and I had bad posture as well as pain. I decided to try stretching for 30 minutes a day for 14 days to see what would happen, and I haven’t stopped.”

He specifically recommends stretching in the morning, especially the hips and calves, to prepare for race days.

Sleep

“A big part of recovery is sleep,” he says. “Seven to eight hours every night for me is what my body and mind need.”

Because he travels across the country for racing, testing, and meetings – he’s taken 38 flights so far this year – Jaden often ends each day in a different place and a different time zone. He says he has to plan his sleep schedule ahead to stay refreshed. 

“Sleeping in so many different beds is tough and makes it hard to sleep, so I travel with Thorne’s Sleep Bundle for Athletes, which helps me wake up feeling ready for the day ahead,” he says. “The biggest trick I would say is planning your sleep ahead of time. Maybe sleep less for one night so you can sleep the whole flight and wake up in the morning. Quick 20-minute power naps with your feet above your heart also do wonders.”

Supplements

Jaden says he starts every day with lots of water and Thorne’s Catalyte. After his morning workout, he’ll hydrate again and have a scoop of vanilla Whey Protein Isolate with milk. 

“After my cardio workout in the afternoon, I’ll have another scoop of Catalyte to rehydrate after sweating a ton,” he says.

Hydration and Catalyte are key to Jaden’s regimen.

“When you deplete your body of sodium, electrolytes, and amino acids through training, being able to replenish them with good quality and trusted products helps you recover and perform better on your next workout or race,” he says. “Thorne’s supplements have become such a big part of my life that I don’t even think about it anymore. Even if I miss a training session, or something comes up, my supplement regimen does not change.”

His other favorite supplements include calcium and vitamin D to help support his bones and joints, as well as protein and amino acids. Jaden says convenience first drew him to Thorne; he appreciates how easy the products are to use and their adaptability when he travels. The taste of the protein powder was a bonus: “I’m a picky eater!” he admits. 

An Adaptable Diet for a Flexible Schedule

To support his fitness behind the wheel, he has adapted his diet to be low in sugar. 

“My trainer helped me a lot with my diet, but it really comes down to what you enjoy and how you feel,” Jaden says. “I cut out all processed foods, drinks, and seed oils about a year ago and that has been the biggest part overall.”

Always on the go to the next race, he said it’s hard to follow a specific meal plan, but he sticks with good fats and lots of protein.

“I’m starting to track my daily caloric intake, but it’s very annoying, and I often forget,” he says. “I have to work on that so I can get a good idea of what exactly I ingest daily.”

To prepare for a race weekend, he recommends carb loading and eating bananas!

Outside of racing, Jaden is also a student at New York University, where he is studying business psychology and marketing. Although Jaden finds it hard to keep his routine with all the traveling, he says a flexible schedule has its benefits.

“You just need to know that each day is different and that changing your routine to fit the day’s schedule is normal and makes this healthy lifestyle sustainable,” he says.

For the remainder of his first year with Krugspeed, he said he hopes to keep his momentum going – maybe even being named Rookie of the Year. But success to him is simply driving as much as possible.

“The more experience you can get under your belt, the better driver you will be,” he says.

Living in New York City, Jaden says there is never a chance to drive anything. Beginning at age four, any chance he got to drive something – golf carts, toy cars – he would go for it.

“My dad bought me a mini motorbike when I was seven, and we would drive out to huge parking lots on the weekends and he would set up courses for me to race on,” he says. “I started watching F1 when I was eight and remember Sebastian Vettel winning all the time, so I always wanted to drive like him.” 

He’s been racing since he was 16 and hasn’t looked back.

“Nothing else matters in the world when you’re in the cockpit,” Jaden says. 

Thorne is thrilled to partner with Jaden and excited to bring you more health and wellness content. Be sure to check out Jaden's personal collection and follow his progress on the GT4 track on his personal website, jadenlander.com.