DO YOU NEED STATE OF THE ART RECOVERY TOOLS TO RECOVER?

With the advancement in technology, it is no surprise that there are more and more high tech recovery tools out there now. If you take part in sports, you will probably be familiar with tools such as the Normatec compression boots and the Theragun.

But do you NEED these gadgets in order to perform at your best?

Personally, I have tried both of these very expensive devices and while I do see benefits to being able to use them, they are marginal and come at a high price unless you have access to them within an organization such as your college.

But I want to focus on three of the most important recovery strategies that don’t cost you extortionate amounts and are often overlooked because of the high tech gadgets now available on the market.

All athletes will have access to these things…

Number One: Nutrition

I’m guessing you have heard the popular phrase, eat within that 30-minute time window post-exercise to get the most out of your recovery nutrition. There is plenty of truth behind this. It is typically called ‘the anabolic window’ and you are advised to eat a mixture of carbohydrate and protein to facilitate the start of the recovery process.

However, what’s even more important than this window is the nutrients you are consuming. Making sure you have a well-balanced diet that includes foods containing an abundance of macro and micronutrients is important in ensuring your muscles have the fuel they need to repair and grow.

Most athletes can get everything they need from a well-balanced diet; however, during intense competition and training periods, it may be a good idea to take a multivitamin just to ensure there are no gaps in your nutrition when your body is under so much physical stress.

Number Two: Sleep

We all know we are advised to get around 8 hours of sleep a night, but being an athlete in college can often mean sleep gets overlooked because you have assignments to do or you put social situations before getting a good night’s sleep.

This is SO detrimental to sporting performance.

There is a reason most professional athletes get upward of 9-10 hours sleep a night and take additional naps on top of this. Sleep is when most of your body’s recovery takes place.

It’s also not just the amount of time you spend asleep, but the quality of your sleep that matters when it comes to recovery. REM sleep, in particular, provides many benefits to both the body and brain. If sleep is cut short, you may never enter this REM phase of sleep and the body will not have time to repair muscles and release the hormones that it otherwise would.

Sleep deprivation also increases the hormone cortisol, which is catabolic (meaning it breaks your muscles down rather than rebuilds them) which is not allowing you to recover. Furthermore, less than sufficient sleep can cause less muscle glycogen to be stored in your muscles, which will cause an earlier onset of fatigue during training.

Whether or not you are taking part in physical activity to be at the top of your game or even if you just partake for fun, sleep is essential in making sure your body is in good health and can withstand the stresses placed upon it.

Number Three: Rest days

Rest days have a somewhat similar effect to recovery as sleep, but even if you get adequate sleep, training every single day, day in and day out is for sure a fast track route to experiencing overtraining at some point. As a college athlete who is committed to striving to be the best that they can be, it is all too common to get into the overtraining mindset, where more is always better, right? WRONG.

Scheduled recovery days should always be a part of any training program. Simply taking one day off a week (or at the bare minimum taking a day with a considerable decrease in activity) to allow your muscles and your mind to take a break from the stress of training will have so many positive impacts on your body. If you don’t take days off, you risk entering that overtrained state where you feel excessively fatigued, and this can often lead to injury and hormonal imbalances especially amongst women.

Getting yourself in the mindset of accepting that you need rest can be difficult, but we are all human and if you are on a team, you and your teammates should hold each other accountable when it comes to encouraging each other to take the day off when it is needed or planned.

I hope you found these three (often underestimated) recovery strategies to be insightful, and the next time you look to invest in a highly technical recovery gadget make sure you have the basic fundamentals in place because without them, I can guarantee no other recovery tool will be able to help!

WHAT KEY NUTRIENTS SHOULD YOU GET MORE OF AS AN ATHLETE?

Nutrition

Being an athlete comes with extra physical stress on the body, so it’s no surprise that the body requires more of certain nutrients to function at an optimal level. In today’s blog post, I am going to list 5 nutrients you should keep track of particularly while you are in season to make sure you are giving your body all the tools it needs to perform!

Iron

This is particularly important as a female athlete, but men should also be aware of getting enough iron in their diet because it is so crucial in the production of red blood cells. Iron is classified as an ‘essential nutrient’ because it is found in every cell of the body. Its main role is to transport oxygen in the blood to the body’s tissues.

It’s so important for active people and athletes because it helps the body convert carbohydrates into energy during exercise and ensures the muscles are working properly. Without adequate iron in your diet, you can suffer from a condition called anaemia, which is where there is a deficiency of red blood cells and haemoglobin in the blood which results in symptoms, such as tiredness and breathlessness, which is less than optimal for anyone let alone someone who is trying to perform at a high level.

Athletes actually need MORE iron than the general population. Iron is lost through sweat, skin, urine, the GI tract and menstruation (which is why this is more of a concern for female athletes). It’s also worth noting that high-intensity exercise, in particular endurance based exercise, can increase iron loss by as much as 70% compared to sedentary individuals. The RDA for iron currently is 15 mg a day for teenagers and women and for men it is 10 mg; however, this is for the sedentary individual and it is suggested that athletes should get slightly more than this in a day. It should be noted that too much iron is equally an issue for the body and so it is important to not go overboard on this nutrient.

Calcium

This mineral is critical particularly for young athletes! Your bones get built up until around the age of 25, but this depends on the individual. This is when you will have your peak bone density and from there on out your bone density decreases with age. Making sure you have adequate calcium in your diet is a key preventative method for developing osteoporosis and preventing injuries such as fractures, stress fractures and bone breaks.

But calcium isn’t just important for bones! It is needed for muscular contraction, transmitting messages through the nerves and the release of hormones. If individuals do not get enough calcium in their diet then the body takes calcium from the bones to ensure cell function can continue, which will lead to weakened bones that are more likely to break. The RDA for both men and women between the ages of 19-50 is 1000 mg. For men over the age of 50, it is 1000 mg and for women over the age of 50 it is 1200mg.

Magnesium

Magnesium is often classified as the ‘anti-stress’ nutrient. The calming effects of this nutrient on the body are particularly important for athletes due to the physical demands of training. Magnesium is required for over 300 metabolic reactions in the body. The reason it is classified as the ‘anti-stress’ nutrient is because it helps to regulate cortisol levels, which are often elevated after intense exercise.

Magnesium also helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, blood pressure and a healthy immune system. It also plays a role in bone health because it promotes calcium absorption. The RDA for men currently ranges from 400-420 mg and for women 310-320 mg a day.

Zinc

Zinc plays a major role in the health of cell turnover and metabolism. It’s also needed for the production of testosterone. A deficiency in zinc could potentially reduce the body’s anabolic hormone levels and adversely affect muscle mass and strength. Numerous studies have been carried out that indicate a lack of zinc negatively affects performance.

Zinc also plays a role in immunity and recovering from a common cold can often be sped up with zinc supplementation, which is good news for those athletes who are often under the weather. The current RDA for Zinc is 8mg a day for women and 11mg a day for men; athletes should aim to reach these levels and can afford to consume slightly more than these guidelines.

Sodium

Sodium often gets a bad rap in the media, but for athletes, it is very important to get enough of this mineral. A standard American diet is usually adequate in sodium, but it is worth paying attention to the timing of your sodium intake after endurance based events especially if the climate is hot as vast amounts of sodium are lost through sweat. It is important to balance water intake with sodium so that you prevent hyponatremia. Athletes should aim for around 100 to 300 mg of sodium per hour of exercise.

I hope these 5 nutrient recommendations are helpful, they have all been scientifically proven to be very important for the athletic performance. Obviously, there are a vast amount of nutrients your body needs to be on you’re A game but these are definitely a good starting point.

HOW BEING MINDFUL COULD TAKE YOUR PERFORMANCE TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Nutrition

Mindfulness and meditation seem to have become trendy in the last few years but this is for good reason. It is now scientifically proven that mindfulness has the ability to help relieve stress, treat heart disease, lower high blood pressure, reduce chronic pain and improve sleep to name just a few.

As athletes, we are committed to training our bodies to be the best they can possibly be, but the same concept should be applied to the brain; after all, it is also a muscle. More and more athletes are becoming open to the idea of using mindfulness as a technique to enhance their performance and I’m going to explain why it could be just the tool you need to excel in your sport.

I personally use meditation as a time to visualize myself achieving my goals in the sport. I tune into what I call, ‘my zone’ where I can imagine anything being possible and consequently I get a feel for what it is like to experience achieving my goals. You can spend time focusing on the things you need to do to get there and then when the time comes and you are in the sporting situation in real life it’s almost as if it becomes second nature to you because you know what to do, you have gone over it so many times previously in your head that is doesn’t seem as daunting in real life.

Focusing on your breath and being in the present, really helps to enhance your ability to concentrate for prolonged periods of time, and this is needed in most sporting situations. Learning how to work with your breath and control it can dramatically enhance your game. Breathing is essential for life, and being able to control it allows your body to become more relaxed and consequently, when we are more relaxed we are more able to focus on our current situation and are more in tune with our senses. In the case of a game or sporting situation, we can really put all our attention on the task rather than being 80% present and 20% elsewhere. This 20% is the difference between achieving your goals and not.

The now moment is so crucial to sporting success. Most sport is fast-paced, it needs to be autonomous in your mind as to what you need to do. You do not have time to be thinking hard and so you need to rely on having already experienced the situation previously which is where mindfulness is so helpful.

I urge you to shut your eyes right now and take 10 deep breathes, really trying to focus on nothing else but how each breath feels. After you have done that pay attention to how you feel. Do you feel calmer? More present? I bet you do. Not only does mindfulness make you more aware of your internal self but it subconsciously builds up your confidence which is imperative to sporting success. Confidence is built on positive experiences and so the more you can create these positive experiences in your mind the more likely you will actually be to go onto achieving them in real life.

Like everything though meditation takes practice, I can guarantee you won’t just do it the once and then be a completely changed person, but I can tell you that if you consistently practice this skill it will not only help you with your sporting performance in the long run but also help you with many other aspects of your life. You may find yourself to be more creative and more open-minded because of your new found connection with yourself and consequently, you get closer to achieving what you want without even maybe really realising it.

Long story short I think everyone should give meditation a go, I highly doubt you will regret it!

5 POST-WORKOUT YOGA POSES THAT CAN BENEFIT EVERY ATHLETE

Nutrition

Your entire body feels the impact of competitive sport. Competing definitely takes its toll on your body, and it’s so important to do everything you can to keep injuries at bay. Post-training yoga could really benefit your body and help keep common injuries in check.

Spending just 10-15 minutes post-exercise doing some yoga is an engaging and fun way to incorporate stretching into your routine. For many though yoga may seem like a daunting concept, with so many poses and even types of yoga to choose from. In today’s article, we are going to keep it basic and look at 5 simple poses that will provide a lot of benefits to your body without the complexity.

Downward Facing Dog

This pose elongates and releases tension from the spine, opens the hips and shoulders and stretches the hamstrings, calves and hands.

Begin on your hands and knees.

Spread your fingers out and press through your hands.

Press the floor away from you as you lift up through your hips.

The Deep Lunge

This pose is great for tight hip flexors and stretching out the spine.

Begin in a downward dog position (press-up position with your bum lifted) and raise your right leg behind you.

Bring your left foot forward between your hands.

Lower your body into a lunge position, bringing your right leg down to the ground.

Lift both arms or a single arm above your head and push your hips forward, focusing on opening up the chest.

Breathe in for 3 seconds and out for 3 seconds.

Repeat on the other side.

Seated Stretch

This stretch is great for opening your hips.

Sit on the floor and bend your knees.

Place your hands behind you.

Cross your left ankle over your right thigh.

Breathe in for 3 and out for 3.

Switch legs.

Bridge Pose

This pose stretches the shoulders and helps revitalize the legs.

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor.

Place your arms flat and press your feet and arms firmly into the floor.

Exhale as you lift your hips up.

Keep your hips and feet parallel.

Hold for 30 seconds, then release.

Cobra Pose

This pose helps open the lungs, which is beneficial for all athletes. It also promotes flexibility in the spine.

Lie face down on the floor with legs extended out behind you.

Place hands under your shoulders and keep elbows tucked into the side of your body.

Press down through the tops of your feet and inhale as you lift your head and chest off the floor, but keeping lower ribs on the floor.

Draw your shoulders back and down.

Hold for 30 seconds and release.

THE 7 BEST TRAVEL SNACKS FOR ATHLETES

Athletes, Nutrition, Sports

Often as athletes, we are constantly on the go, whether that be going from class to class or traveling to and from competitions or getting through a busy work week. Sometimes it can be hard to think through (and plan ahead) what you take with you to eat that will be quick, convenient and nutritious.

Here are 7 of the best travel snacks that fit all of the above criteria:

Apples

Apples are an easily sourced food that is already portable! They are nothing fancy, but they hold up really well when thrown into a bag and can keep for a while without being refrigerated. Apples are filled with vitamin C, antioxidants, and have a high fiber and water content helping to keep you fuller for longer in comparison to other fruits.

Nuts

Nuts are a good source of healthy fat and provide a good amount of protein, which will help to keep you satiated until your next meal. Nuts can be bought in convenient snack-sized pouches or, alternatively, you can buy a big bag of mixed nuts or trail mix and take what you want with you in a zip lock bag.

Hard-Boiled Eggs

Eggs are one of the most complete foods nutritionally that there is, and one of the best sources of animal protein. You can buy eggs precooked from the grocery store or buy a standard carton of eggs and cook them yourself. The only issue with eggs is that they should be consumed within 2 hours of being out of the fridge, so make this the snack you eat first! To make them last longer, take a cool bag out with you and this will give you a longer period of time to eat them in.

Tinned fish

Now, this can be a messy one depending on the type of fish you buy. However, if you buy pre-drained fish or fish that now comes in a packet, you eliminate the mess involved! Tinned fish does not need to be refrigerated, making it a perfect lean protein that you can consume wherever you are.

Bars

Not all bars are created equally in terms of nutritional content, but you can buy bars that have mainly natural ingredients and are not full of additives and fake ingredients. Try something such as a RxBar, which provides all 3 macronutrients in a good ratio and is solely made of natural ingredients.

Rice cakes with peanut butter

By putting peanut butter on rice cakes, (or peanut butter on wholemeal bread) it makes the snack more filling and provides healthy fats and protein to satisfy you while also providing a good amount of carbohydrate. This is a really good snack to have between sessions as it provides all 3 macronutrients.

Crunchy chickpeas

Taking a tin of beans out with you is probably not too convenient due to the liquid they are kept in, not to mention being fairly unappetizing. However, crunchy chickpeas are a good alternative; they are satisfying and really tasty. You can now buy flavored ones with spices added to them, which make them a good alternative to something like crisps or chips, but still provide a similar flavor. Chickpeas are high in protein so they will also help fill you up for longer in comparison to crisps. Here’s a quick, spicy recipe if you have a few minutes to roast some up yourself.

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