Ok, lets just jump right in. Some things to help you train better during workouts are protein solids or shake if you like, good breakfast (usually whatever your stomach/body can handle), water (a little that morning or if you practice later in the day drinking a good amount of water throughout the day.
The rule for drinking water is that the water you drink today is for helping you tomorrow. Water will help hydrate your body the day you are drinking it, but you will need to replenish most of it when you wake up in the morning. Our bodies are on recovery and repair mode when we sleep; the body is using the least amount of energy, the metabolism slows down, and the nutrients, water and vitamins that you are digesting goes throughout your body to repair your muscles, tissues and bones. You can think of your body as a business that closes when you go to sleep and your body sends its "overnight cleaning crew" to repair and nourish itself so that you will be ready for your day in the morning.
Most people don't like to eat a whole breakfast prior to a workout so a protein bar or shake will suffice for those who work out in the morning. If you work out later in the day it would be wise to have a nice sized breakfast to help keep your body going until the work out. Most of the bars and shakes available supply your body with a decent amount of protein to help your muscles recover during a workout a little faster. They may also include other substances like vitamins, natural herbs, or bcaa's (Branched chain amino acids). These are those amino acids that help your body during intense physical activity and include some non-essential and essential aminos. A shake is going to be a powder base to be mixed with either water or juice. This will get into your system faster than a bar will, since it will not have to digest as much and will benefit your body if you need energy quickly. A bar would be considered a slow release energy booster/enhancer because your body has to digest the material and then get it into your bloodstream which takes longer than liquids.
During practice it is best to drink a sports drink, sports gel, or other electrolyte supplement packs so that the body doesn't lose too much of its fuel to where the body starts to break down. You can vascilate with your sports drink and water, but the key is to stay hydrated so you won't cramp. To get the max edge some people drink sports shakes that replenish more than just electrolytes, but supplies you with aminos and protein so the body breaks down slower giving the person seemingly more endurance and power. I would recommend some, but I don't want to take away from their advertising.
If you are a persons that usually gets cramps pretty easy you probably want to eat a banana and drink a glass of salt water or have something with a decent amount of sodium in it prior to workouts. Gatorade and other sports drinks will help reduce cramp incidents also because it replenishes those electrolytes. A cramp is simply when you body does not have enough of those electric impulses in your nervous system to allow your muscles to function and as a result causes a painful involuntary contraction that can last for several minutes. Sodium (Na) is an element used in the body to charge the bodys muscles and nerves. It helps the signals from the brain to the nerves work by creating electric impulses that communicate to the muscles when to lift, push, or move. Potassium (K) is an element that is used in the body to convert sugar into glycogen which, when depleted cause your body to feel the lactate building up during intense runs. K and Na are both two of the electrolytes and is excreted from the body through sweat and as you can see need to be replenished.
After practice it is good to get in an ice tub when your muscles are sore. When they are heavy and tight I would suggest a hot bath. Also some things that will help your body recover are choco milk, protein shakes, after workout supplements like glutamine, apples, other fresh fruit. Of course you also want to continue to drink water to prep for your next day.
Occasional check-ups with a massage and physical therapist, trainer, or chiropractor will also help keep your body in tip top shape to continue intense training. These specialists help to relieve tension in muscles, keep them limber, and to verify that all muscles are working properly and in line together. A lot of times an people may have injury problems because their body is out of line which can cause stress on other areas of the body, eventually affect the muscle mobility and performance. Some people are against chiro because they do so much with rearranging you bones and they feel there are more natural ways to get the same things done. Im indifferent thus far...being that I've never gotten massages or visited chiro prior to this rookie year of mine as a professional.
~This is the life of a student of his profession~
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
The Hype!
The other day our team was in the weight room stretching and doing abs as we normally do at the end of our workouts, and coach brought up an exciting topic: Florida Relays. Last year seemed to be pretty good for the Star Athletics team. Our women's hurdle relay came in first and broke a record (think it was for the stadium?). Our guys had a fair showing with a few PR's and some decent times in the sprinting events. Apparently, this year will be the biggest it has ever been. The meet has become renowned as a meet where people come to get a fast start to their outdoor season. I mean with all the competition and early season competitive juices flowing you have no choice but to run fast.
Unfortunately, I've never been to the FL Relays but I hear it is one of those 'you need to be here' meets. Tons of competitors show up from recognized colleges around the country accompanied by many outstanding professional runners. Our womens hurdle team will be defending their title as the best hurdlers in FL and our men 110 hurdlers also are out to prove themselves in their respective relay. There will be a lot of pro teams present from around FL among elsewhere, but everyone is suiting up to be the best in the state, which is a pretty nice title to have considering the state of FL is an eminent powerhouse for track and field.
Needless to say Im excited to finally take part in this meet and to try to claim a respectable spot in it's history books. Although Im not running my natural event (400H) I will be competing in the 4x400 relay and possibly the open 400. About 2 weeks and counting until showtime. Lets get it! The life of a competitor
Unfortunately, I've never been to the FL Relays but I hear it is one of those 'you need to be here' meets. Tons of competitors show up from recognized colleges around the country accompanied by many outstanding professional runners. Our womens hurdle team will be defending their title as the best hurdlers in FL and our men 110 hurdlers also are out to prove themselves in their respective relay. There will be a lot of pro teams present from around FL among elsewhere, but everyone is suiting up to be the best in the state, which is a pretty nice title to have considering the state of FL is an eminent powerhouse for track and field.
Needless to say Im excited to finally take part in this meet and to try to claim a respectable spot in it's history books. Although Im not running my natural event (400H) I will be competing in the 4x400 relay and possibly the open 400. About 2 weeks and counting until showtime. Lets get it! The life of a competitor
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Sports Performance
Alright, I've mustered up enough information to hopefully help those who are interested in sports nutrition. It has long since been a struggle for athletes to find what makes them tick. In this case referring to what foods, supplements, and vitamins to take to help give them the best overall edge. There are many spectulative techniques to this enigma, but the truth is that each athlete is different. You as an athlete have to find the right mix for your specific performance booster either pre-race or just in daily workouts.
Some people resort to a techniques such as carbo-loading (eating lots of pasta, grains, and bread a few days prior to competition), excessive water intake (drinking more than usual water often a few days before a meet), heat and hot tubs (to release/relax the muscles), or a number of other ways.
-Carbo loading is primarily used for distance runners to increase their carbohydrate levels. I wouldn't recommend any very large (or overly muscular) people try this. Carbs are the first source of energy that the body uses and as longer duration runners need more energy they carb load in efforts to house a backup supply of their physical fuel.
-I would highly discourage anyone from doing the excessive water. You should already be drinking enough water to cool and replenish your body on a daily basis. Drinking an immense amount of water a few days out from a meet is bad because your body is overflooded and goes into a cleaning mechanism whereby it deminishes tons of water from your system, often more than you want which leaves you dehydrated.
-I have heard different things about hot tubs and pools. For the everyday person he/she may jump in the hot tub to relax or soothe the muscles, but I've heard that it can loosen up your muscles to a point where they are flat, and have lost the power and longevity you worked so hard putting in them the week prior. Pools are a little different in that the cool water can usually soak into your pores and allow you legs to feel heavy the next day or two. I believe that this is due to the water getting into your pores and then being held in thereafter.
The fact is that preparation for races starts long before the week of competition. Some must do's are to stretch often, drink water regularly, get massages, and to consume whatever your body needs. I can tell you from personal experience that as much as it SUCKS to stretch, its easy and can be done practically anywhere, and it makes A BIG DIFFERENCE. I guarantee that. More detail to follow...in part II.
Some people resort to a techniques such as carbo-loading (eating lots of pasta, grains, and bread a few days prior to competition), excessive water intake (drinking more than usual water often a few days before a meet), heat and hot tubs (to release/relax the muscles), or a number of other ways.
-Carbo loading is primarily used for distance runners to increase their carbohydrate levels. I wouldn't recommend any very large (or overly muscular) people try this. Carbs are the first source of energy that the body uses and as longer duration runners need more energy they carb load in efforts to house a backup supply of their physical fuel.
-I would highly discourage anyone from doing the excessive water. You should already be drinking enough water to cool and replenish your body on a daily basis. Drinking an immense amount of water a few days out from a meet is bad because your body is overflooded and goes into a cleaning mechanism whereby it deminishes tons of water from your system, often more than you want which leaves you dehydrated.
-I have heard different things about hot tubs and pools. For the everyday person he/she may jump in the hot tub to relax or soothe the muscles, but I've heard that it can loosen up your muscles to a point where they are flat, and have lost the power and longevity you worked so hard putting in them the week prior. Pools are a little different in that the cool water can usually soak into your pores and allow you legs to feel heavy the next day or two. I believe that this is due to the water getting into your pores and then being held in thereafter.
The fact is that preparation for races starts long before the week of competition. Some must do's are to stretch often, drink water regularly, get massages, and to consume whatever your body needs. I can tell you from personal experience that as much as it SUCKS to stretch, its easy and can be done practically anywhere, and it makes A BIG DIFFERENCE. I guarantee that. More detail to follow...in part II.
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