Where are athletes going wrong?
Sports are competitive to make it to the top athletes are always trying to get an edge. The newest trend athletes have started getting into is new recovery methods. Don’t get me wrong athletes should take care of themselves but you have to start with the basics.
We now see athletes throwing money towards recovery methods such as cryotherapy and cupping. And again not knocking these methods down, but too often do we hear of athletes that want to put money towards these methods but are not getting enough sleep or eating right.
This athlete is ready to spend however much it costs on cryotherapy but does not have the time to get enough sleep. Which is one of the basis of recovery and is free. We now how have athletes ready to cut corners and willing to spend money on these cool recovery methods because the pro’s or their friends are doing it, while forgetting the grass roots to optimal recovery.
Proper Recovery
When it comes down to it proper sleep and nutrition are going to get you the most bang for your buck in terms of your best recovery tool.
The majority of young athletes should not be wasting money on these recovery services unless there is a prescribed need.
An article in the 2012 American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference found that adolescent athletes who slept eight or more hours a night were 68% less likely to be injured than the athletes that usually got less sleep. Furthermore, a 2011 study found that basketball players at the University of Stanford improved their free-throw percentage on average by 9 percent and their 3-point percentage by an average of 9.2 percent simply by extending their amount of daily sleep. The benefits didn’t stop their as they also reported less fatigue, sprinted faster and played better in practice and games. This study further emphasizes how important sleep is for athletes.
Next, we can’t forget nutrition. A 2015 study discovered more than 50% of American youth are at least mildly dehydrated, and 25% of them don’t drink any water on a daily basis. Even just being mildly dehydrated will impact mood, energy levels and performance. Young athletes are also burning a ton of calories so it is important that they are adequately replenishing their stores with food and snacks.
How can poor nutrition impact strength? A 2019 article in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research discovered athletes that were made to skip breakfast did 15 percent fewer reps on Back Squats and 6 percent fewer reps on the Bench Press as opposed to the athletes that were given breakfast. Think over the long run how many reps those athletes skipping breakfast could be missing!
There is a great amount of research proving how important good sleep, nutrition and hydration are on performance. There has not been a ton showing the benefits of some of these recovery methods. A 2017 article in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research discovered no performance benefits of cryotherapy when compared to a control. They did find a testosterone increase, but were not sure if it was significantly useful.
In the end our young athletes should go back to the basics and focus on proper nutrition and rest.
Some helpful hints inlcude:
- Waking up and sleeping at the same time
- Avoiding screen time right before bed
- Don’t miss breakfast
- nutritious snacks
