by Jeff Appel
Quick low-down on how training works. When you train at Sports Reality, you break down your body. Once your body repairs the damage from training (aka: recovers) you are able to do more work. The explanation is simple: we train hard, our body adapts, we grow to handle more. Training itself does not make you stronger, it is your body’s adaptation to training that helps you gain muscle. But, if you are not recovering, your results will not be adequate to the effort you exert during training. Thankfully, recovery isn’t as complex as many make it sound and is as simple as sleep and nutrition.
SLEEP
When we sleep our bodies repair and grow. If you are not getting enough sleep, your body will not have the necessary time it needs to repair from training. The average person should be get between 7-9 hours of sleep per night. As a young athlete, you should be getting between 8-10 hours of sleep. This is where training becomes complex and sacrifices must be made. You want to recover, but what are you willing to give up? It may call for turning off your phone, putting down the controller, or going home early. There is no way around it. If you habitually skip on sleep, anything else you do to recover is a waste of time.
NUTRITION
You are an engine and your fuel is food. What are you going to put into it? Poor-quality fuel (junk food and fast food) or high-quality fuel (real food, fruits, vegetables, lean meats). Having a few cookies or an occasional fast food meal is not going to destroy you, but if you consistently use these sources as your fuel, it will come back to haunt you. If you want quality recovery, in addition to sleep, you need quality fuel!
Next time….
Next time you are sitting in the cold tub, buying expensive supplements or stretching in the sauna – ask yourself something. Have I been getting enough sleep? Am I fueling with proper nutrition? If the answer to either of these questions is no, then stop what you are doing because it is not helping. Next time we will cover proper sleep habits.
