PREVENTING INJURY IS ONE KEY TO UNLOCKING CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE
Athletes of all kinds, whether professional, amateur or weekend warriors all need to be thinking about recovery and injury prevention. The first part of this is making sure that you are taking the time to stretch, roll or do whatever it is you do to stay mobile; don’t skip this step. Many of you may incorporate some professional treatment in your regular maintenance, such as Chiropractic care, Physio or RMT. The other is ensuring that your nutrition and body is in balance to maximize your recovery efforts.
When we talk about strenuous, or high intensity exercise we need to think about the inflammation that comes along with it. Inflammation is a normal response to this type of training, however, when inflammation becomes chronic, that is when problems begin. There are a few things that you can practice, alongside a balanced nutritional plan, to maximize recovery and ensure that the inflammatory response is favourable so you will be ready to take on your next training session:
- Drink enough fluids with electrolytes while training, staying hydrated is key;
- Consume enough fatty fish or omega-3s;
- Try Tart cherry juice – shown to be high in anthocyanins, an antioxidant found in red and purple fruits;
- Experiment with nitric oxide and nitrates – Nitrates from foods such as: beets, celery and leafy greens will turn to nitric oxide (NO) in the body. NO increases blood flow and in turn enhances recovery and may reduce inflammation;
- Take your Magnesium – in the mineral balance world today it is quite common to see magnesium deficiency in the majority of people. If you lack magnesium some of the symptoms you may feel are muscle cramps, twitches or spasms. There is evidence that marginal magnesium deficiency impairs exercise performance and amplifies the negative consequences of strenuous exercise.
So the next time you are at the gym working your way through a WOD, or a kettlebell workout make sure you are providing your body the tools it needs to be able to fully recover in order to steer clear of injury and perform at your best.
Written by multi-time Kettlebell Sport World Champion and Vykon Founder, Lisa Pitel-Killah. Follow her @lisapitelkillah.
