When improving athletic performance, SST (sports-specific training) is one of the things many individuals think about. Concentrating on the functional exercises, which translate into your sport, might be a better means of improving your ability come game time.
However, sports-specific training is one tool you may use to boost your athletic capability. Apart from using SST, you can also consider the following tips to gain a competitive advantage to your performance:
1. Mind about Your Nutrition
Taking consistent healthy food will fuel your body and provide you with the energy required to perform. Athletes must concentrate on taking enough carbohydrates from the right sources. Good sources include vegetables, pasta, fruits, bread, and cereals.
Apart from carbohydrates, proteins may also influence performance and help your body maintain strength. Several sources of protein you can eat are:
- Milk
- Meats
- Beans
- Fish
- Eggs
2. Vary Workouts
For most athletes, functional exercise is only the name of the game. Achieving and improving your athletic performance is not all about reducing weight just for the sake of it.
Rather it’s all about improving mental prowess, muscle strength, and response time in the field. Functional exercise is also a perfect foundation and must be part of your workout.
3. Fuel Your Training
As an athlete, you must perform at your peak, both outside and inside the gym. If you train to achieve peak performance, a low-carb diet is basically not the best plan.
Any type of intense training requires glucose or beta-alanine supplements as the fuel source. Fueling your body with supplements will enable you to maintain your energy and quell fatigue.
4. Do Cardio Outdoor
If you normally train indoors, try to switch by exercising outdoors. Go rollerblading, running, biking, jogging, biking, or sprinting.
Taking part in a different kind of cardio can prevent your body from plateauing and build your muscles. Be sure to take advantage of mountains and hills for an additional challenge.
It is also vital to pay attention to how your body feels. If you continuously feel exhausted, you should consider taking a break.
5. Have Enough Sleep
According to research, athletes usually get less sleep before taking part in competitions. Note that most of the papers exploring performance and sleep study subjects that don’t have enough sleep.
However, this doesn’t mirror what happens in pre-competitions. Most get some sleep, and some don’t suffer any issues at all, but it represents the worst-case scenarios.
As an athlete, you need to have great sleep hygiene habits in place. This should be an easy box to tick by adopting a sleep schedule routine.
6. Use the Right Gears and Equipment
Well-fitting and the right equipment are important for injury prevention. Ensuring you have the appropriate protective gear and equipment is the first step.
For instance, shoes that are supportive and fit well are important to prevent injuries and achieve a great performance. Apart from the right shoes, you will also need the following:
- Mouthguard
- Footwear
- Fitting helmet
Final Thoughts!
Be sure to open your mind and think of what you should do so as to be focused and achieve the peak performance you want.
As you establish a pre-game routine, ensure you also take some notes in a journal and tweak several things as you develop new ideas.
