Did this year’s Olympics inspire anyone else? The recent iteration of the world’s biggest sporting extravaganza thrilled audiences across the globe, with many inspired to take up a new sporting discipline or even attempt to go professional with a sport they already excelled in.
Whether you’re the latter, the former, or you’re simply keen to get the most from your exercise regime, there are a few things you can do to ensure your workouts are optimised and that you’re reaching your goals. With that in mind, here are 5 top tips for amateur athletes to achieve peak performance.
DON’T RELY ON SUPPLEMENTS
As an amateur athlete, you need to ensure that your body has the right nutrition it requires for energy, muscle growth and tissue repair. This is achieved by getting the right amount of vitamins, nutrients and minerals for peak performance and recovery, tailormade for your own unique needs. As such, it’s only natural to consider supplements.
While sports supplements do have their place, it would be folly for amateur athletes to rely on them. The best way to gain all your daily nutrition is through a varied, balanced diet, with nutritional supplements (including protein) designed to help fill in gaps in nutrients rather than provide the bulk of it.
In short, amateur athletes should first examine their diets before turning to supplements. Which brings us to our next point…
Read: 5 things to scrutinise when buying supplements online
GET A NUTRITIONIST ONBOARD
If you’re serious about your sports, seek out a qualified nutritionist. As an amateur athlete, you will have different nutritional needs compared with the average person. You’ll require more calories and macronutrients (fat, protein and carbohydrate) to maintain your strength and energy so you can perform at an optimum level.
Correct nutrition will allow you to maximise your athletic performance and strengthen your body, which in turn will help you to avoid injuries. Moreover, you’ll have to consider the timings of meals. As such, it’s worth getting a nutritionist on board if you’re keen to take your routines to the next level.
REST & RECOVERY IS ESSENTIAL
Whilst peak performance is, of course, essential, avoiding injuries is equally important. After all, if you’re sidelined, you’re never going to hit those targets and reach those goals. Consider enlisting the help of a sports massage expert to help with any aches, pains, kinks and knots both retrospectively and in advising you how better to avoid them in the first place. This might involve advice on warming up and down, as well as form and how best to maximise your rest days.
CONSIDER A COACH
Speaking of expert advice, if you’ve truly got your heart set on taking things to the next level, it’s a good idea to consider enlisting the help of a professional coach or personal trainer. There’s only so much you can get done on your own, and being accountable to a third party can be an amazing motivation moving forward.
Of course, accountability and motivation is only half of it; the knowledge a PT or professional coach can bring to the table is invaluable, too.
Read: 5 IDEAL ways a personal trainer can help you get fit faster
GET ENOUGH SLEEP
Sleep is essential for muscle recovery, repair and growth, and if you’re not getting enough of it, then you’re doing all of your hard work in the gym a massive disservice.
According to the guys at Joe, each of the four stages of the sleep cycle plays an essential role in muscle repair and growth.
- During the initial nodding off period, Stage 1, ‘’Brain wave patterns in this stage are associated with muscle memory and ‘logging’ movements learned during the day’’. All that careful attention you’ve paid to proper form in the gym is reinforced here.
- Stage 2 sees the body begin to produce ‘’Human Growth Hormone (HGH), which increases the growth of muscle tissue and regulates the body’s metabolism.’’
- The third stage of sleep sees growth and repair go into overdrive, with more HGH released. What’s more, ‘’anti-inflammatory hormone called prolactin is also released which are important for joint recover.’’
- REM, the fourth stage, sees ‘’your muscles supplied with extra oxygen to breakdown lactic acid. If you’re not getting enough shut-eye, you get painful and potentially-problematic muscle knots called “trigger points” building up.’’
All in all, without proper rest and recovery, which is most succinctly released through a nightly 7 to 9 hours of the good stuff (we mean sleep), you’re simply not going to allow your body time to build muscle and maximise those gains. If you’re keen to learn more about how to get more restorative sleep, then check out these 7 things to try.
LOOK AFTER YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
As the Independent writes, “The Olympics marked a watershed moment for mental health in sport. Some of the biggest sporting stars talked about their mental health’’, and this should apply to amateur athletes just as aptly.
The pursuit of personal excellence can take its toll mentally, so do make sure you’re focusing not only on your physical health but on your mental wellbeing, too. Check out these tips on simple daily routine hacks for a healthier, happier you for more on that.