We understand sports performance as “the ability of an athlete to activate all their resources under certain conditions”. This performance is directly related to the ability of the muscles to produce energy. The more energy they provide, the better results we will obtain during workouts.
The achievements we can achieve depend on our athletic performance. Here are some tools that will help you get the most out of the physical activity you do, thus improving your results. How to improve sports performance?
Planned training
The technique and the effort that we have in each preparation, influence whether we can have a better or worse performance. We have to schedule a constant training plan to increase endurance. If you want to obtain a good result, it is advisable to carry out a routine mixing strength training with cardio activities.
Continuity and planning are essential. Establish a realistic but ambitious training schedule, according to the time you can dedicate daily.
Get adequate rest:
After an intense sports activity, the body needs to recover for the next effort. You have to recharge the glycogen stores and regenerate the muscles and tissues that have been damaged during training.
For this, the moments of rest have an important influence on the improvement of our physical form. If we train and don’t rest well, we won’t progress and we feel fatigued. In addition, we run the risk of over-training, which can lead to muscle or joint injuries.
Getting enough sleep is also essential for anyone, but for athletes who have more daily wear and tear, it is essential.
The good quality of sleep and rest help to regenerate muscles, tendons and ligaments after exertion. Which contributes to increasing our physical shape and avoiding injuries.
It is vital to combat stress and reduce physical and mental fatigue, in addition to strengthening the immune system. Lack of sleep is associated with decreased attention and memory. It increases the chances that we can suffer from diabetes, hypertension, depression and heart problems.
It is advisable not to exercise two or three hours before going to bed. As it activates us and prevents us from falling asleep well. Athletes must sleep a minimum of 8 hours a day. A good complement to your night’s sleep to rest your mind and body is to try taking a 20-30 minute nap.
Mark your goals:
The work we do must be constant and with well-planned goals to measure progress in our sporting activity.
It is important to set achievable goals that keep us motivated every day. This methodology will help us to make an effort in our daily work and will allow us to maintain the illusion and commitment with what we do.
On the other hand, we can verify that we are going in the right direction to achieve the final objective. Having a goal motivates us and when we achieve it, it stimulates us to achieve the next goal, helping us to increase our confidence in ourselves.
Positive attitude:
The attitude we have determines a large part of our performance. Positive thoughts give athletes a vital boost allowing them to develop their potential, eliminate anxiety and enjoy competing. For this, we have to have very high self-confidence and a very internalized positive attitude so that external factors, such as the results of a competition, do not influence us.
Appropriate equipment:
When performing any physical activity we must use the appropriate garments to be able to carry out the sporting activity comfortably and to prevent injuries since it can lead to friction, skin reactions, even more, serious injuries such as tendon inflammation, sprains or bone wear due to not using the right material.
It is advisable not to use cotton garments, since they tend to retain liquids and the sweat will remain impregnated, giving us a feeling of being wet. Keeping sweat on the body and altering body temperature can cause us to tire more quickly or catch flu.
On the other hand, in sports in which the material directly influences our performance (paddle tennis, cycling, skiing). We must carefully choose the material so that it is suitable for our goals, physiology and personal style.
Constant hydration
Dehydration considerably increases the risk of injury and reduces athletic performance. Before starting physical activity and during sports, it is recommended that we hydrate ourselves, especially if it lasts more than an hour.
The amounts of liquid that we should ingest depend on the type of sport, the duration and the intensity. Normally it is recommended to drink about 600 ml every hour, but it must be adapted to each person and the type of sport we practice. In addition to drinking water, we can hydrate ourselves through milk, juices, coffee. Read more