THROWDOWN 303
3 Rounds for Max Reps:60 sec AMRAP S2O – 115/75#60 sec AMRAP Box Jump Overs – 24/20″60 sec AMRAP Echo Bike Calories or Row Calories6...
One thing we like to talk about at TTT Nutrition is how all of the hours in your day and time spent outside of the gym can affect your performance in the gym. This is true for anything in athletics. If you are serious about improving in any sport, there are a lot of factors to consider aside from the many hours you spend at practices and games. Your coaches and teammates all provide the support system to challenge you and make you better on the field or on a court or in the pool, but once you also put your focus on making small changes to your daily habits, you’ll unlock that little 1% “extra” needed to really excel.
This article is your cheat code. It’s the top three things to focus on day after day to help you become a better athlete. The things on this list may surprise you; there’s not a supplement listed or special piece of equipment you need to buy. It’s actually a bit boring – but at TTT Nutrition, we like boring and we like routines and we like sticking to the basics.
This is #1 for a reason. It plays a huge role in growth and development as we age – everything from improving our ability to learn and memorize to calibrating our emotions and regulating appetite. Sleep is restorative – it allows for muscle repair from a strenuous practice or lifting session and helps build and strengthen connections in our brain as we learn new things and sharpen our skills for our sport. Ensuring we are well-rested allows us to be fully present in school and at practice and during games and also to stay emotionally regulated so we can give full attention to what’s important.
In general, it’s a good idea to go to bed and wake up at close to the same time every day. That can be difficult to do with a drastic schedule change, like you have on school days and weekends, so let’s try to focus on getting to bed as early as you can. This will set you up for success by ensuring you are in bed long enough to get the amount of rest your body and brain requires. Get your homework done early, turn off your phone, and make sure your room is very dark.
Our bodies are about 60% water. So, making sure we take in enough total water is essential to supplying more than half of ourselves with its most basic building block. The USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) states that “research has shown that losing as little as two percent of total bodyweight can negatively affect athletic performance.” When you are not properly hydrated, your blood circulation starts to decrease, the muscles at work don’t receive enough oxygen they need, exhaustion sets into the athlete, performance hinders, and the by-products of exercises are not getting flushed regularly.
In general, it’s a good idea to drink ½ of your bodyweight (lbs) in ounces per day. So someone who weighs 140 pounds needs to drink 70 ounces of water. And then for every hour of exercise, you need to add 12 ounces (minimum). Start your day off right by drinking a big glass of water and, if you’re allowed, carry a reusable water bottle with you throughout the day when you’re at school. Make sure you are drinking fluids with every break at practice, at halftime, and on your way home, too.
Carbs are the main fuel source for physical activity and give us easy energy to move, lift, run, and jump. They are broken down quickly and absorbed into your bloodstream for immediate use or storage within your body. Carbs taken the day before an important workout or game help ensure maximum muscle fuel storage, and carbs taken after a tough session help promote recovery. It’s the perfect macro!
Fruits and vegetables are carbohydrates. So are breads, cereals, and pasta. We describe fruits and vegetables as “nutrient-dense” carb sources and cereals, breads, and pasta as “calorie-dense” carb sources. It’s important to include a variety of carb sources to not only make sure you have energy throughout the day but to also ensure you are getting the recommended amount of vitamins and minerals your body needs to grow and develop.
In general, female athletes should aim for a minimum daily intake of 1.5 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables. Male athletes should aim for a minimum of 2 cups of fruit and 3 cups of vegetables. There’s no wrong way to eat your fruits and veggies – raw or cooked, plain or with some dipping sauce – whatever will be easiest and tastiest is the best way for you.
Your overall carbohydrate intake can make up anywhere from 45-65% of your total calories in a day. The older you get and the more active you are, the more calories – and the more carbs – you need to eat in a day! It can be really tough to eat that recommended amount with only nutrient-dense foods, which is why it’s ok to include calorie-dense options in your meals. High calorie-dense carbohydrates, like bread and pasta, are perfect recovery foods after a tough game or practice or gym session.
And there you have it. Three keys to unlock that next level of performance in your sport. As with any new habit or behavior, BE PATIENT. It takes quite a bit of effort to turn something new into something routine, so it’s ok to get some help along the way. Set reminders on your phone to go to bed or drink water throughout the day. Ask your parents for help with adding more fruits and veggies to your meals. Stock up on easy-to-bring carb options for after games and keep them in your bag. Some great options are applesauce pouches, graham crackers, and dried fruit. Good luck!
