Prep and recovery for Competition Simon Cushman - BSc, MSc

Prepare for WAR!  “Unfortunately, there seems to be far more opportunity out there than ability.... We should remember that good fortune often happens when opportunity meets with preparation.” ― Thomas A. EdisonThomas A. Edison  “He who is best prepared can best serve his moment of inspiration.” ― Samuel Taylor ColeridgeSamuel Taylor Coleridge  “Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character.” ― Alan ArmstrongAlan Armstrong  To... not prepare is the greatest of crimes; to be prepared beforehand for any contingency is the greatest of virtues.  Sun Tzu  "It's not the will to win that matters—everyone has that. It's the will to prepare to win that matters." — Paul "Bear" Bryant  "By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail." — Benjamin Fanklin  "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." — Seneca

Nutrition, Sleep, Hydration  Have the correct fuel in your body  Pre 2-3 hrs: final meal, carbs and protein  Try to get a decent night sleep  Decrease in: Cognitive function, Metabolism, RPE,  Stay well Hydrated  2% decrease in mass < cognitive skill

Warm up – Why?  Neivida et al (2014)  Warm up improved maximal swimming speed  Fletcher et al (2004)  Warm up improved 20m sprint performance  Carvalho et al (2012)  Dynamic stretching improved jump height  Seems to suggest reduces the potential for overuse injury over the course of a season AND improve  Additionally, it takes min to change metabolic systems

Warm up – What to do?  Keep it moving…  Calisthenics  Running, Squats, Lunges, Press ups, Leg swings  Move your body through the range of movement to replicate competition

Post Competition – What not to do  Drink (straight away)  Lead to increase in cortisol  Increase fatty tissue around your middle  Eat Junk Food  Don’t need solid fats clogging up your body, lead to greater fat storage  Sit still  You will seize up, get heavy legs and feel sore and tighter the next day

Post Competition– What to do  Stretch  Static stretches this time and keep moving to keep blood flow around the body  Rehydrate  This will improve your recovery and adaptations  Eat  Carbohydrates and Protein

Summary  Your competition is not just about the time you spend competing, but in the hours leading up to it, your training and recovery  If you don’t prepare properly, you wont perform as well  If you don’t recover properly, you wont train as hard