Preparation for Competition
Mr Tayyab explains how to prepare yourself to perform well in a competitive sport.
Participating and representing your country or region in a largescale sporting event is one of the biggest dreams for any sportsperson. The exposure, fame, and limelight that such events bring you are unparalleled. Every basketball and soccer athlete dreams of media chasing them for beeper and betting sites such as UFA raising bets on them. All that indeed comes with a lot of hard work. However, it would help if you had the right sense of direction as well. If you are someone who aspires to make it big in the sports world and are new to large-scale sporting events, here are a few tips that will help you prep up.
Avoid Stress
Before anything else, the most crucial thing that you need to remember is to avoid stress at all costs. It is understandable that when you are part of a competitive sport, especially some highly anticipated tournament, then the pressure level shoots up. The pressure meter rises exponentially when it is a team sport. Even though sports are driven by physical fitness primarily, many games such as cricket, football, etc. are referred to as the game of nerves, and rightly so. Besides physical fitness, your mental focus plays a crucial role in your performance, and that is why you must keep your stress levels in control.
Practice Hard
They say practice makes a man perfect, and the saying stands true to its core when it comes to sports. Most sports events are scheduled months in advance. Make sure you utilize that window in practising as much as you can. Avoid being lazy even when there are no tournaments around the corner and stick to your fitness schedule even in your off-seasons. The more you practice, the better your performance will be.
Rest Well
It is no brainer that fitness and practice are the backbones of excellent performance for an athlete. That being said, your body requires adequate rest to allow your muscles to recover from the stress and tear that they undergo when you work out. Your muscles build up better, and quicker, and there are lesser chances of injuries if you allow adequate rest to your body. Take at least a day off from the gym. Make sure your body gets a minimum of eight hours of uninterrupted sleep.
Eat Well
One of the worst myths that most new athletes have regarding fitness is that they need to eat less to sustain their fitness levels. Many aspiring athletes who are on the bulkier side also go to the extent of starving themselves. This is one of the biggest mistakes that you can make. Your body needs to be energetic and needs all the necessary nutrition in a balanced proportion.
Make sure you eat adequately without overwatering. Avoid junk and stick to healthier meals. Ideally, try consulting a professional nutritionist who can guide you about your body meal requirement according to your body dynamics.
Supplements
Indeed, your regular food intake might not be able to satisfy your entire nutrition requirement. You might have a shortfall in certain areas which can be taken care of by having additional supplements. Most supplements such as Vitamin D3, multivitamins, and Omega-3 are safe to take regularly and should be part of your regular diet.
That being said, avoid taking any steroids that might result in enhancing performances artificially. Random dope tests are a common practice in sports, and if any such steroids are detected in your blood sample, you may face disqualification and even be banned from participating in sports.
Page Reference
If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:
- TAYYAB, M. (2019) Preparation for Competition [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article471.htm [Accessed
About the Author
Mr. Tayyab is a Freelance Journalist who writes about Nutrition and Minerals to help athletes.