Fit Tip #7
Fatigue Masks Fitness
Eric Cressey
May 2007
With the summer months upon us, everyone wants to get outside and be as active as possible right away – and they want to have their cake and eat it, too.
In an exercise context, kids want to go out and play all day, and then head to soccer or baseball practices or games, expecting to be at tip-top shape. Unfortunately, after long days in the sun running around, that’s not always feasible. I like to tell my athletes that “fatigues masks fitness,” so you need to learn to budget your recovery capacity wisely.
Imagine a 10-year old athlete who runs a 6-minute mile on Monday. Then, on Tuesday, he goes out and runs a marathon (an exaggeration, I know). If he came back on Wednesday, do you think he’d be able to do that mile in six minutes again?
The answer is obviously a resounding “NO!” He’s imposed fatigue, so he can’t be expected to demonstrate his full fitness.
With our young athletes, we need to focus on a few things to ensure that they don’t “hit the wall” with overuse injuries, dehydration, and flat-out fatigue.
First, remember that you can’t drive a car on an empty tank – or a tank with the wrong kind of fuel, so those young athletes are going to need plenty of nutritious foods if they expect to play all day. There should be protein at each feeding to assist in recovery, and it should be complemented by healthy carbohydrates (fruits, veggies, whole grains) and good fats (nuts, seeds)
Second, remember that fluid intake is tremendously important during the summer months. If an athlete is thirsty, he’s already dehydrated. Unless your child is burping up guppies, chances are that he isn’t drinking enough water!
Third, make sure that your child is getting plenty of sleep each night. Kids in the 5-12 age group need 10-11 hours of sleep each night, and teenagers need at least 8-9 hours.
Fourth, remember that you can’t always burn the candle on both ends. Know when to take a step back and give your child a night of rest after a long day of play.
May 25, 2007
EC |
