The Top 10 ingredients an athlete requires for peak performance, from sleep and nutrition to a great environment and a support structure.
Top 10 ingredients an athlete requires for peak performance
Maintaining a training program and a routine that leads to peak performance is best achieved by establishing a system with checks and balances, that monitors each of the ingredients that give you the best chance at achieving success.
1. Sleep
What are we without sleep. The amount of deep sleep hours you put in between 10 and 2am goes a long way in having a ‘nourishing’ recovery.
2. Nutrition
Never enough can be discussed for a good and healthy nutritional intake. Having sufficient energy to train comes directly from a well balanced nutrition regime. Put the time in to plan your eating routine to compliment your training needs.
3. Long run
The long run, a minimum of once every 3 weeks is the required dose. A decent long runs allows you to build an aerobic capacity that allows you to have a solid foundation to build upon.
4. Intervals
Not just any intervals but speed endurance. Sets you up for all your distances. Shorter rest recoveries of 60 to 90 seconds is the secret, with the correct pace, not too fast and not too slow.
5. Staying healthy and Injury free
Having a sports doctor, massage therapist and physiotherapist at your disposal who is aware of your health history and previous injuries helps in maintaining the aim to stay healthy and injury free.
6. Environment
Keep good company. Know your training environment and your recovery environment, make sure they are conducive to achieve all that is in your training program, the correct variation which is not too hot or too cold. Dress accordingly.
7. Support Structure
This cannot be underestimated. The importance of having people around you who are supportive to you achieving your goals and who most importantly are a good sounding board, be they your partner or coach, and if you have both in one person, count your blessings
8. Rest and Recovery
The importance of planning this in your program is instrumental in avoiding injuries and illness. Plan for time down and recovery.
9. Maintenance work
The body needs to be treated in the same way as your own car. It requires a service and maintenance package. Nutrition and sleep. Stretching and strength routines according to your needs. Check your footwear as part of this maintenance.
10. Be kind to yourself
Positive self affirmation. Be kind to yourself, encourage yourself and be gentle when things are not working out. Confidence in what you doing is most important, don’t train so that you continually tired, that is not (and should not be) the aim.
In conclusion
A good program has you tired at certain times of the program and then it is most important that the body is given a chance to absorb the workload and then to freshen up before racing. Hopefully these 10 ingredients are simple to achieve, as the whole plan is to keep it simple.
Please note: we do condone the use of heart rate monitors and scientific aids in your training, for this article we have kept it as close to KISS as possible
author: Gavin Doyle
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