Health Tips 101: Prepare for State
As Oklahoma girls’ basketball gears up for the state tournament, there are a few tips that we think can be beneficial to the basketball players. Majority of the games in regular season are a few weeks apart and it has been awhile since anyone has played a tournament in which games are back-to-back. When games are back-to-back, you must prepare for the game of basketball but also prepare yourself mentally and physically.
A couple of easy tips that I would recommend in the run to state which include muscle recover therapy and proper hydration.
Muscle Recover Therapy:
Being sore and fatigue in the muscles is a direct result of the amount of work being done by your body parts in playing basketball! Long story short, increased blood flow can help aid the body to recover faster.
- Ice baths are always a great tool for muscle soreness and they’re extremely easy and inexpensive to create. A few buckets of ice in cold water always does the trick, just ensure majority of your body is submerged under the water, make the water as cold as one can stand it, and you MUST stay submerged for a minimum of 15 minutes.
- Massage: Deep Tissue massages help aid in increased blood flow due to the pressure from the massage which moves blood from the congested areas and allows new blood to flow in for improved blood circulation
- Normatec: Normatecs is a device that fits on body parts like a sleeve and compresses the body parts to induce blood flow which promotes faster recovery.
Proper Hydration
Hydration seems to be overlooked and the benefit of drinking water or Gatorade stems further than the need during competition and when one is tired. Hydrating yourself properly aids in performance and durability of the body during competition.
- Water: We know you’ve heard it before, but water is very fundamental in the recovery process. Everything that a happens in the human body requires the use of water. Water also helps with the flow of nutrients in the body to ensure they’re being used most efficiently. At a minimum, we recommended increasing your water intake the day before game and ensure at least 2-3 cups of water within a few hours leading up to the game.
- Electrolyte Fluids: The most common electrolyte fluids include Gatorade, Powerade and Pedialyte. Electrolyte fluids possess a high amount of carbs which makes it the perfect drink the night before a game and to a consume within the hour of game time. Electrolytes are meant to replenish lost energy from playing and the quick spike of energy is most sustained for beneficial use when it’s consumed properly!