According to Statista, 19 percent of the US population participated in sports and exercise every day in 2017.
As people grow more dedicated to their health and athletism, they also develop new strategies to improve their performance. In addition to their regular sports training, athletes are also adding new routines to enhance their abilities in the gym and on the field.
With these new strategies, you can hit the next level of awesome in your own training.
Let’s crush this! Here are 10 tips for building better athletes and improving athletic performance.
1. The Most Important Meal of the Day
We’ve heard it since we were kids, and the fact still remains: breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
As an athlete, a healthy breakfast can set your day’s training up for success. A strategically-design breakfast should engage your metabolism and prevent muscle protein from breaking down.
To accomplish this goal, plan a balanced breakfast every morning. The meal should include fats, proteins, and carbs to fuel your muscles and your workout.
Check out these tips to develop a healthy morning routine.
2. Fuel Your Athletic Performance
It’s also essential to schedule a nutritious meal three to four hours before hitting the field. Whether you’re headed to practice, a game, or just working out, fueling your athletic performance can make all the difference.
Make sure to load your meal with complex carbohydrates.
These include whole grains and fiber-rich foods such as apples, berries, and bananas. Vegetables include leafy greens, carrots, and broccoli.
Don’t forget lean proteins such as white fish, plain Greek yogurt, or lean beef.
These foods will fuel your performance so you can train or play at your best!
3. Replenish
These tips for building better athletes and improving athlete performance include planning before and after training.
After practice or a game, it’s important to replenish your body’s nutrients. A rigorous workout can cause damage to muscle fibers. Protein, however, can help your body rebuild these damaged tissues.
That way, you can replenish your body and strengthen your muscles for your next workout.
Otherwise, your body may experience muscle mass loss. Try to consume 20 to 40 grams of protein within the first hour after exercise. You should also maintain a 2:1 ratio of carbs to proteins.
That means 40 to 80 grams of carbs after your workout as well.
4. Switch Sugars for Complex Carbs
As you prioritize complex carbs in your diet, you can also achieve improved athletic performance by cutting out sugars.
These include glucose and fructose, which aren’t an ideal source of fuel for athletic performance. Instead, try to get energy from complex carbs such as sweet potatoes, brown rice, and oats.
These foods can provide your body with the energy it needs for peak athlete performance.
5. Hydrate (Just Right)
Your body needs the right amount of water, especially if an intense workout causes you to sweat the water stored within your body.
Aim for 20 to 40 ounces of water within an hour of your workouts. You can also calculate the amount of water you need a day by drinking half of your body weight in ounces.
Make sure to replenish your fluids—but don’t overdrink, which can cause bloating and nausea.
6. Go Macro
The foods we eat provide our bodies with essential macronutrients, but that’s not always enough.
Take vitamins and mineral supplements for improved athletic performance. That way, you won’t experience a vitamin deficiency that could impact how your body functions.
A few essential vitamins and minerals include vitamins A, C, D, E, magnesium, zinc, and iron. According to data, 40 percent of adults are deficient in these vitamins and minerals.
Adding these to your diet can keep your body balanced and performing at its best.
7. Muscle Protein
I mentioned the importance of replenishing muscle mass loss. Adding supplements that promote muscle protein synthesis can also help you discover how to be a better athlete.
Since highly intense workouts cause muscles to break down, it’s important to elevate your body’s muscle growth. That way, your body recovers from each workout.
8. Recover
There are other supplements that can help you recover, too. While resistance training can help strengthen your body, it can also stress it out. This causes the muscle breakdown I mentioned earlier.
Help your body recover by adding amino acids to your routine.
As the building blocks for muscle, amino acids can help your body recover from a stressful workout. A few examples include glutamine, BCAAs, and arginine.
9. Mix It Up
Changing how you train can also help you discover how to be a better athlete.
Your body learns how to adapt to familiar stress after a time. This includes workout routines and drills.
Change up your workout! Mix it up every three weeks to keep your body guessing. Otherwise, the same routine over and over may not produce the results you’re aiming for.
You can also speak with Dr. Kristofer Chaffin and develop a plan to achieve your highest level of performance.
With a dedicated game plan, you can customize your training and workouts to focus on how to become a better athlete.
10. Log Your Performance
Once you start using these tips for building better athletes, track your performance.
Recognizing what works best for your body—and what doesn’t—can help you further improve your athletic performance. Track the foods you eat, your workout routines for each week, and the supplements you take.
Track how well you perform during each training session or game. Then, match those results to your diet and supplement intake for the week.
With this data, you can make informed decisions to further improve your athletic performance.
Building Better Athletes: How to Improve Your Athletic Performance
With this guide to building better athletes and improving athletic performance, you can crush your training! Don’t forget to keep tracking your results so you can stay focused on how to become a better athlete.
Pump up your athletic training with even more health & fitness tips by checking out the blog.