Sports Knowledge: This is how you train smarter
Sports knowledge: Can you do too much sport?
"Every day should intensively play sports only, who has to earn his money with it - all the other should not only regularly take days off sports, but also calm sometimes leave on holiday, the running shoes at home," Wolfgang Friedrich, sports scientist and study director of the State Sports School Albstadt of the Württemberg Landessportbundes, which has been dealing with the correct training dose practically and scientifically for a long time. Especially endurance athletes tend to develop a "craving for the past" and to take over. Warning signs are frequent infections - overexertion impairs the immune system -, little appetite and poor sleep, because the body is constantly pooped with adrenaline. If you want to be physically challenged but do not want to overburden yourself, you should follow the 2: 1 or 3: 1 rule: train intensively for two or three days, one day slower (or two or three weeks of training, one week of proper break) , Who gives the body time to regenerate, by the way, trains much more effectively!
Sports Knowledge: How do I protect my joints during tennis or squash?
So-called backlash games such as tennis, badminton, squash and table tennis are particularly stressful for hocks, knees and Achilles tendon because of the abrupt stop movements. Those who are overweight should rather search for a different sport. Buying special shoes for tennis or badminton makes sense, because jogging shoes with thick soles increase the risk for the ankles, because it makes it easier to bend over. Tapes and bandages provide more psychological protection, but can not really catch the strain on the hocks. The best way to strengthen the muscles around the ankle with regular exercises on a soft surface (for example, balance barefoot on an eightfold folded towel on one leg). Also jumping rope prepares well for sports that strain joints.
Should I spare myself if I have sore muscles?
Yes. Muscle soreness is not - as is often assumed - the result of hyperacidity of the muscle. The pain comes from tiny muscle tears that lead to an inflammatory reaction. Cause are so-called eccentric loads (slow down, eg when running downhill), unfamiliar movements or exaggerated hard training. Those who continue to train iron on sore muscles risk additional lengthy muscle injuries. Better: easy activities like cycling or swimming, bathing in a nice warm bath and with antioxidative vitamin C, eg. B. from fruit juices that promote muscle healing.
Is it really important what I eat before or after exercise?
Definitely yes. A healthy diet with lots of fruit and vegetables and enough protein (meat, fish, eggs, dairy products) is basically the basis. But it is also important to eat the right thing in the so-called anabolic (muscle-building) phase after exercise. For in the first 45 minutes after training, protein and carbohydrates are particularly effectively incorporated into the muscle. Eating right after an intense workout (eg one hour of fast running, about ten kilometers) is therefore optimal. As a rule of thumb, the food should contain around one gram of carbs per kilo of body weight. For example, about 50 grams of carbs are One to two muesli bars, half a liter of juice (drunk as a spritzer), one to two muffins or two honey breads. That would be optimal for building muscle. However, if you want to take care of your figure or lose weight, you prefer to use protein, eg. Eg two scrambled eggs with crabs and a small slice of wholemeal bread, or try a protein drink, if you want to go fast.
Do I have to go to the doctor with a sprained foot?
Depends on. If the ankle does not get fat and can be moved, there's probably nothing wrong, like a torn ligament. But then, for a while, just go and see if everything feels normal, maybe cool for ten minutes. If the ankle hurts when it appears or moves, becomes fat or blue, go to the doctor. There, the diagnosis is secured with ultrasound, X-ray or magnetic resonance. An indication of a worse injury is also when the circulation responds, that is, a bad or dizzy one.
In which sports injuries does cooling really help?
For all injuries associated with swelling. As bruises or sprains, but also for serious injuries such as torn ligament or bone fracture as a first aid. Too intensive cooling can also have disadvantages. One no longer perceives pain and therefore can judge worse how bad the injury is. And there may be frostbite on the skin. Therefore: Always cool for only 10 to 15 minutes, then take a break.Do not place crushed ice directly on the skin in a plastic bag, but wrap it in a towel or T-shirt. Even more gentle is so-called hot ice: For 15 ice cubes melt in one liter of water, then the water has the right temperature for cold envelopes. On the way, cold packs, which are activated by pressing, are better than cold sprays, which have less depth effect.
I love traveling abroad: Can I just run away from the jet lag?
Outdoor sports (in daylight!) Makes it easier to adapt to the new daily routine. However, when the internal clock is at three o'clock in the morning, the heart, circulation and muscles are not really fit for physical exertion. Anyone who jogs in California as soon as they arrive in the setting sun drives their bodies to unhealthy levels during the biological deep sleep phase. The same applies in Asia for sports in the morning or at noon. Ideal for training on the American West Coast is the morning (then shows the internal clock late afternoon), in Asia, the late afternoon or early evening (corresponds to the morning after the internal clock).
Blisters on the feet: better prick or leave alone?
In any case, with really thick bubbles you can hardly continue to run; So puncture - for pressure relief. But if possible only with a disinfected needle, so that nothing ignites. Practical are individually packaged alcohol swabs, which you just take on tours; if necessary, it also does high percentage schnapps. Mask after piercing with a sterile plaster. Good are also special blister plaster. Preventive or at the first suspicion that the shoe rubs somewhere helps tap the sensitive areas (eg on the heel). Those who are prone to blisters should also invest in special stockings (sports and shoe shops) that have no seams at the critical points, do not wrinkle and are padded.
And with an infection? Can I still do sports?
Those who only have a cold and feel physically fit, can train without further ado. Fever is an absolute no-go. If you feel limp and choppy, you should definitely not go to the sport. Sometimes there is an unrecognized myocarditis, which becomes life-threatening when overworked.
I am pregnant: May I continue to train as before?
Until about the seventh month most sports are no problem if the gynecologist gives her okay. Professional athletes sometimes compete until the fourth or fifth month. Shakes can cause labor in the late pregnancy, then you should z. B. prefer walking instead of jogging. Optimal in recent weeks: swimming.
Drink properly
Drink a maximum of half a liter before exercise. For longer endurance sports (from one hour) also in between. After training, drink about 1.5 times the sweated amount within about two hours. To compensate for the salt loss and to fill up the carbohydrate storage, sports drinks, alcohol-free wheat beer or juice spritzers are suitable.
Targeted stretching
Stretching before sport can be counterproductive in power sports. Swing exercises (such as arm circles) bring the body closer to the optimum "operating temperature". Towards the end of the training, the load is always slow to break down (eg leaking), which promotes regeneration. After training, stretch each muscle group for about ten seconds. This provides for strong tension of the muscles again for normal muscle tension.
Effectively burden
Rule of thumb for the effective training pulse: subtract the resting heart rate from the maximum heart rate (220 minus age) = optimal stress pulse. The targeted training pulse: two-thirds of the optimal pulse beat plus resting heart rate. For example: A 30-year-old has a resting heart rate of 80. Her maximum heart rate is 190. The optimal heart rate is 190 (optimal heart rate) - 80 (resting heart rate) = 110. Two-thirds of these are 74 and her training pulse is 74 + 80 (Resting heart rate) = 154.
