The science around elite level sport has advanced rapidly since the turn of the century, with top class athletes able to employ a wide range of techniques designed to improve their performance.
Sports science first came to prominence back in the 1950s amongst the former Eastern Bloc nations, but it quickly spread to the United States and subsequently around the rest of the world.
One of the major developments within this discipline was a new-found understanding of the importance of recovery time, and this has now become an integral part of an athlete’s daily life.
Read on to find out more about the secret (legal) recovery habits of elite sportsmen.
CBD oil eases the pain
Many professional athletes use CBD oil as a means of recovering from intense exercise or their regular training sessions.
Soreness, tiredness and feelings of nausea are amongst the main side effects of intensive training and using traditional painkillers may not always be the best route to take. Ibuprofen and other over the counter drugs have side effects of their own, particularly if they are used frequently.
The best CBD oil is a more powerful and natural alternative and many top sportsmen have switched on to its benefits. The first thing to note about CBD oil is that it does not make you high. When you think about marijuana that is sold on the street, it contains the maximum tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is what recreational users are seeking.
However, CBD products with reduced THC concentrations are generally used for therapeutic and medical applications. To get the best benefits from CBD, producers will often extract the CBD from the plant and use it as a concentrate. This results in making it easier to make CBD oil in such as a way as to be advantageous to treating elite sportsmen.
The ideal marijuana strain to use in CBD oil to achieve the best recovery results is usually indica strain which has a more relaxing effect on the body. It helps to relax sore muscles and settles the mind and body. When buying CBD oil, make sure you go for the best possible product by doing your research and getting the oil with the highest possible potency (i.e. rich in CBD), so that you can receive the best therapeutic benefits.
Wenger a pioneer in supplements
Arsene Wenger introduced dramatic changes to Arsenal’s training methods when he was appointed as the club’s manager back in the 1990s. He introduced creatine and protein into the players’ diets, instructing them to take these supplements before and after training.
Wenger ensured players ate the right food, but the introduction of creatine was seen as a game-changer in modern football. It promotes muscle growth and body strength, helps to increase endurance and reduces fatigue.
The Frenchman also added multi-vitamins into the mix to ensure players got all the vitamins they needed to protect their immune system, while caffeine boosters just before training or a game helped to increase focus and minimise tiredness.
However, arguably the most important nutritional supplement introduced by Wenger was whey protein. This stimulates muscle growth, aids recovery and helps repair muscles, which was seen as an important factor in improving performance on the pitch.
Most top clubs have followed Wenger’s lead in relation to legal supplementation products, with footballers now accustomed to consuming these alongside a well-balanced diet.
Keep cool with cryotherapy
Cryotherapy is booming in elite-level sports. In just three minutes, your body gets a boost that no recovery spa can match. It helps sportsmen train well and makes them less prone to injuries.
Top football clubs like Manchester United and Real Madrid have their own cryotherapy chambers. Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo even has his own cryotherapy sauna at home. It is also used in the NBA, with the likes of LeBron James and Kobe Bryant using it to boost their recovery times.
A whole body cryotherapy recovery chamber works very quickly. Sportsmen wear as few clothes as possible, stripping down to boxers, singlets and protective coverings for fingers and toes. They step into the chamber and the clinician begins to fill the topless cylinder with cold vapour created from liquid nitrogen, creating a dry, frigid fog.
This completely safe and natural gas is able to bring the chamber temperature down to a chilly -100 to -140 degrees Celsius. Within the chamber sportsmen feel an intense adrenalin rush creating energy and boosting metabolism as well as releasing feel good endorphins.
Blood is gently retracted from outer skin cells and muscles during the cold and rushed back full of oxygen for rapid healing, toxin flushing and reduced swelling. Once outside the chamber athletes feel refreshed and replenished and experience a better nights’ sleep.
Whole body cryotherapy works positively on inflammation and pain, in particular the treatment of damage in the soft tissues of the body such as tendons, joints and attachments between bone and muscle. It speeds up recovery, meaning fewer anti-inflammatories and painkillers are required.
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