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| Game Day
Recovery |
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Hockey is an intense fast
paced game that can leave you exhausted, tired and make your
muscles feel soar the next day. Most players spend 3-5 days per
week on the ice so knowing how to recover faster is very
important if you want to avoid running out of energy or getting
ill from exhaustion. By applying a few tips, you can recover
your muscles a lot quicker and more efficiently. Here is a list
of things you can do to help give your body what it needs to
recover faster from strenuous hockey workouts.
Water
Drink lots of water or sports drinks during practices or games –
Not getting enough fluids in your body during games or practices
will accelerate your overall fatigue and heat stress. As your
body temperature increases, performance decreases, fatigue
increases and you can become ill. Insufficient hydration can
lead to these much faster. The best way to stay hydrated and
fuelled for hockey workouts is to drink water or sports drinks
during workouts (we recommend a high quality sports drink as it
also contains carbohydrates, proteins and electrolytes, which
will give you more energy than simply consuming water). You
should consume 4 to 8 ounces of water or sports drinks every
10-15 minutes. (Avoid sports drink with too much sugar).
Rest
Assure to give you body the rest it needs– Nutrition and proper
hydration alone are not enough
to assure your body to fully recover from strenuous hockey
workouts. Rest and sleep are also
very important. To assure your body has the necessary rest it
needs, you should aim at having at
least 8-10 hours of quality sleep every night (especially the
night before your hockey games or
practices). If your body doesn’t get the sleep it needs, your
body will become tired a lot
quicker and your performance will suffer from it. You should
also try to go to bed no later than
10 O’Clock, as the best sleep quality occurs between 10 p.m. – 1
a.m. Also, try to have a few
days a week with very little or no exercise to give your body
rest to recover faster.
Endurance & Stamina
Work on your endurance and stamina – If you lack endurance and
stamina, your body will use a lot
more energy and become exhausted a lot quicker. For this reason,
it is very important that one
of your main goals as a player be to become fit and in shape.
There are a few ways to do this;
1- Work on conditioning during practices.
2- Undertake
cardio-vascular exercises away from the
ice (in-line skating, jogging, and biking). Remember however not
to over do any exercise you
undertake as too much exercise will deplete your body more than
it will do you good.
Injury Recovery
Treat injuries and take time off from hockey if needed – Hockey
is a fast paced game with fast intense movements and with contact involved, many injuries can
occur. The most typical injuries
suffered from hockey players are muscle strains, back ligament
sprains, groin strains, hip
injuries, knee injuries, shoulder injuries, wrist injuries, hand
and finger injuries, head and
neck injuries, concussions, contusions and dental injuries. If
you suffer from one of those
types of injuries, consult a medical professional and follow his
recommendations to treat and
heal your injury. Many players don’t take the necessary time off
to let the injury heal and they
end up aggravating the injury. Give your body the time, rest and
nutrition it needs to heal.
Here is a simple guideline to follow if you suffer a bruise or
strain during a game.
RICE – Rest (For most injuries, rest the area until the pain
decreases. For simple sore muscles,
however, gentle stretching will reduce stiffness more quickly.
Hold the stretch for 30 to 60
seconds, then rest and repeat five to 10 times) – Ice (Ice is
the most effective treatment for
reducing inflammation, pain and swelling of injured muscles,
joints and connective tissues—such
as tendons, ligaments, and bruises. Apply ice for 20 minutes
every two to three hours while
awake. For best results, place crushed ice in a plastic bag and
wrap with a moist towel) -
Compression (Between icings, wrap the injured area with an
elastic bandage to help control
swelling and provide support. Don’t wrap to tightly!) -
Elevation (Raising the injured area
above your heart will allow gravity to help reduce swelling by
draining excess fluid). |
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