Improve Your Athletic Performance
By Elizabeth Quinn, About.com Guide to Sports Medicine
There are several factors that play into how fast you run, how long you can engage in physical activity before you lose steam, and how quickly you can recover -- many of which are within your control.
- Sport Training Basic Principles
- Training Plans, Workouts & Drills
- Strength Training for Sports
- Sports Psychology
- Abdominal Exercise | Core Strength
- Nutrition for Optimal Performance
- Ergogenic Aids | Sports Supplements
- Fitness Testing and Assessment
Sport Training Basic Principles
Whether you're a seasoned athletes or just starting, there are some basics training guidelines and principles that you need to keep in mind in order to get the most from your training. These articles can help you set or reassess your training methods and help you achieve your goals.
Training Plans, Workouts & Drills
Athletes need to practice in order to perform well. Training efficiently for your sport and varying your workouts and skill drills can help you avoid burnout and boredom, as well as reach new levels of performance.
Strength Training for Sports
Strength training is a critical component to athletic performance. Increasing muscular strength and endurance improves an athlete's ability to exercise more efficiently, avoid injury and recovery faster.
Sports Psychology
The mind is as much of a part of excelling in a sport as the body. Many elite athletes rely on sports psychology techniques, skills and tools to get a mental advantage over the competition and learn how to improve their focus.
Abdominal Exercise | Core Strength
When it comes to moves that target muscle groups, abdominal training exercises are amongst the most popular. But it's selecting those that are proven to be most effective, and performing them properly, that will get you the strong core you're after.
Nutrition for Optimal Performance
The right nutrition can help you excel in sports, recover faster, decrease your risk of injury, and even reduce muscle soreness. Proper sports nutrition can also help you avoid dehydration, hitting the wall (bonking), general exercise fatigue, and more. Fuel your body right to get the most out of your efforts.
Ergogenic Aids | Sports Supplements
Athletes often look for alternative nutritional supplements or substances to improve performance. Some of these substances are naturally occurring and completely legal while others are manufactured, illegal or banned by many sporting organizations.
Fitness Testing and Assessment
A fitness assessment is a series of measurements that help determine health status and physical fitness of an individual. There are and endless number of possible tests and measurements that trainers and coaches may use to determine an individual's baseline fitness level and help design an appropriate exercise program. Here are some of the most common fitness tests.