Faster, Higher, Stronger
BY: Mark McClusky
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How sports science is creating a new generation of super athletes and what we can learn from them.
- Tricks for the brain to help the body fight fatigue
- Nutritional hacks that fuel athletes
- The huge impact data can have on training
- Smart ways to speed up learning a new skill
- The competitive benefits of being a late bloomer
INTRO
In todays world, athletes are turning to advanced technology and savvy science to help them reach new levels of human performance.
SETTING
Menlo Park, California
Fighting Fatigue & Injury Prevention
Baseball Players (all sports start with a pre workout stretch)
- Before their workout, baseball players begin by rolling out their muscles to loosen them and increase blood flow before starting the actual work.
- By gradually ramping up the numbers, the baseball players are lowering their risk of injury.
- In my sport (gymnastics) I have to stretch before and after every practice. By doing so, I am decreasing my risk of injury.
- It is very important to apply heat to your muscles before a hard workout, and ice right after.
- Cold-water immersion, is said to reduce muscle soreness after workouts.
- By stretching your quads, it can prevent knee injuries. (ACL tears)
- (This is for all sports, including regular activities, like going for a run)
Strength
- A baseball player or a golfer needs good rotational ability.
- A soccer player needs to have great lateral movement.
- A sprinter needs explosive power in a straight line.
- A gymnast would need to have all three of these qualities, including flexibility, and high levels of strength, in order to keep the body up and off the ground.
Healthy Diet
- Myths
- Sports drinks? Yes or No?
- Breaking the myth about gatorade
If a regular person hits the gym for 30 minutes on the elliptical machine, she might burn about 350 calories. She then puts 200 calories back into her body by drinking a thirty-two -ounce sports drink.
- If you are looking to lose weight, you're not making any progress.
- Rule number one to losing weight... (NEVER DRINK YOUR CALORIES)
Athletes
Athletes need these extra calories, because they are exerting themselves past, what is normal.
- A runner requires lots of electrolytes, because when running, they are sweating a lot, thus needing to replenish the lost calories.
- The same goes for any sport that requires high endurance.
- Gymnast don't really need to have any of these extra calories, because in gymnastics, we are not exerting ourselves for long periods of time.
Vitamins and Bone Health
- Vitamin D: (Sunlight) * Lack of Vitamin D can affect bone health, and can cause inflammation and reduce the effectiveness of muscles.
- Iron: (blood cell development and regeneration)
- Calcium: (bone health and strength)
Gold Medal Genetics
DNA Isn't Destiny, but It Sure Can Help
- Height is 70 to 80% inherited.
- The rest is from environmental factors.
- Kids who are tall, tend to have taller parents.
Gender & Race
Men & Women
- There is a sizable physiological gap between men and women.
Race
- Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes have dominated long distance running for nearly two decades.
- Why?
- Phenotype: long thin limbs, and low fat
- Kenyan and Ethiopian runners have a higher hemoglobin than other ethnicities.
- Hemoglobin: A red protein responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood.
Anatony Final (2)