The Sport Slice

Hey guys, so for this post I decided to do some research into cold water therapy after training. The post will include the main benefits of this form of recovery with some guided research. Hope you enjoy and can take something from it! Cryotherapy or cold water immersion is used readily in today's world by the top athletes across many different sports as it is seen as an effective way to relieve muscle fatigue and tiredness. But is it the best method? It is seen as common practice in sport from rugby players to elite runners to professional soccer players. But are we right to question it's worth? Let's see what the research says... The theory behind ice baths is related to the fact that intense exercise causes microtrauma, which is tiny tears in your muscle fibers. This type of muscle damage is actually a goal of exercise as it stimulates muscle cell activity and helps repair the damage and strengthen the muscles (muscle hypertrophy). But it is also directly relate...

Hey Guys, This is a bit of a different post as I found some interesting facts on Caffeine and it's effect on performance. Caffeine, itself, actually has many benefits in terms of physique and exercise performance.  Coffee is the second most common non-water beverage in the world. Only tea comes in higher. It has been proved that the caffeine in coffee has a host of benefits in terms of exercise performance. Take the gym, for example, a day where you are planning on doing some sets of weights. Caffeine, essentially makes you more alert so you can focus fully on the set you are about to do in the gym. While you are doing the set you will essentially have less fatigue and perceived exertion. In addition, you will have increased power output. To put it lightly, caffeine allows you to do more reps and weight in the gym which pushes you for progressive overload, which is key in building both muscle and strength.  Believe it or not, Caffeine also helps you lose weight! Ca...

Hey guys, so for this post I thought I would talk about coaching styles and how you can develop as a coach. For any of you who are coaches, in any sport, this may be interesting for you. When we think of a coach we think of a leader, a person whom we look up to, a role model. But what is a coach? Who decides to be a coach? How do we become successful coaches? Well, for any coach the main thing is that you develop a philosophy, but not only developing a philosophy. You need to OWN it. The thing is anyone can coach. But successful coaches own their philosophy. They trust themselves to get the best out of their athletes. A successful coach in my opinion is one that develop's a good relationship with their athletes. They communicate and let the athletes have their say. The athlete needs to feel like their opinion is valued. I quite like the philosophy of 'Athletes first, winning second'. This focuses on the development of the athletes rather than winning at all costs. T...

Hey Guys, This post is all about muscle recovery including some tips to help your muscles recover quicker. There is nothing worse than sore, aching muscles when you are training!  Are your muscles constantly sore and tired after your training sessions? Read my tips to help you recover faster and become pain free quicker! One of my favourite sayings to keep me motivated: "Don't stop when you're tired, stop when you're done." The following tips aid my recover and allow me to train better!  1. Following high-intensity exercise it is important that you stay hydrated! Water helps to accelerate parasympathetic reactivation. Having a warm bath is another excellent way of hydrating your body as it puts the body into a parasympathetic state, causing increased circulation and vasodilation. 2. A combination of carbohydrate and protein post-exercise has favourable indications for muscle recovery. Carbohydrates are known for replacing lost energy stores but ...