Are you the type that loves the adrenaline rush that extreme sports offer? Do you take part in one or more extreme sports regularly, and have it made it part of your lifestyle? Do you wish you could take your love for extreme sports a little further by enhancing your energy levels and performance? The fact is that extreme sports can be very draining on your body, and just because you want to push yourself further, it doesn’t mean your body will cooperate.
Extreme sports such as cave diving, base jumping, wingsuit flying, ultra-running and iron distance triathlons take a lot out of you, even if you’ve trained hard for the event. Here we’ll take a look at three strategies that will maximize your energy levels and athletic performance, allowing you to enjoy extreme sports even more.
Be Mindful of Your Diet – Before, During and After Exercise and Sports
Did you know that one of the most important things you can do as an extreme athlete is to be mindful of your diet? Food acts as your fuel, so you want to be sure you’re making healthy and smart decisions. If you’re about to embark on an iron-distance triathlon, you can bet that every item you eat or drink will play into how well you perform. In this case, it may be wise to load carb for up to four days before your run to ensure you have enough energy stored.
Generally speaking, a person can exercise for about 90 minutes before they need refueling. Depending on the extreme sport, your activity can last a lot longer than 90 minutes, as is the case with ultra-running. Because you can’t stop eating, snacking will be necessary. You can try sports bars, gels or even sports drinks. These will send carbs to your muscles directly, which can convert into much-needed energy.
So, we know that eating a healthy, well-balanced diet with essential nutrients and minerals before your sport is needed, and that carb loading and snacking may also be necessary, but what about after you finish? This is when you need to reload the energy levels in your body, and slow-release carbs are typically recommended. This can include things like vegetables, bread, milk and pasta.
Supplements Can Fill Gaps and Give You a Burst of Energy
Then there is the topic of supplements. Supplements are meant to fill gaps in your diet, ensuring your body has everything it needs. When it comes to extreme sports, it can be more than just filling a gap; it can also give you extra energy, power and endurance which you aren’t able to get through diet alone.
One supplement that is popular with extreme sports athletes is a testosterone booster. Increasing testosterone levels means you can perform at a higher level. You can increase your speed, performance, endurance, power and even strength. But before trying testosterone boosters, understanding possible t-booster side effects is essential.
Are You Staying Consistent with Active Recovery?
There is a lot of focus on what you can do to train for an extreme sport and how to get through it without depleting your energy too fast, but what about the recovery stage? Practicing active recovery is something that extreme sports athletes can have a problem with, as it’s not in their nature to take it easy. You don’t want to stop moving and do nothing, as this will result in stiff muscles, but at the same time, you need to give your body a bit of a rest. Focus on gentle movements and exercises instead such as swimming, walkingand yoga.
These strategies can help you to maximize your energy levels when engaging in extreme sports, thereby being the best athlete you can be.
