There’s no doubt about it, when it comes to health and fitness professional athletes are in a league of their own. The sort of intensive training programs and diet regimes are often neither realistic or necessary for us mere mortals, but we absolutely can take a few tips and apply them to our own routines.
We spoke to Kathleen Stroia, physical therapist and athletic trainer to pro tennis players Sam Stosur and Zheng Jie, about how we can take elements from the health and fitness regimes of the pros and apply them to our own life.
RESCU: We know we should change up our exercise routine, but how often? What are some of the signs that our training just isn’t working for us anymore?
Kathleen Stroia: Training programs should be designed with a purpose in mind. Find your purpose ( it could be endurance, strength, or sports specific) and design the program. The key to maximizing any exercise program is individuality, progressive overload and variety.
Remember that training should be hard – to get physiological adaptations we need to push the body to its limits so that adaptation occurs. If your training routine is easy, think about increasing force or frequency.
Often when exercising, there is a tendency to perform too much of the one type of exercise, it is important for continued gains to incorporate strength training, aerobic training and flexibility. For example if training for a fun run, it is important to mix up training with interval speed training, strength training/ weights and general cardio to see the best benefits and remain injury free.
Becoming bored of your training routine is another sure sign that it isn’t working for you. Training routines should be interesting to you. Vary what you are doing in your week to prevent lack of interest. Often signs of lack of progression for training include lack of motivation, feeling stagnant and no improvement in performance.
RESCU: How big a role does diet play in professional athletes abilities? Is the old adage ‘you can’t out-exercise a bad diet true?
Kathleen Stroia: There are a large number of factors that influence the development of a professional athlete i.e. talent, skill, motivation, fitness, health, body composition, diet etc. You could still have an athlete with a ‘bad diet’ but imagine how good they would be if they adopted a performance individually-specific meal plan. Generally a ‘bad diet’ will catch up with an athlete at some point.
RESCU: Can you tell us more about the supplements pro athletes take to keep their bodies in fighting form?
Kathleen Stroia: Professional athletes are very cautious on taking supplements and rightly so as they may be drug tested up to 20 times per year. Therefore it is very important for professional organizations such as the WTA to assist athletes find the safe and beneficial supplements.
USANA Health Sciences provides high-quality nutritional supplements to over 160 WTA players, including USANA Ambassadors, Kim Clijsters, Aleksandra Wozniak, Sloane Stephens and Liezel Huber as well as Sam Stosur and Zheng Jie,.
There are three types of supplements professional athletes may take: dietary supplements to manage or/and prevent nutritional deficiencies; sport supplements such as sport drink, and recovery drinks – electrolyte replacement; and ergogenic aids.
RESCU: For those weekend warriors out there who want to really push themselves, can you recommend any particular kind of training that will help them achieve big goals?
Kathleen Stroia: There is a growing body of evidence that high intensity training is the key to maximizing both strength, anaerobic and aerobic fitness. This may include high intensity interval training or may be high intensity strength training, again variation is the key.
For weekend warriors that do not have access to a gym, they may go to a park and perform a circuit. …don’t forget proper recovery regimes.
RESCU: How much recovery do athletes take and do you have any expert tips on fast recovery?
Kathleen Stroia: Athletes need to perform recovery strategies daily and this process should commence immediately after training/competition. Nutritional recovery is one aspect of recovery and it has the most research to support its role and benefits to athletes. Guidelines include:
1. When training/competing, nutritional recovery should commence within the first 30 minutes post exercise.
2. The nutritional composition for this first stage of nutritional recovery is 30-1g/kg carbohydrates; 15-25g protein and low fat.
3. Rehydration is very important for sports competing/ training and athletes should consume 1.5L per kg of body weight lost during exercise.
Kathleen’s Expert Tips for Speedy Recovery:
Dynamic warm down immediately post exercise – Advise athletes take 10 – 20 minutes to calm their senses, reduce heart rate and prepare for recovery. This can be done with low intensity exercise like jogging or biking. Active stretching progressing to assisted or static stretching to maintain flexibility.
Ice baths – submerging into an ice bath for 5 – 10 minutes or contrast Bath/ Shower: 1-2 Minutes Warm/ 1-2 Minutes Cold. Repeat 4-5 times; End with Cold. Hydrate between cycles.
Massage therapy – ideally performed 1-3 hours after competition. Designed to flush out substances in the muscles that cause delayed onset muscle soreness. Also aids with calming nervous system aiding relaxation.
Mental recovery – this is very important we encourage athletes to do things that help them unwind ie Yoga, Prayer, Mediate, draw, read, connect with family and friends. Sleep is also very important for recovery.
