{"id":1179,"date":"2021-01-13T23:33:53","date_gmt":"2021-01-13T23:33:53","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2023-08-30T14:22:20","modified_gmt":"2023-08-30T06:22:20","slug":"pro-tips-to-help-you-enhance-your-sporting-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/pro-tips-to-help-you-enhance-your-sporting-performance\/","title":{"rendered":"Pro Tips to Help You Enhance Your Sporting Performance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your individual genetic variation affects your sporting performance. How you harness the insights from a DNA test<\/a> can improve your fitness and help you achieve faster results.<\/p>\n

Whichever sport you play, being at the top of your training game has both physical and psychological benefits. This can boost your health and fitness as well as optimize your performance. Successfully enhancing your performance is no easy feat, but once you understand the elements involved in enhancement, the venture becomes an ADventure! ?<\/p>\n

Same training, different responses?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ever wonder when your team trains or if you train with your workout buddy, why you all don\u2019t get the same results? Well, that\u2019s because we all improve at different rates. For you, high-intensity training may improve performance massively, whilst other team members show very little improvement. Your workout buddy may be more fatigued than you, and be able to tolerate less training, requiring longer periods of recovery between sessions. If this is happening and your results are not the same as those around you, the first step is: don\u2019t worry! ?Why? Researchers have begun to focus on \u201cinter-individual variation\u201d i.e. the variation between individuals during training. By better understanding what makes us different<\/em>, we can use this information to enhance our performance. \u00a0?<\/p>\n

The role of DNA testing in personalised training<\/strong><\/p>\n

You see, we have gotten used to a \u2018one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to fitness and diet. How many times has a new fad exercise become popular at the gym? How often is a new wonder food be the latest talk at the office? The natural thing is to try it and see if it works for you. Sometimes, you may notice that your workout buddy is buffing up quicker, or even has more strength faster? They\u2019re seeing results and you\u2019re wondering why you aren\u2019t? ? Don\u2019t get frustrated, it\u2019s part of being uniquely you, and a genetic test will be the answer to discovering those unique differences.<\/p>\n

Genetic differences that affect our results from training<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Whilst we all have almost exactly the same DNA<\/strong>, the small differences<\/strong> in our genetic codes can cause quite a large difference. Understanding your genetic code<\/em> will lead to insights that can bring desired results. These insights include diet, fitness, stress and sleep<\/strong>; which are all vital components to manage when reaching for optimal enhancement in your sporting journey.<\/p>\n

Enhance Your Performance with Vital Insights<\/strong><\/h4>\n

There are important focus points when you begin your journey to enhance your sporting performance such as recovery, caffeine and even sleep.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re probably wondering how things like \u2018not actually training\u2019 i.e. recovering, that cup of coffee or even sleeping can help to enhance performance. The idea of sitting back and waiting is counterintuitive. However, it can also hold the answers to your next step in enhancement.<\/p>\n

Can caffeine affect your sporting performance?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Now when we say caffeine, we mean more than just your morning cuppa! \u2615 Caffeine is one of the most widely used performance-enhancing drugs in the world, consumed on a daily basis by 80% of the world\u2019s population. Yes, you heard right. Caffeine is a drug! ?<\/p>\n

A drug is<\/a> any substance that causes a change in an organism\u2019s physiology or psychology when consumed. Now<\/em> you know this includes caffeine!<\/p>\n

In today\u2019s society, we consume caffeine for a wide variety of reasons, from overcoming tiredness to coffee dates with your bestie.<\/p>\n

But, alongside its use by the general public, caffeine is also widely used by athletes because of its well-established performance benefits across a range of exercise types. These effects are so strong that, between 1984 and 2004, caffeine\u2019s use was banned at high doses by the International Olympic Committee.<\/a><\/p>\n

Caffeine is what is termed a \u201ccompetitive adenosine receptor antagonist\u201d. Adenosine is the naturally-produced chemical that makes us feel tired and relaxed. Caffeine competes with adenosine for its binding site, preventing it from exerting its relaxing effects. This helps us stay alert for the necessary training period. Caffeine is also advantageous because it also acts to reduce feelings of pain, increase adrenaline secretions, increase alertness etc. This is why some leading athletes use it as the extra edge to their optimally enhanced sporting performance.<\/p>\n

Caffeine and sleep<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Sleep it off<\/a>! Yes, you heard right. Catching those Zzz\u2019s can enhance your sporting performance. It may not feel<\/em> as \u2018powerful\u2019 as weight training or reaching a new reps goal, but sleeping is so important for enhancement.<\/p>\n

Sleep is linked to caffeine. Especially in these times when caffeine is found in more and more \u2018off-the-shelf\u2019 products. Caffeine can be productive to your enhancement goals, but it can also hinder your sleep if not managed well, which in turn damages your enhancement drastically.<\/p>\n

Caffeine is effective at overcoming sleep-induced fatigue. When we\u2019re awake, adenosine accumulates in our brain over the course of the day, increasing feelings of sleepiness. When we sleep, we remove this adenosine, but, if we don\u2019t sleep for long enough, some adenosine remains, and as a result, we feel sleepy.<\/p>\n

So, the lesson here is, make sure you get enough sleep. Make it a rule like Goldilocks: don\u2019t sleep too little<\/em> and don\u2019t sleep too much<\/em>, make sure your sleep is \u2018just right<\/em>\u2019, especially for your age and performance goals.<\/p>\n

According to the National Sleep Foundation<\/a>, they recommend these guidelines for sufficient sleep.<\/p>\n