I was hoping for input, suggestions and protocols for preparation for competition/team game for - The night before the day ahead …
What is the best approach?
A few starts (Sprinting) or 2/3 x 30m sprints (Team Games)?
and …
1 or 2 light Tempo runs?
Or maybe no exercise at all?
Stretching:
Do we use AIS to help improve circulation or PNF to assist in maintaining the correct tone?
Do we avoid Microstretching and static stretching altogether?
Or would static stretching be a big help the night before where the negatives of which wouldn’t carry over to the next day?
Music?
Listen to calm music the night before?
Baths?
Is a warm bath a good idea to assist in circulation and sleeping or would a cold bath that night be the best mechanisim for improving the circulation - but will it help sleep?
Nutrition?
How do we structure it so the Carbs are ingested and the proteins don’t keep us awake?
How does nutrition change the night before? Or does it?
How do we take in enough fluid and at the same time ensure we aren’t running to the bathroom all night?
Sleep?
How do we ensure sleep?
Do some end up resorting (against all advice) to old ‘reliables’ 1/2 a glass of wine or a sleeping tablet?
Pyschology?
What should the thought patterns be?
Should we refrain from aggressive “kill 'em all”-type thoughts to allow us to get some sleep and save that for the next day?
Do we read of someone elses great struggles?
Watch BJ/MJ/TM/MG race for inspiration?
Or look through old newspaper cuttings?
Not just Ideas but reasons and explnantions please …
I tend to take the day before off. Two reasons. First, I would rather come in a bit too rested rather than a bit too tired. Second, if I head out for a training session, there is always the possibility that it will feel too good and I won’t be able to hold myself back from going fast I may do a bit of light form work, visualization, going over the game plan, a short walk and light stretching, but that’s about it.
Stretching:
Do we use AIS to help improve circulation or PNF to assist in maintaining the correct tone?
Do we avoid Microstretching and static stretching altogether?
Or would static stretching be a big help the night before where the negatives of which wouldn’t carry over to the next day?
If I feel any tightness, I will use static stretching the night before to try to work it out. My reasoning is that I don’t want to do any significant static stretching before competition, so this is my final opportunity to use that modality. On competition day, I use dynamic stretches prior to performance.
Music?
Listen to calm music the night before?
Yes.
Baths?
Is a warm bath a good idea to assist in circulation and sleeping or would a cold bath that night be the best mechanisim for improving the circulation - but will it help sleep?
Probably a warm bath is best, especially if you keep the sleeping area cool. I understand that it is the drop in body temperature that helps induce sleep.
Nutrition?
How do we structure it so the Carbs are ingested and the proteins don’t keep us awake?
How does nutrition change the night before? Or does it?
How do we take in enough fluid and at the same time ensure we aren’t running to the bathroom all night?
Keep this exactly the same as you always do. this is assuming that you are eating a reasonably healthy training diet. You don’t want to change us anything that might keep you awake.
Sleep?
How do we ensure sleep?
Do some end up resorting (against all advice) to old ‘reliables’ 1/2 a glass of wine or a sleeping tablet?
ZMA is good. It is natural to be nervous the night before a big competition. Understanding this can go a long ways towards helping you relax. Also, the really critical night for sleep is not the night before but 2 nights before.
Also, routines are valuable in this regard. If you have a bedtime routine, sleep and wake at the same time every day it will be easier to keep to this routine before a competition.
Don’t do the wine or sleeping tablet. While they may make you unconscious, they do not foster good REM sleep and you may end up feeling groggy the next day.
The final bit of advice is that if you can’t sleep, don’t stress about it, just get up and do something quiet (visualizations of the competition might help) until you feel sleepy, then try again. Remind yourself that you got a good night sleep the previous night and that will carry you over through the next day.
Pyschology?
What should the thought patterns be?
Should we refrain from aggressive “kill 'em all”-type thoughts to allow us to get some sleep and save that for the next day?
Do we read of someone elses great struggles?
Watch BJ/MJ/TM/MG race for inspiration?
Or look through old newspaper cuttings?
I like watching film if possible and tend to stay internally focused…that is, worry about the things I can do and control as opposed to what my oppenents might do. Alternately, if I am too hyped up, I may try to get lost in something completely different to give my nervous system a rest.
I like the point about the drop in sleeping room temperature.
Re: ‘Previous Day Off’
I wonder does it suit team athletes more to take the day off than say sprinters?
I have feeling that ‘taking the day off’ helps develop a hunger for action and the ball that can be absent if too much ball contact is made coming up to a game.
It’s just my anecdotal feelings - Does this make sense to anyone?
I have a pre-game night routine of getting a warm-bath, renting a good brainless flick, some light stretching on the floor watching the flick, a little ice cream and hitting Blanket street hoping that I’ll get a good sleep.
i’m a fan of having pre-comp rituals like baths and visualization. i tend to sleep best if i get pumped up dancing or doing whatever to really motivating music, then hop into a bath and stretch and sleep in my favorite sweatpants… you get the idea.
however, i try not to get TOO attached to this routine, because if something doesn’t go right or i don’t have time for some reason to include all the pieces, i’ll get this nervous feeling like it’s bad luck or something. :rolleyes: if i can’t fall asleep, relaxation breathing techniques are useful. but above all, the most useful thing is to have fun and only be around friends who are positive or who are competing with you… the atmosphere really sets you up for good sleep and a good day the next day.
I tended to do a competition warmup 2 days berfore the comp and nothing the day before. This was only before major comps.
Really I pretty much tried to keep things normal and regular. The only exception would depending on the time of competition. Since I get out of bed of a weekday at 5:30am, I don’t want to do if the comp is at 4pm.
As from Q question don’t know why but it does. But been out on all nighters day and felt crap the 2nd day.
The only way to work this out is exactly is trial and error.
Why do team sports have fitness tests for injured athletes the day before the comp?
I may do a bit of light form work, visualization, going over the game plan, a short walk and light stretching, but that’s about it.