The physical demands of sport are often underestimated with busy training sessions, punishing strength and conditioning as well as intense competition. It is vital for athletes to fuel correctly to not only maximise their training regime but also to allow their body to recover.
Getting mortal after a match on a Wednesday definitely isn’t best practice – though I can’t pretend I’m guiltless
A substantial carb-rich dinner with plenty of protein is key to recovery, eating is in fact not cheating. Secondly ensure you are rehydrating post-match with more than a pint, electrolytes or a clear whey shake will do wonders for the inevitable hangover.
Excelling in both academics and athletics can be overwhelming, deadlines and exam season soon approach, skyrocketing stress and anxiety levels. This is the truest test of time management and understanding priorities, are you a student-athlete or athlete-student? It’s often at this point in the semester my starting momentum has faded and turning up for lectures and seminars (let alone prepping for them) takes a lot more effort and things quickly pile up inducing more anxieties.
If you were to take one piece of advice from this article it would be to communicate if things become outbalanced
Coaches, teammates and NCL Wellbeing are there to support you. Being a student athlete is a challenge, but the battle is only heightened when you are alone.
Next time you consider skipping a lecture to get to training – don’t worry we’ve all been there – take a moment to check in with yourself. The demands of student life can be all-encompassing including the pressure to perform and having to sacrifice social, work or leisure time, everything can easily become too much. Recognise your priorities, set realistic goals to manage expectations and start the conversation around your mental health and coping strategies – you will find many that feel the same.
