Find out how Olympic hopefuls stay motivated each day

Anne Stein, M.S.
Sports & Fitness Journalist/Author

At this October’s Nike 2010 Olympic Training Summit, we sat down with U.S. Winter Olympians and Olympic hopefuls to find out how they stay motivated each day, how they deal with disappointment, and the best advice they’ve gotten from a coach. And yes, even World Cup champions aren’t always excited to get to the gym – especially when a 6-hour workout awaits!

OLYMPIC-SIZED MOTIVATION

Whether you’re training for a race or exercising for weight loss, motivation can be a challenge. And even when you’ve put in your training time, it’s easy to get negative after you have a poor race, miss a personal best, or don’t meet your weight-loss goals.

Well, you’re not alone. World-class athletes don’t wake up every morning looking forward to training, especially when it means painful sets of squats, sprints, and plyometrics. And not even Michael Jordan won every championship, so there’s always disappointment to deal with.

The best athletes, however, figure out how to stay motivated and how to move beyond bad days. At Nike’s 2010 Olympic Training Summit in Vancouver, we sat down with three U.S. women at the top of their sports and asked for motivational and training tips.

Ellery Hollingsworth, Snowboarder
Age: 18
Rookie of the Year (age 16)
U.S. Open of Snowboarding
2009 Winter X Games, 4^th
2009 U.S. Open, 3^rd

Katherine Reutter, Short Track Speedskater
Age: 21
Ranked 7^th in the world
World Cup bronze medalist
1,000 meters and 3,000 meter relay

Katie Uhlaender, Skeleton
Age: 25
Won national and junior national titles her first season (2002)
Sixth place, 2006 Torino Olympics
2^nd place, 2008 World Championships

Q. HOW DO YOU MOTIVATE YOURSELF WHEN YOU DON’T FEEL LIKE TRAINING?

Ellery: “If I wake up and I’m really tired, I have to think about my goals and the amount of time until winter comes, when I have to be as strong as I can.  There are four spots on the girls Olympic snowboard team and realistically there are six girls who could go. So the girls who are most focused and get up early and train are the ones who’ll make the team.”

Katherine: Before I go to bed, I think: “What’s my first thought going to be the next day?” Usually I know what my workout’s going to be the next day, so I’ll go to bed and I’ll think, “I can’t wait to do nine-lappers tomorrow and I’m going to lead at this particular point.” When I wake up, the first thing I think is, “OK! Nine-lappers today and I’m going to go fast!”

Katie: I think it’s about remembering the big picture. A lot of people forget it’s not about the immediate, it’s about what you’re going to get from those moments. You can’t get those moments without walking and taking those steps to get there.

Q. HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH A POOR RACE OR A DISAPPOINTING DAY?

Ellery: It’s that old cliché: Never give up. You really can’t give up, especially if you have the talent and the drive.

Katherine: The best way is to know that not every day is good. Even if I’m the best in the world, I’m not going to be the best every day. I really appreciate every other athlete for their best abilities and some days I’m going to get beat. But I’m going to go home and work harder and I’m going to beat her next time.

Katie: I treat a win the same way as I treat a loss. I analyze it and figure out what I can do to be better. You can always be better and improve. I think that’s the key to being successful at anything – never stop seeking.

Q. WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE GOTTEN FROM A COACH?

Ellery: “You’ve got time.” I’m pretty hard on myself and I want to do well and I never say “that’s good enough.” So lately my coach has been saying, “You’re young, you have so many years ahead of you.”

Katherine: “Wake up your ability.” Even in a race when I get tired, I take a breath and wake up my energy. My coach also tells me to focus on the glory to be had and forget about the pain.

Katie: That would be from my father (Major league outfielder Ted Uhlaender, who passed away earlier this year). He told me you need to realize that the legends before you needed to take the same steps you’re taking up to the plate. Once you get to the plate you have two choices: Hit the ball or don’t hit the ball. Be confident and don’t second-guess yourself.

How Do I Alleviate Plantar Fasciitis Pain?

The Six S’s of plantar fasciitis and some basic information on the injury.

Team Moji

Chicago, IL

When should athletes take aspirin?  Here’s practical advice for effective pain relief.

Bob Murray Exercise Physiologist, Ph.D., FACSM
Exercise Physiologist
Principal, Sports Science Insights, LLC
Former Director of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute

KEY FACTS

• Athletes should consider how to use NSAIDs based on the cause and severity of the pain they are experiencing
• NSAIDs have been linked to gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, kidney, skin, and muscle/connective tissue problems
• NSAIDs may inhibit an athlete’s ability to train effectively
• For acute injuries, NSAIDs can be an important component of recovery when used in conjunction with proper rehab

THE PAINFUL QUESTION

Athletes young and old are well aware of the aches, pains, sprains, and strains that often accompany training and competition, so it’s no surprise that use of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) is common among athletes.  But do NSAIDs actually deliver the pain-relief that athletes seek and, if so, are those benefits worth the risk of using drugs with well-established side effects?

WHAT ARE NSAIDS AND HOW DO THEY WORK?

Common NSAIDs are aspirin (e.g., Bayer^®, Bufferin^®), ibuprofen (e.g., Motrin^®, Advil^®), and naproxen (e.g., Aleve^®).  Important note:  Tylenol (acetaminophen) is not an NSAID.

NSAIDs are effective for pain relief and inflammation because they interfere with an enzyme in the body that converts certain types of fat into prostaglandins and other substances.  Prostaglandins are a group of chemicals that have wide-ranging effects throughout the body, including inflammation and pain.  Blocking prostaglandins reduces pain and inflammation at the site of injury.  That’s usually a good thing, allowing us to get on with life – and exercise – without the nagging nuisance of pain and swelling.

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING

The potential downside of NSAID use is that prostaglandins have effects well beyond the site of injury and regularly suppressing their presence can lead to real problems with:

• Gastrointestinal health (increased risk of bleeding in the stomach and small intestine);
• Cardiovascular health (increased risk of heart attack and stroke);
• Kidney function (increased risk of kidney failure);
• Skin health (increased risk of reddening, rashes, and blisters);
• Muscle and connective tissue (may delay healing of ligament, muscle, and tendon injuries and mask pain signals of serious injury).

WHAT ATHLETES NEED TO KNOW

Dr. Stuart Warden from the Department of Physical Therapy at Indiana University urges athletes to exercise caution when using NSAIDs because prolonged NSAID use has been linked to all of the aforementioned adverse effects.

Dr. Warden points out that the greatest risk comes with regular use of NSAIDs, use exceeding one week at a time.  For example, some athletes regularly use NSAIDs before training and competition to try to avoid aches and pains.  Such use increases the risk of negative consequences and should be discouraged.

AN ACHING ATHLETE’S GUIDELINES

Depending on the given situation and type of pain that an athlete feels, NSAIDs may or may not have a place in recovery.  The following guidelines can help athletes determine whether NSAIDs should be used

ANTICIPATING THE TOUGH WORKOUT

1. Do not use NSAIDs prior to exercise in an attempt to prevent aches and pains.  First, they don’t work well in that regard and, second, regular use substantially increases the risk of more-serious problems.Don’t confuse the aches and pains that often follow a hard training session with injury.
2. Minor aches and pains may be a nagging nuisance, but they are also important parts of the adaptation process by which the body becomes stronger and faster.  Some scientists and physicians are concerned that regular NSAID use might interfere with that adaptation and limit the training response, which means you will get less out of your workouts.

RECOVERING FROM THE TOUGH WORKOUT

1. Though research is mixed, the general consensus is that NSAIDs are not particularly effective in reducing the aches and pains following exercise (i.e., delayed onset muscle soreness; DOMS).
2. Exercise-related aches and pains are best minimized and managed by gradual increases in training intensity and duration.  It’s the big jumps in training that over-tax muscles and joints.  Post-workout icing is effective at relieving joint and muscle pain and swelling.  Also recognize that adequate rest is essential for optimal adaptation to training.  Training provides the stimulus for the body to adapt, but rest allows time for the adaptations to occur.  Getting adequate rest – in hours between workouts and as sleep – maximizes the benefits of training.

PERSISTANT ACHES INSTEAD OF PROGRESS

1. Consider the possibility that NSAID use may actually be counterproductive.  Pain and inflammation are signals that should not be ignored or masked; doing so risks aggravating the injury and delaying recovery.
2. Workouts that are causing pain instead of progress may result in serious injury.  If you are in need of substantial pain relief during or after a training session, you should adjust your training before anything else.
3. If you have persistent aches, pains, and swelling, consult a sports medicine professional for advice.

THE INJURY

1. For athletes, NSAIDs are best used during rehabilitation from injury to control pain and inflammation that might interfere with rehabbing.
2. For injuries such as muscle strains and joint sprains, NSAIDs are an important part of rehabilitation (along with physical therapy, icing, and rest).
3. To be on the safe side, use the lowest recommended dose for no more than one week.

REFERENCES

Warden SJ. Prophylactic misuse and recommended use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs by athletes. British Journal of Sports Medicine 43:548-549, 2009.

For How Long Should I Ice?

Icing protocol for any injury from the Moji Experts

Kathy Weber, M.D., M.S.
Director of Primary Care Sports Medicine
Rush University Medical Center

Recovery and Performance Enhancement

Accelerate your recovery with tips from one of Moji’s fitness experts.

Sean Lee, NASM ACE – CPT, NSCA – CSCS
Fitness Expert, Barrington, IL

KEY POINTS

• Progressive overload is an organized way of applying a greater-than-normal stress to the body systems over time.
• Post-exercise fatigue is multi-factorial and can present itself in a number of ways including: metabolic, neural, soft tissue, psychological, and environmental.
• Recovering from an exercise session and post-exercise fatigue is essential to your success and will decrease the risk for injury, enhance performance, and prevent training plateaus.
• The five elements of recovery include: cooling down, stretching, icing, nutrition, and rest.

INTRODUCTION

Are your knees sore or stiff? Do your muscles ache for days after exercise? Is it difficult to get out of bed in the morning? Has there been a recent decline in your exercise performance or energy levels? Have you experienced a loss of strength or desire to exercise?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, it may be necessary to evaluate your exercise frequency, intensity, time, type, and RECOVERY.

Recovery is a generic term used to describe a return to a state of performance readiness. Recovery involves both physical and mental restoration. Replenishing nutrient and energy stores, a return to normal physiological function, a decrease in muscle soreness, and the disappearance of psychological symptoms (irritability, anxiety, disorientation) are all necessary to perform at your very best. Whether you are a high performance athlete, a weekend warrior, or you exercise for general health or aesthetic reasons; recovering from exercise sessions is essential for success. Understanding and applying the five elements of recovery will allow for successful training adaptation, resulting in improved performance, and a decrease in the risk for injury.

PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD

Progressive overload is an organized way of applying a greater-than-normal stress to the body systems over time. Our bodies actually respond to stress by adapting to it, in order to cope with it better. As your fitness improves, it takes a greater exercise stimulus to enhance performance, create physiologic change, and prevent training plateaus. Professional athletes and high level sports and fitness competitors utilize this training principle all the time.
To understand the value of recovery, it is important to first understand the fundamental principles of “progressive overload” in training.

Fundamental Principles

• Periodization – A well-designed training program will progressively and systematically overload the body systems and fuel stores over time. Training variables will be manipulated while periods of recovery are integrated into the plan.
• Adaptation - Exercise in and of itself is not enough to produce results. Our bodies need time to recover and adapt to training.
• Workload – If the workload is too much, is applied too quickly, is performed too often, or if the intensity of the workload is too great, injury will likely result and performance will decline.
• Exercise Stimulus – If exercise stimulus is insufficient to overload the body, then adaptation will not occur and performance will likely stay the same or decline over time.
• Fatigue – To encourage adaptation and reduce post-training fatigue, it is important to incorporate periods of both passive and active recovery.
• Recovery – The more quickly you can recover from fatigue and adapt to a training stimulus, the more able you will be to enhance performance and stay injury free.

So, what exactly are you recovering from? Fatigue – the overloading of body systems. Fatigue is multi-factorial and can present itself in a number of different ways. Table 1 provides an overview of the different types of fatigue, and examples of how this fatigue may occur.

RECOVERY AND RESTORATION STRATEGIES FOR AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE

Recovery does not have to be difficult. Some planning and the implementation of a few simple strategies will have you on the path to success in no time. To take the guesswork out of this process, please refer to the “Recovery Pyramid” in Table 2. The pyramid provides a hierarchy for the recovery process. Level one provides foundational strategies, while levels two, three and four add additional good recovery practices.

Level 1

Sleep/Rest (passive and active): Sleep is one of the most important forms of rest. Sleeping is like hitting the reset button. Restful sleep allows for adaptation to the physical and mental demands of exercise. Additional forms of passive rest include reading, listening to music, and watching TV. Active rest may include activities such as walking, cross-training, biking, swimming, or anything recreational that requires movement at low intensities.

Nutrition (refuel, rehydrate): Rehydration and refueling are key to recovery. Physical activity causes an increase in heat production and fluid loss through sweat, which can lead to dehydration. Maintaining proper hydration can be achieved through adequate fluid intake before, during, and after activity. Refueling within one hour after exercise with high quality proteins and carbohydrates will accelerate the recovery process, replace muscle and liver glycogen stores, and begin protein synthesis (the rebuilding and remodeling of muscle tissue).

Level 2

Periodization Programming (cycling training):  Periodization is the foundation of any training program. A well-thought-out and planned training regime applies the principle of “progressive overload” and incorporates recovery periods within the training schedule. This planning will allow for adaptation, recovery, and improvement each time you exercise.

Reactive Programming (based on individual needs): Once a plan is in place, accept that there will be times when you need to deviate from it in order to recover. The ability to read your body and how you feel is extremely important in the process. If you pushed your body to its limits and are fatigued, rest (passive /active) may best the option for you. The bottom line is this:

Exercise does not build muscle, decrease fat, or improve cardio-respiratory fitness; exercise is only the stimulus for this change to occur.  RECOVERY is when adaptation takes place and the body gets fit!

Active Warm-Up /Cool-Down: An active warm-up should be performed before each exercise session to prepare your body for activity. A warm-up gradually increases core body temperature, blood flow, and muscle elasticity, and prepares the central nervous system for activity. The cool-down is performed at the end of the exercise session and is designed to gradually reduce heart rate and respiration, and bring the body back to a pre-exercise state.

Stretching / Myofascial Release: Stretching should be performed during the cool-down period to improve muscle elasticity, remove waste products, reduce muscular tension and soreness, and bring the cardiovascular system back to rest.

Level 3

Ice: Incorporate icing as part of your recovery routine to reduce exercise-related inflammation and microtrauma. Icing will accelerate the recovery process and help keep you active and feeling great for years to come.

Pool Exercise for Recovery: Performing 15-30 minutes of active recovery exercise in the pool after a day of intense or long duration training is an excellent way to accelerate the recovery process. The buoyancy and fluid resistance of the water places minimal impact on joints and reduces the effects of gravity on the body. Light to moderate basic swimming strokes, walking (forwards and backwards), aqua jogging, and aqua stretching are all examples of excellent recovery exercises.

Massage: Incorporating massage as part of the recovery process may have the following benefits:

Physiological

1. 1. Increased removal of lactic acid, blood flow, enhance oxygen and nutrient delivery to fatigued muscles.
   2. Warming, kneading, and stretching of soft tissues increases flexibility, aids in the removal of knots and adhesions, and reduces microtrauma.

Psychological

1. 1. Decreases the feeling of fatigue.
   2. Increases muscle and soft tissue relaxation.
   3. Improves mood state.

Contrast Baths: Alternating hot and cold has been shown to accelerate recovery through vasodilatation (increase) and vasoconstriction (decrease) of blood flow to the working muscles, removal of lactic acid, and nervous system stimulation (hot and cold stimulation). Contrast baths have been shown to improve muscle function, reduce muscle damage, and decrease soreness associated with DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).

Level 4

Mind – Body: Mind-body exercise combines fluid body motion with cerebral focus on movement and breathing to improve strength, balance, flexibility, and overall health. Examples of mind-body exercises include some forms of yoga, tai chi, and meditation.

CONCLUSION

Understanding and implementing the elements of recovery is essential for injury prevention, performance enhancement, and avoiding training plateaus. Both active and passive recovery play an integral role in the training scheme. Incorporate the principles of “progressive overload” to maximize performance, decrease the risk for injury, and to achieve maximum benefit from each of your workouts. After exercise follow the five elements of recovery including: cooling down, stretching, icing, nutrition, and rest.  The cool-down will provide a seamless transition between exercise and a state of rest. Stretching the muscles used during the exercise session will assist in returning them to their normal resting length.  Icing will reduce exercise related inflammation and microtrauma and accelerate the recovery process. Rehydrating, refueling and getting adequate rest will keep you feeling great and on top of your game.

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