Diet
*If you have dietary restrictions or disorders reach out to your primary care physician (PCP)
- Eat between 1.5 and 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
- Carbohydrates and fats in things like whole grains/vegetables and nuts/avocados are important as well.
Example
- 17 year old pitcher who weighs 160 lbs and training regularly:
- 160lbs/2.2 = 73 kilograms
- 73x1.5 = 110 grams of protein per day
Hydration
- Drink 400 mL (14oz) to 600 mL (20 oz) of fluid 2 hours before activity/exercise
- Weigh yourself right before activity and immediately after
- The goal is not to lose > 2% of pre-activity weight
- Drink 150-300 mL (5-10oz) of water every 20 minutes during exercise
- Drinks like gatorade and electrolyte supplements can be reserved for extreme heat training and/or training sessions longer than 90 minutes.
Sleep
- Sleeping fewer than 7 hours per night increases an athlete’s injury risk by 1.7x
- Sleep 8-9 hours per night
- Still not feeling rested?
- Keep temperature at 65-68 degrees fahrenheit white sleeping
- Use blackout curtains around windows and openings of light
- Go to bed and wake up at exactly the same time every day including weekends
- Only nap ~20 minutes per day
- Put away all devices and place on Do Not Disturb 1 hour before bed
- Still not feeling rested? Contact your PCP
Mental Health
- Finding healthy coping strategies and communicating with your coaches/support staff is
- key.
- If there are enough stressors in your life that sports aren’t in the cards at this moment, that’s okay.
- Find a trained mental health professional that can help you come to that conclusion.
Workloads
- Don’t do too much too soon (no more than 30% of the previous 4 weeks of work)
- Don’t let activity dip below a baseline level (at least 70% of the previous 4 weeks)
Example:
- A professional reliever is rehabbing from a shoulder injury and is now in week 1 of his mound progression. In the first week on the mound, he’s scheduled to throw 2 bullpens for a total of 44 pitches
- By Week 5, that means, ideally, he doesn’t surpass ~58 total pitches from the bump (AKA no more than 30% of the volume from week 1).
- By Week 5, that means, ideally, he doesn’t throw any less than ~35 total pitches from the mound (AKA at least 70% of the volume from week 1).
Recovery Modalities
- Things like laser/red light therapy/cold plunges/hot tubs/shockwave therapy/massage or any other technology/service/device claiming to be the holy grail of recovery are absolutely meaningless unless the above principles are absolutely locked in.
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