MEDICAL INFORMATION & INJURY PREVENTION
Team Treatment Options
Our primary source for injury treatment will be our school’s Certified Athletic Trainer, Karly H. Additionally, we have tentatively partnered with 18th & Main for some preventative treatments. More info. to come on that.
18th & Main – 19040 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.
Ice-Bathing
Ice baths are mandatory after hard-workouts and the days before meets. We will do our best to provide athletes with baths but more times than not, they will need to be done at home. Ice-baths offer two distinct benefits, first, they allow controlled, even constriction around all muscles and connective tissue (which is why you should be completely submerged from your belly button to your toes). Second, ice-baths act as an “oil-change” for the body. There’s a “blood-rush” that occurs after you’ve made it though the body’s initial “flight phase”. Basically, this blood-rush makes for fast circulation of blood that flushes out waste from your blood and delivers new nutrients to muscles that need to recover.
Ideally, the temperature of ice-baths should in the range of 54-60 F keeping in mind that temperature will rise steadily with body heat, this may mean a second serving of ice will be needed. You should stay in the bath between 8-10 minutes.
Don’t let this process scare you, it’s painful to start but your body will adapt and will help keep you healthier in the long-run and minimize the wear and tear your body incurs from training. It actually feels GREAT when you’re done!
Hydration
Keeping hydrated in the heat of our Florida cross-country season is crucial
to your success. It is imperative that athletes have a water-bottle with them at all times during the school day so they can fill it up and drink at their convenience. Adequate hydration aids in recovery from hard-workouts and keeps your body prepared to train in peak condition. Follow the guidelines below and you’ll be another degree closer to achieving your maximum potential.
· Athletes should drink approximately one gallon of water a day as a minimum
· Water is best taken in small servings scattered throughout the day
· Intake of coffee, tea, and carbonated drinks should be limited or eliminated, they act as diuretics and act to dehydrate the body
· You can tell if you’re hydrated, you must urinate every hour to hour and a half and it must be clear. Athletes should be ready to go between every class
· Two hours before training and competition drink 1-2 cups of water or sports drink
· During training, drink 4-6 ounces every 15-20 minutes
· After training/competition, drink 16-20 ounces of water or sports drink for every pound lost
· Post workout “Window of Opportunity”. For maximum recovery following hard workouts, it is imperative athletes get calories as soon as possible (approx. 500). The best foods are those with a protein to carbohydrate ratio of 1:4. E.G. – Chocolate Milk, Smoothie, Bagel with Cream Cheese, Apple with Peanut Butter, Yogurt and Fruit.
Nutritional Guidelines & Rules of Thumb
Below are some very general rules to follow in terms of nutritional intake. Parents and athletes please take a close look and try to incorporate some of these recommendations into your diet on a gradual basis. We understand that this can’t be followed perfectly, but it is a reasonable expectation for athletes to adhere to the recommendations more times than not.
o Protein
§ Proteins are needed daily to build tissue
§ They rebuild broken down muscle & maintain body functions
§ Find protein in lean meats, cottage cheese, beans, soy foods, eggs and low-fat dairy
§ Combine incomplete proteins as shown below:
§ Peanut butter on whole grain bread
· Rice & beans together
· Bean soup and a roll
· Hummus (This is great on crackers or wheat thins!)
· Trail Mix
o Fats
§ Believe it or not, fats are crucial to the runner
§ Healthy fat can be found from lean meats and fish, nuts, using
olive, canola and peanut oils for salad and food preparation
o Milk
§ If you drink, be sure to use skim, it has a 1:1 ratio of calcium to phosphorous, which is best for absorption of calcium
o Salt
§ Make sure athletes are getting enough salt
§ This helps prevent the body from losing too much water through sweating
§ Drinking sports drinks after workouts and competitions helps replace water lost through sweating
· As a rule of thumb, the recommended intake below is an easy way to make sure you have everything accounted for at as many meals as you can. You can assure this happens by remembering the “hand rule.”
o Amount of dietary components of every meal:
§ Fruits & Veggies – Enough to fit in open hand
§ Concentrated Carbs – Amount equilavent to closed fist
§ Lean Protein – Amount equal to palm of hand
§ Added Fat – Enough to fit inside a closed index finger and thumb
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