Have you ever witnessed a professional or Olympic athlete that seems to be superhuman? Did you sit and watch mesmerized by their quick reflexes, amazing speed, and agility?
We all have. While many simply believe it’s “enhancement drugs” others, who are sports athletes, investigate further to find out what measures they are taking to become the 1% of athletes on the planet. We long to discover and duplicate the secret recipe of the top team behind them who can help rehabilitate an injured area and build a better stronger body while increasing performance naturally.
First the Research for Improving Performance
A research project published in the September 2005 edition of The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics showed that spinal dysfunction affects reaction times and performance. Simply it was able to prove that spinal dysfunction is related to slower and/or less accurate reaction times and cognitive function.
The double-blind, randomized, study was performed on thirty volunteers who had evidence of what the researchers called “cervical spinal joint dysfunction”. Researchers at the New Zealand Chiropractic College examined the volunteers to determine areas of spinal dysfunction. To begin with, it was noted in each subject how many areas of spinal dysfunctions were found. Later this information was compared to the results of the reaction times of the test results.
The study consisted of a range of computer-based tasks performed by the volunteers in order to determine various reaction times. The reaction times of the volunteers were then compared to their number of areas of spinal dysfunctions to see if there was any relationship.
The results showed that there was a connection between the number of areas of spinal dysfunction and certain types of reaction times. Researchers also noted that the types of reaction times affected by multiple areas of spinal dysfunction were therefore related to impaired cortical processing and significantly less accurate response selection. In fact, they found that the more areas of spinal dysfunction, the more it affected reaction times.
A follow on study by the researchers concluded that certain types of reactions times could be improved with spinal adjustments in regions of spinal dysfunctions. The ramifications of this study not only affect general health, but offer the basis of training and rehabilitation benefits for top athletes.
Other Top Notch Performance Sports Medicine Team Recommendations:
In addition to adding chiropractic and spinal rehabilitative care, top healthcare experts recommend following the tips below to ensure you are well-prepared to play full-out in any sport:
Proper Nutrition
- Eat a well-balanced diet and avoid skipping meals.
- Follow dietary rules that are imposed on participants of certain sports, without which optimum performance is unlikely.
- Maintain a healthy weight while in training. Be aware of calorie intake to burn ratio.
Proper Hydration
- Hydration is vital to optimal fitness.
- Drink at least 8 eight-ounce glasses of water a day.
- Ask for advice when considering using a good quality sports drink for a source of replenishment.
Stretching and Warm ups
- Before every event – competition or practice – Warm Up!
- Jogging, jumping rope, lifting light weights are all good ways to avoid torn or ripped muscles.
Nutritional Boost
- Multi-vitamins may help avoid a deficiency.
- B-complex vitamins and amino acids can help reduce pain after contact sports.
- Thiamine helps promote healing.
- Vitamin A is good for scar tissue.
Proper Rest
- Get eight hours of sleep a night to avoid adversely affecting performance.
- Fatigue can appear as irritability and a loss of interest in the sport.
Join Our Team!
As many of the top athletes know, being the top 1% includes having regular chiropractic care. Having their body in optimal health and alignment allows them to achieve optimal results.
Our expert team and practice has been designed with that premise in mind. To play like a pro you must train, heal, and recover like a pro for maximized potential and ultimate success.
For Your Health,
Dr. Wendy Lanser, DC