In-Season Strategies for Athlete Health
Hey all - I'm Pete Elliott, the Head Athletic Trainer with the Charlotte Hornets. For maintaining athlete health through a long NBA season, in my eyes, the three biggest pillars are sleep, nutrition, and hydration. Prioritizing getting good sleep (7-9 hours a night) and complementary naps here and there, eating well, and making sure you're getting a good balance of water and electrolytes are extremely important for maintaining athletic performance and health. From there, there's a lot of different options to help athletes stay healthy through a season. We obviously don't want athletes to do too much activity, but we also don't want them to do too little - active recovery on Off Days can be very beneficial. Whether it's taking a walk, a stationary bike ride, or pool walking, there's great ways to get blood flowing and promote recovery for heavy legs. Finally, there's plenty of options like massage, Blood Flow Restriction (BFR), cold/hot tubs, Sensory Deprivation/Float Tanks, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), Cryotherapy, for example - all can be beneficial for recovery and player health, but should be used thoughtfully, making sure the application fits the athlete's needs. Please feel free to respond with any questions or thoughts. What are your favorite methods for keeping athletes in the game?
