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Last week a good friend of mine reminded me of the following Ray Dalio equation.
'Failure + Reflection = Progress' Although I have no doubts it often fell amongst deaf ears, ‘learning from my mistakes’ is something that was hammered home from a young age by my parents, coaches and teachers. A recent conversation with a man I hold in extremely high regard concerning coaching led to a watershed moment on the subject of reflection. The suggestion he made was to ensure I review or reflect on all training sessions that I have coached or been involved in. Carrying out this reflection is a skill that can be enhanced and developed to ensure our potential is maximised and our athletes get the most from being under our tutelage. Although mindbogglingly simple; it is wonderfully effective. Reviewing involves critically analysing the entire session and taking detailed notes on each area. These areas include the overall preparation process , how I addressed the athletes, what I could spend less or more energy focusing on, which athletes require more attention, which technicalities need work and so on. I was shocked as though I would regularly look back on sessions and simply ‘think’ where I could have done a better job, I had not reviewed by putting pen to paper and examining specific components. ‘The Governing Dynamics of Coaching’ is an excellent book I am currently making my way through written by James Smith, A.K.A ‘The Thinker’ . I believe that most people would benefit greatly from investing in this book, but especially all coaches working at any level in any sport. Each page is filled with nuggets of insight into the mind of Mr. Smith who has consulted across many organisations such as the NFL, Super 15 Rugby and the English Premier League but to name a few, working with numerous athletes throughout his journey. Interestingly he has also consulted with the FBI, US Army and Para Military Contractors. Its fair to say he’s been there, done that! I was pleasantly surprised to come across a paragraph at the beginning of the book with the heading ‘The After Action Review’ (A.A.R). The author describes how the A.A.R is a vital cog in the wheel of various military outfits to raise operational awareness, that is investigating how the organisation or team is truly functioning. The A.A.R occurs immediately following combat operations. It is highlighted that it is simply not a ‘tick the box’ exercise by noting ‘the way the A.A.R is conducted means everything’. Furthermore he asks to envisage if following a match, event or competition win lose or draw, all players and staff involved in the occasion held a meeting or A.A.R which, briefly put, revolved around unreserved communication noting why each decision was made and how to perhaps improve upon the next opportunity. A pragmatic exercise that can be applied to any sporting event, session, job interview, exam ,presentation , or date! Every occasion, positive or negative is a chance to improve somehow somewhere.
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Moving swiftly on with Part 2 where I further delve into how alcohol affects athletic performance. In case you missed out, Part 1 focused on the effects of alcohol on the systems of the body.
In the view of an athlete maximising performance, the importance of recovering from training sessions and matches is well documented. The overall recovery process is an exceptionally broad topic therefore it will be covered more extensively at a later stage. The aim of this article however is to hit on the main points concerning the impact that alcohol has on recovery & injury. Metabolic Recovery Depending on multiple factors such as the individual athlete, pre-training nutrition, intensity of session etc, glycogen stores can be reduced if not depleted during exercise. Research shows that refuelling adequately in the early post exercise period (0-4h) with a carbohydrate and protein meal is vital to optimize the re-synthesis of glycogen. However, alcohol, can impair the synthesis ( of glycogen in the liver and skeletal muscle and there is evidence to suggest it can reduce glucose output.Therefore, by consuming alcohol and having a relaxed attitude towards refuelling, may indeed have a negative effect on the following performance, be it a training session or an event. Post Session Rehydration Sweating can cause dehydration, where over 5% of bodyweight can be lost. Dehydration impairs performance, therefore it is vital to have an optimal recovery strategy where hydration levels and electrolytes are restored. Alcohol is a diuretic. The inhibition of the enzyme ‘alcohol dehydrogenase’ by ethanol was found to be the reason for this, however it only occurs in drinks that contain 4%+ volume of alcohol. It results in higher urine output - which reduces the recovery rate of blood volume and extends recovery from the dehydrated state. Alcohol is also a peripheral vasodilator meaning it enlarges blood vessels, increasing fluid loss through evaporation thus increasing dehydration which could already be present depending on an athletes training schedule and nutrition. Injury Injury is part and parcel of sport. Soft tissue injuries require treatment involving reduction of blood flow to the affected area with strategies such as compression. Alcohol consumption may have the opposite effect. Alcohol has a vasodilator effect on the skin and has a vasoconstrictor effect on muscle. Studies on animals have seen changes in the usual response to trauma. Vasopressin, adrenaline and noradrenaline are inhibited when alcohol is consumed. The inability to limit blood flow may add to the severity of the site of injury and impact the outcome of the injury. The risk of further injury is also increased when drinking because decision making is compromised along with the ability react. Unfortunately there have been incidents of athletes becoming tied up in avoidable situations had it perhaps not been for intoxication… To sum up this 2 part series, athletes should consider the impact alcohol will have on their athletic performance and overall health. Rethink your drink! |
Billy O'reganFounder & CEO of Be Ready Training | Strength & Conditioning Coach |
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