The general public usually looks at top-level athletes with awe and wonder. How can it be that a person can get so strong, so agile, and so fit? While it is a wonder to behold, athletes also have particular regimes that they follow that help them stay on top. This is as much true for cricketers as it is for kabaddi players, runners, or any other sports people.
Figuring out the components of top-level athletics is an essential part of understanding sports. Once you’ve got your mind around the larger picture, you can download an Android betting app in India and try your hand at wagering on a team. Now, let’s take a closer look at what goes into being one of the highest-ranking athletes in India.
Training
The best athletes in the country usually have very strict training regimes. Young people with athletic promise typically enter clubs of their chosen sport at a young age, and training begins at a few hours a day while young children are still getting a feel for their sport. Then, if they show particular promise they move on to the provincial level, and eventually the national one.
Once athletes make it to the national level, training is intense. Even if athletes compete in a seasonal sport, they often don’t take much downtime in the off-season because they don’t want to fall out of shape. And training is very cross-disciplinary in many cases because athletes know that working different muscle groups is essential for the development of agility.
Nutrition
Athletes might indulge in the occasional sweet, but for the most part, they follow very strict diets. National cuisines might vary from country to country, but Indians generally consume the same types of foods that other top athletes do in other parts of the world.
Shiva Thappa is a top Indian boxer. In being asked about his eating habits, he is very straightforward with his answer. Like many elite athletes, he eats small portions of food several times a day and is very conscientious about the nutrients that he consumes. He eats fruits and nuts in the morning, followed later by bread and eggs.
Several hours later Shiva eats more fruit, some type of lean protein, such as chicken, and a supplementary protein drink at some point later in the day. He stresses how important replenishing lost nutrients is after workouts.
Other athletes might vary their regimens to some extent, and portions certainly vary from sport to sport: weightlifters definitely eat more than gymnasts do. But the general principles remain the same for all athletes: high protein, lots of vitamins, low fat, and unnecessary carbs.
Mental health
Top athletes spend a great deal of time on their mental health. Meditation is a common practice, and athletes often spend a lot of time visualizing their movements even when they are not training. Athletes practice visualization both alone and in groups, and in team sports, this is considered a vital aspect of the overall training regime.
It is common for athletes to receive verbal coaching from their trainers, who constantly assess their mental states and adjust training regimes according to athletes’ fluctuations in mood. Mental toughness is an essential component of sports, just as important as the physical part in many people’s opinions.
A related skill is the ability to come back to full form following an injury. While this also involves physical capabilities, it also often requires extreme mental toughness. And there is often fear involved, so only the strongest can make it through.
Few can do it
There is a reason that top-level athletes have the reputation that they do, and why they have earned the respect and admiration of the rest of society. The regime that they have to keep up is constant, rigorous, and long-term. And this applies to every aspect of it: Even if a top athlete does break down and eat a pile of junk food, they sometimes lose their mental focus, and things start to fall apart. So every piece of an elite athlete’s life is critical for as long as they continue in their competitive careers. And this is what makes them the best.
