By Dan McCarthy//National Team High Performance Consultant
The last training cycle before taper is the most important one to take care of yourself. It represents either one of the hardest training cycles of the year, or the culmination of months and months of hard training and competing without a break. The physical stress of such training raises the cortisol levels in the body and suppresses the immune system. In addition, the human body does not differentiate between one type of stress or another; so the combination of the physical, mental and emotional toll of day-to-day living can all really pound the immune system into the ground. Illnesses and infections seem more prominent during taper because the immune system is at its weakest, not because of the taper. If the athlete is worrying about the upcoming competition during taper, then not only is their immune system vulnerable, but they are continuing to suppress it as well.Luckily there are some measures that can be taken during the last training cycle and taper cycle to help the immune system stay strong and effectively combat illness.
- Eat fruits and vegetables: Add fruits and vegetables to your diet if they aren’t already there, or eat more of them; and eat them with every meal. The vitamins and minerals in fruits and vegetables have antioxidants which combat the by-products of training. Additionally, they are absorbed much better from food sources than multivitamins.
- Avoid alcohol! Alcohol reduces the white blood cell count in your body, which are the cells which combat disease in your body. Alcohol prevents nutrients from feeding the immune system, weakening it instead, and alcohol calories are worthless to an athlete. Excessive drinking will create a nutritional deficiency.
- Sleep! Try to find some time during the day for a nap, and go to bed earlier than normal (or wake up later).
- Use some common sense. Wash your hands often, don’t share water bottles and keep your hands away from your face when they are not clean.
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