Competing On The Go | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Sports

Competing On The Go

Travel tips for your Performance

234
Competing On The Go
Owen CL on Unsplash

Competitive shooting is technically a “Summer” Sport, but we all know that we compete all year round, traveling all over the country and the planet. The necessary evil of traveling can have a detrimental effect on our minds and bodies, and as shooters progress through their careers, planning how to travel can boost your own athletic performance. Here are a few personal tips that I follow to ensure that I am in the right physical condition.

Drink lots of liquids when flying

This one is a no-brainer. The human body requires a humidity level of 30% to maintain proper and healthy functionality. When traveling by aircraft, your environment is below that mark, at a low 20%. In order to compensate, one must consume liquids to offset that. It is common for people to ignore consuming liquids while flying, which ultimately results in dehydration prior to your competition. Avoid this by consuming liquids, preferably with some electrolytes, throughout the travel day. This will maintain a balance between the low humidity and can help flush out toxins from recycled air.

Take an empty water bottle through security, fill it full and consume the entire bottle before the flight. That’ll help you get a head start on your hydration for your journey. Avoid drinking too much caffeine before a flight, that can cause the dehydration process to accelerate.

Brings snacks... the right kind of snacks

The additional stresses of traveling can tax the body is different ways. Besides drinking enough water throughout the trip, you also need to make sure you eat the right kinds of food to avoid bloating and that sluggy feeling at the end of your trip. To do this, try your best to avoid the greasy fast-food options that can be heavy in your digestive system. These foods can lead to bloating and heartburn, not pleasant things to experience in the Troposphere. Other foods to avoid would be the “Gassy” kinds of foods. You don’t need a physics degree for this: as cabin pressure drops, your stomach and intestines gas will expand.

Bring foods that can help keep you energized and hydrated. Fruit is an excellent food that can be consumed easily and will not cause discomfort. Consuming nuts and almonds, or granola will also be great sources of protein while you travel.

Avoid that jetlag

You’ll be tired, regardless of how many time zones you cross. If you get into town early in the day and have a whole day to kill before you can go to bed at a normal hour, here are two tactics you can use to overcome that feeling.

Expose yourself to bright light: the natural light will help your body reset to the environment you now exist in.

Light exercise in the days that lead up to the event: similar to the natural light, this helps your body recalibrate its natural functions and speeds up the recovery from travel.

Silence the noise

Being exposed to air travel noise can cause sleep disruption, increase your stress, and raise your blood pressure. An easy solution would be to find some noise canceling headphones or just some earplugs and these symptoms can be avoided. Remember, your body is using more of its resources because your traveling, there is no need to add stress to your stressful day.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Drake
Hypetrak

1. Nails done hair done everything did / Oh you fancy huh

You're pretty much feeling yourself. New haircut, clothes, shoes, everything. New year, new you, right? You're ready for this semester to kick off.

Keep Reading...Show less
7 Ways to Make Your Language More Transgender and Nonbinary Inclusive

With more people becoming aware of transgender and non-binary people, there have been a lot of questions circulating online and elsewhere about how to be more inclusive. Language is very important in making a space safer for trans and non-binary individuals. With language, there is an established and built-in measure of whether a place could be safe or unsafe. If the wrong language is used, the place is unsafe and shows a lack of education on trans and non-binary issues. With the right language and education, there can be more safe spaces for trans and non-binary people to exist without feeling the need to hide their identities or feel threatened for merely existing.

Keep Reading...Show less
singing
Cambio

Singing is something I do all day, every day. It doesn't matter where I am or who's around. If I feel like singing, I'm going to. It's probably annoying sometimes, but I don't care -- I love to sing! If I'm not singing, I'm probably humming, sometimes without even realizing it. So as someone who loves to sing, these are some of the feelings and thoughts I have probably almost every day.

Keep Reading...Show less
success
Degrassi.Wikia

Being a college student is one of the most difficult task known to man. Being able to balance your school life, work life and even a social life is a task of greatness. Here's an ode to some of the small victories that mean a lot to us college students.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

6 Signs You're A Workaholic

Becuase of all things to be addicted to, you're addicted to making money.

619
workaholic
kaboompics

After turning 16, our parents start to push us to get a job and take on some responsibility. We start to make our own money in order to fund the fun we intend on having throughout the year. But what happens when you've officially become so obsessed with making money that you can't even remember the last day you had off? You, my friend, have become a workaholic. Being a workaholic can be both good and bad. It shows dedication to your job and the desire to save money. It also shows that you don't have a great work-life balance. Here are the signs of becoming a workaholic.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments