CRICKETERS: OPTIMISING RECOVERY

As the days get longer and weather heats up, many players are returning to the cricket pitch. After a long break over the winter months, long days in the field can be quite demanding on your bodies, and it becomes particularly important to consider how to best facilitate recovery – before, during and after play.

Hydration – Hydration before extended periods in the sun is essential. Dehydration puts strain on our cardiovascular system, impairs physical performance and also has negative effect on our ability to concentrate. It is important not to only drink water during match play to offset the amount of fluid we lose when we sweat, but also to “pre-hydrate” by starting the night before.

Sleep – Inadequate sleep has been proven to negatively impact performance in a number of ways. Just one night of poor sleep impairs our ability to sweat, even in trained athletes, and when combined with a reduced ability to lose heat through the blood vessels close to our skin, this can significantly impair our control of our core body temperature.

The recommended amount of sleep per night is 7-9 hours for adults and 8-10 hours for teenagers, and given that one night of less than 6 hours sleep can reduce our time to physical exhaustion by 30%, it becomes particularly important to get a good rest the night before a long day in the sun.

Over the weeks leading up to the first game of the season it is important to make sure we gradually build up our workload, as rapid changes in load increases our risk of injury.

On match day players should complete a dynamic warm up before heading onto the field, consisting of various exercises targeting muscle activation, mobility and coordination.

As well as remaining adequately hydrated throughout the day, a focus on good technique is important, particularly as fatigue begins to set in. Given the amount of force that goes through the body when bowling, this is particularly relevant for pace bowlers, as poor biomechanics can increase the risk of injury.

At the end of play a gradual warm down including some gentle stretching should be completed, however particularly early in the season, experiencing some general muscle soreness the next day is quite normal. To help alleviate this, players can complete some stretching and gentle exercise the day after the game – be that a light jog or some walking in the pool.

For any questions on how to further promote recovery or for management strategies for specific issues with soreness following exercise consult with the team at Hartwell Physiotherapy.